CHEMISTRY ACIDS, BASES AND SALTS

Acids, Bases and Salts

Lemon juice, vinegar, tamarind (imli), amla and raw mango taste sour. This is because these
substances are acidic in nature.
Baking soda, alum (fitkari) and sodium hydroxide are bitter to taste and soapy to touch. This is
because these substances are basic in nature.
Sugar has a sweet taste, while common salt is salty to taste. This is because they are
neutral substances. Some substances are neither acidic nor basic; hence, they are neutral and are
called salts.
When an acid and a base react, they neutralise each other to form salt and water.

Acids

Acids are derived from both minerals and plants.

Acids derived from minerals are called inorganic acids or mineral acids.
Examples: Hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid.
Acids derived from plants are called organic acids.
Examples: Tartaric acid, citric acid.

The term ‘Acid’ is derived from the Latin word Acidus and
means sour.

Occurrence – Sources

Name of the acid Source of the acid

Citric acid Lemons and oranges

Lactic acid Curd

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Tartaric acid Tamarind and grapes

Malic acid Apples

Oxalic acid Tomatoes and spinach

Acetic acid Vinegar

Butyric acid Rancid butter

Oleic acid Olive oil

Ascorbic acid Amla

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Formic acid Red ants

Hydrochloric acid

Sulphuric acid

Nitric acid

Definition
An acid is a compound which when dissolved in water gives hydronium ions (H3O+).

HCl(aq) + H2O ⇌ H+(aq) + Cl–(aq)

+
(H + H2O → H3O )
Hydrochloric acid Water Hydrogen ion Chloride ion

HCl(aq) + H2O ⇌ H3O+ + Cl–(aq)

Hydrochloric acid Water Hydronium ion Chloride ion

All properties of acids are due to the presence of hydronium ions

(H3O+) formed on dissociation of the acid in water.

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Classification of Acids
Acids dissociate in aqueous solution to produce hydrogen ions (H+). Based on this dissociation, acids
are classified in terms of their strength and basicity.
Strength of an acid depends on the concentration of hydrogen ions.
Basicity of an acid depends on the number of free hydrogen ions (H+) present in the solution.

Strength of Acid Basicity of Acid

Strong Weak Monobasic Dibasic Tribasic
acid acid acid acid Acid
Dissociates Dissociates Dissociates to Dissociates to Dissociates to
completely to partially to give give one H+ ion give two H+ give three H+
give a high a low per molecule of ions per ions per
concentration of concentration an acid. molecule of an molecule of an
H+ ions. of H+ ions. acid. acid.
Example: Example: Example: Example: Example:
HCl H2CO3 HCl H2SO4 H3PO4

Preparation of Acids

Method Reaction
Direct Combination H2 + Cl2 → 2HCl
Hydrogen + Non-metal Hydrogen Chlorine Hydrochloric acid
Dissolution in Water CO2 + H2O → H2CO3
Acidic oxide + Water Carbon dioxide Water Carbonic acid
Displacement reaction
NaNO3 + H2SO4 HNO3 + NaHSO4
Displacement of normal
Sodium Sulphuric Nitric Sodium
salts by a less or non-
nitrate acid acid hydrogen
volatile acid (e.g. H2SO4)
sulphate

NaCl + H2SO4 HCl + NaHSO4

Sodium Sulphuric Hydrochloric Sodium hydrogen
chloride acid acid sulphate

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Properties of Acids
Taste: Acids are sour in taste.
Corrosive nature: Strong acids are highly corrosive, while weak acids are harmless and
less corrosive.
Electrical conductivity: Strong acids are good conductors of electricity. Weak acids are poor
conductors of electricity.
Indicator properties:

Indicator Colour change in the acids

Litmus solution Blue to Red
Methyl orange Orange to Pink
Phenolphthalein Colourless remains
Colourless

Chemical properties of Acids

General Equation Example

Acid + Basic oxide → Acid + Salt + Water H2SO4 + CuO → CuSO4 + H2O
Acid + Basic hydroxide → Salt + Water HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O
Acid + Active Metal → Salt + Hydrogen Zn + 2HCl → ZnCl2 + H2
Acid + Metallic carbonates or Na2CO3 + 2HCl → 2NaCl + H2O + CO2
bicarbonates → Salt + Water + Carbon
dioxide
Acid + Metallic sulphites or bisulphites → Na2CO3 + 2HCl → 2NaCl + H2O + SO2
Salt + Water + Sulphur dioxide
Acid + Metallic sulphides → Salt + ZnS + H2SO4 → ZnSO4 + H2S
Hydrogen sulphide gas

Uses of Acids
Industrial uses of Acids
Manufacture of dyes, drugs and perfumes.
Preparation of gases such as SO2, CO2, H2S etc.
Preparation of Aqua regia
Aqua regia is used as an important industrial reagent. It is formed by mixing 1 part of concentrated
HNO3 + 3 parts of concentrated HCl.
In metallurgy:
For cleaning metal surfaces before galvanising.
For etching simple designs on copper and brass ware.

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General Uses of Acids

Acid Use
1. Boric acid Eye wash/antiseptic
2. Citric acid Food preservation
Vitamin C preparation
3. Oxalic acid Ink stain remover
4. Carbonic acid Flavoured drinks
5. Tartaric acid Baking powder
6. Acetic acid Table vinegar, cooking
7. Hydrochloric acid Cleaning of metal surfaces
8. Benzoic acid Preservation of food, making
perfumes and medicines
9. Nitric acid Explosives
10. Phosphoric acid Fertilisers

Bases

Bases are chemical substances with a bitter taste and are soapy to touch.
The term ‘Bases’ are oxides or hydroxides of metals which react with acids to give salt and water.

HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O

Acid Base Salt Water

Examples: Oxides of metals: CuO, MgO, PbO

Hydroxides of metals: Fe(OH)2, Pb(OH)2, Al(OH)2

Alkalis
The term ‘Alkalis’ are bases which are soluble in water.
All alkalis are bases, but all bases are not alkalis. This is because certain bases are insoluble
in water.
Examples: Oxides of metals: K2O, Na2O
Hydroxides of metals: NaOH, KOH, NH4OH

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 CHEMISTRY ACIDS, BASES AND SALTS

The word alkali is derived from the Arabic word 'Alquili' which
means plant ashes. Plant ash is mainly composed of sodium or
potassium carbonates.

Definition
An alkali is a compound which when dissolved in water yields hydroxyl ions (OH−) as the only negatively
charged ions.

NaOH(aq) + H2O ⇌ Na+(aq) + OH–(aq)

(Hydroxyl ion)

Classification of Bases [Alkalis]

Bases dissociate in aqueous solution to produce hydroxyl ions (OH−). Based on this dissociation,
bases are classified in terms of their strength and acidicity.
Strength of a base depends on the concentration of hydroxyl ions.
Acidity of a base depends on the number of free hydroxyl ions (OH−) present in the solution.

Strength of Base Acidity of Base

Strong Weak Monoacidic Diacidic Triacidic
alkali alkali base base base
Dissociates Dissociates Dissociates to Dissociates to Dissociates to
completely to partially to give give one OH− give two OH− give three OH−
give a high a low ion per ions per ions per
concentration of concentration molecule of a molecule of a molecule of a
OH− ions. of OH− ions. base. base. base.
Example: Example: Example: Example: Example:
KOH NH4OH NaOH Ca(OH)2 Fe(OH)3

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 CHEMISTRY ACIDS, BASES AND SALTS

Preparation of Bases

Method Reaction
Direct Combination 4K + O2 → 2K2O
Metal + Oxygen Potassium Oxygen Potassium oxide
Dissolution in Water K2O + H2O → 2KOH
Basic oxide + Water Potassium oxide Water Potassium hydroxide
Active metals + Water
2K + 2H2O → 2KOH + H2
Potassium Water Potassium hydroxide Hydrogen
Precipitation Method AlCl3 + 3NaOH → Al(OH)3 ↓ + 3NaCl
Reaction of aqueous salt Aluminium Sodium Aluminium Sodium chloride
solution and a strong chloride hydroxide hydroxide
base

Properties of Bases
Taste: Bases are bitter in taste.
Corrosive nature: Strong bases are highly corrosive, while weak bases are less corrosive.
Electrical conductivity: Strong alkalis are good conductors of electricity. Weak alkalis are poor
conductors of electricity.
Indicator properties:

Indicator Colour change in the Acids

Litmus solution Red to Blue
Methyl orange Orange to Yellow
Phenolphthalein Colourless to Pink

Chemical Properties of Bases

General Equation Example

Acid + Basic oxide → Acid + Salt + Water H2SO4 + CuO → CuSO4 + H2O
Acid + Basic hydroxide → Salt + Water HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O
Alkalis + Ammonium salts → Ammonia gas NH4Cl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O + NH3
Ammonium Ammonia
chloride
Alkali + Salt solution → precipitate of CuSO4 + 2NaOH → Na2SO4 + Cu(OH)2 ↓
insoluble metallic hydroxides Copper Copper hydroxide
sulphate (blue ppt.)

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Uses of Bases
Sodium hydroxide is used in the manufacture of soap, paper and a synthetic fibre called rayon.
Potassium hydroxide is used in car batteries.
Calcium hydroxide is used in softening hard water.
Magnesium hydroxide is used as an antacid. Antacid neutralises acidity in the stomach.
Ammonium hydroxide removes grease stains from clothes.

Neutralisation

An acid reacts with a base to form salt and water. In this reaction, the base neutralises the effect of the
acid; hence, the reaction is named a neutralisation reaction. Some amount of heat is also liberated
during the reaction, which is called the heat of neutralisation.

HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O

Acid Base Salt Water

pH Value

Acids dissociate to produce H+ ions (or H3O+) in solution. Strength of an acid or alkali is expressed in
terms of H+ ion concentration known as pH value.

In the pH scale, ‘p’ stands for ‘potenz’ in German meaning power,

and the letter ‘H’ stands for hydrogen ion concentration [H+].

pH Range

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pH Value (range 0–14) Medium

pH value = 7 Neutral
pH value = 0 to 7 Acidic
pH value = 7 to 14 Alkaline

pH Scale
A scale used for measuring hydrogen ion concentration in a solution is called the pH scale.
The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.
It is used to determine whether the solution is acidic or alkaline and the relative strength of acidic or
alkaline solutions.
pH values on the scale are represented by a range of colours from Red [pH 1] to Green [pH 7] to
Violet [pH 14].

Indicators

An indicator is a dye which is a weak organic acid or base that changes colour when it is added to an acid
or base.

An indicator produces different colours in acidic and basic media. Thus, an indicator tells us whether the
substance we are testing is acidic or basic.

Common Acid–Base Indicators are

Litmus
Methyl orange
Phenolphthalein

Common acid–base Colour change in Acid Colour change in

indicators Base
Litmus solution Blue to Red Red to Blue
Methyl orange Orange to Pink Orange to Yellow
Phenolphthalein Colourless remains Colourless to Pink
Colourless

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Universal Indicator
A universal indicator is a mixture of many different indicators (or dyes) which produces different colours at
different concentrations of hydrogen ions in the solution.

Use of Universal Indicator

When a universal indicator is added to an acid or a base solution, the indicator produces a new colour.
The colour produced is used to find the pH value of the acid or base solution by matching the colour
with colours on a pH colour chart.

Knowing the pH value, we can determine whether the given solution is a strong acid, weak acid,
strong base or weak base.

Colour change by universal indicator

pH 0 to 3 4 5 6 to 7 7 8 to 10 11 to 12 13 to 14
values
Colour Red Orange Orange Greenish Green Blue Purple Violet
change Yellow Yellow
Strong Weak Neutral Weak Strong
Acid Acid Alkali Alkali

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Salt

A neutralisation reaction involves a reaction of a base with an acid to give salt and water only.

NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H2O

Base Acid Salt Water

Therefore, a salt is defined as a compound formed from an acid by partial or complete replacement of
hydrogen ions (H+) of an acid by a metallic ion (basic radical) or an ammonium ion.

Types of Salts

Types of Definition Reaction

Salts

Normal Salt Normal salts are formed by NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H 2O

the complete replacement of Sodium Hydrochloric Sodium Water
replaceable hydrogen ions of hydroxide acid chloride
an acid by a metallic or an
ammonium ion.
Acidic Salt Acidic salts are formed by the NaOH + H2SO4 → NaHSO4 + H2O
partial replacement of Sodium Sulphuric Sodium Water
replaceable hydrogen ions of hydroxide acid bisulphate
polybasic acid by a metal or
ammonium ion.
Basic Salt Basic salts are formed by Zn(OH)2 + HCl → Zn(OH)Cl + H2O
partial replacement of Zinc Hydrochloric Basic Water
hydroxide ion of diacidic or hydroxide acid Salt
triacidic base by an acid
radical.
Hydrated Salts which contain a definite Copper sulphate (CuSO4 · 5H2O)
Salt number of water molecules Sodium carbonate (Na2CO3.10H2O)
as water of crystallisation are
called hydrated salts.

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Solubility of Salt

Soluble salt Insoluble salt

(in Water) (in Water)
Sodium salts, potassium Metallic oxides; metallic
salts, ammonium salts, sulphides; metallic hydroxides;
nitrates, bicarbonates, metallic phosphates; metallic
chlorides, sulphates carbonates; lead, silver and
mercurous chloride; lead,
barium and calcium sulphate

Preparation of Soluble Salts

Reactant Reaction
Active metal
Zinc Zn + H2SO4 → ZnSO4 + H2
Iron Fe + H2SO4 → FeSO4 + H2
Metal oxide
Copper oxide CuO + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + H2O
Lead oxide PbO + 2HNO3 → Pb(NO3)2 + H2O
Metal carbonate
Magnesium carbonate MgCO3 + H2SO4 → MgSO4 + H2O + CO2
Lead carbonate PbCO3 + 2HNO3 → Pb(NO3)2 + H2O + CO2
Metal hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide 2NaOH + H2SO4 → Na2SO4 + 2H2O
(soluble)
Copper hydroxide Cu(OH)2 + H2SO4 → CuSO4 + 2H2O
(insoluble)

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Preparation of Insoluble Salts

Method Reaction
Precipitation Pb(NO3)2 + 2NaCl → 2NaNO3 + PbCl2 ↓
Lead nitrate Sodium chloride Sodium nitrate Lead chloride

By double CaCl2 + Na2CO3 → 2NaCl + CaCO3 ↓

decomposition of two Calcium Sodium carbonate Sodium chloride Calcium
salt solutions chloride carbonate
Direct combination or Zn + S ZnS
Synthesis Zinc Sulphur Zinc sulphide
Fe + S FeS
Iron Sulphur Iron [II] sulphide

Uses of Salts
Sodium chloride is used for cooking, in food preservatives and in the manufacture of chlorine.
Sodium carbonate is used in manufacturing glass and detergents.
Copper sulphate is used in electroplating and as a fungicide.
Ammonium nitrate is used as a fertiliser.

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