First Year Science

Acids and Bases

 In this topic:
• Acids
• Bases
• Indicators
• Acid, Alkali or Base? An investigation
• Universal Indicator
 Acids
• Acid comes from a Latin word that means sour
• Taste sour and sharp
• Strong acids can be dangerous
– Described in chemistry as corrosive
• Safety precautions are needed with
laboratory acids
 Examples of acids
• Lemon juice (citric acid)
• Vinegar (ethanoic acid)
• Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
• Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
 Bases
• The opposite of acids
• Used a lot in everyday life
• Can be as corrosive and dangerous as acids
• Safety precautions are needed with strong
bases
 Examples of bases
• Toothpaste
• Bleach
• Indigestion tablets (antacids)
• Sodium hydroxide [NaOH]
• Ammonia [NH4]
• Limewater [Ca(OH)2]
 Alkalis
Alkali: a base that is soluble in water

• A great example = Sodium hydroxide

• This is often used as a drain cleaner
 Neutral
Neutral: substances which are neither acids
nor bases

Examples of neutral substances:

• Deionised water
• Glucose
• Ethanol
 Indicators
Indicator: a chemical that shows, by a colour
change, whether a substance is an acid or a
base
• We mainly use LITMUS PAPER
 Investigating substances with litmus
paper
Lockerno. Substance BlueLitmus RedLitmus Acid,Baseor
(endcolour) (endcolour) Neutral?
1 Bleach
2 Vinegar
3 Tapwater
4 Cola
5 Milk
6 Saltwater
7 Alka-Seltzer
8 Lemonjuice
9 Limewater
10 Toothpaste
 The pH scale
• Not all acids and bases have the same
strength
• Some are stronger than others
• We can eat lemon juice, but NOT battery acid!
• The pH scale lets scientists identify how strong
or weak the acids and bases are
 The pH Scale
pH scale: an indication of how acidic or basic
a substance is. It runs from 0 to 14.
 Universal indicator paper
• Changes colour in
substances
• pH can be read using
the colour chart
 OC19: Investigating the pH of
materials using the pH scale
Lockerno. Substance NewcolourofUniversal pH Acid,Baseor
indicatorpaper Neutral?
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Chapter 26: Acids and Bases
(1st Year section)

DONE!!