E s s e n t i a l C h e m i s t r y f o r C a m b r i d g e I G C S E ® 2 nd E d i t i o n

Unit 10 Acids and bases

SUMMARY QUESTIONS:
1 Acid + carbonate – salt + water + carbon dioxide
Acid + hydroxide – salt + water
Acid + metal – salt + hydrogen
Ammonium salt + alkali – salt + ammonia + water
2 (a) Zinc chloride + hydrogen
(b) Magnesium sulfate + water
(c) Calcium carbonate + nitric acid
(d) Potassium hydroxide
3 Plants do not usually grow very well under the acidic conditions / pH lower than 5.5 (caused by
putting fertilisers on the soil); soils become more acidic due to acid rain, rotting vegetation and
fertilisers; farmers add calcium hydroxide (slaked lime) or calcium oxide (quick lime) to the soil
to neutralise acids in the soil.
4 Vinegar – pH 4.5 – weakly acidic
Dishwasher powder – pH 12 – strongly alkaline
Soap – pH 7.5 – weakly alkaline
Distilled water – pH 7 – neutral
Hydrochloric acid – pH 0 – strongly acidic
5 (a) Amphoteric
(b) Basic
(c) Acidic
(d) Acidic
(e) Neutral
6 (a) Na2CO3 + 2HNO3 → 2NaNO3 + H2O + CO2
(b) Mg + 2HCl → MgCl2 + H2

PRACTICE QUESTIONS:
1 C Weakly alkaline
2 D Hydroxide ions are acting as proton acceptors.
3 (a) Substance that forms hydrogen ions when dissolved in water / proton donor.
(b) Sulfuric acid
(c) H2SO4 ; H2O
(d) Basic oxide; reacts with acids / ALLOW: forms very slightly alkaline solution when added to water.
(e) (i) Reaction of magnesium with sulfuric acid
(ii) Magnesium + sulfuric acid → magnesium sulfate + hydrogen

© OUP 2015: this may be reproduced for class use solely for the purchaser’s institute
 E s s e n t i a l C h e m i s t r y f o r C a m b r i d g e I G C S E ® 2 nd E d i t i o n

4 (a) pH 9
(b) Turns it blue
(c) Ammonium sulfate + sodium hydroxide → ammonia + sodium sulfate + water
(d) (i) NH3 ; HCl
(ii) Ammonium chloride
(e) It is a gas / easily evaporates from solution in the soil
5 (a) (i) Turns it red
(ii) Turns it red
(b) (i) Magnesium + hydrochloric acid → magnesium chloride + hydrogen
(ii) Magnesium chloride
(c) 2; CO2 ; H2O
(d) Acidic oxide
(e) Any two of: starts off at alkaline pH / pH above 7; pH goes down as HCl added / HCl
neutralises the KOH; in excess HCl the pH is below 7
6 (a) Take dilute solution / 0.1 mol / dm3 solution of ethanoic acid and test with indicator;
pH is 3/4/5 or pH is not 1 or 2
(b) React with reactive metal or carbonate; slow reaction / bubbles produced slowly;
test electrical conductivity; low electrical conductivity (compared with strong acid).
(c) 2CH3COOH + Mg → (CH3COO)2Mg + H2
(d) H+ ion from ethanoic acid donated to OH− ion / KOH; OH− ion accepts hydrogen ion
(to form water) so is a base.
(e) Ionises completely in water, to form OH− ions (and K+ ions)
7 (a) CaO + 2HCl → CaCl2 + H2O
(b) Proton acceptor
(c) To reduce acidity / neutralise acidity; so better pH for maximum plant growth
(d) O2− + 2H+ → H2O
(e) (i) Amphoteric oxide
(ii) ZnO + 2NaOH → Na2ZnO2 + H2O
8 (a) Substance which forms OH− ions in solution / proton acceptor; only slightly ionised /
equilibrium over to the left / more molecules of base than ions.
(b) 2NH3 + H2SO4 → (NH4)2SO4
(c) H+ from ammonium ion donated to hydroxide ions to form water.
(d) Any three of:
NH3 is a base because it accepts a proton from water
H2O is an acid because it donates a proton to ammonia
NH4+ is an acid because it donates a proton to OH−
OH− is a base because it accepts a proton from NH4+
(reason must be given for each answer)

© OUP 2015: this may be reproduced for class use solely for the purchaser’s institute