Bases

• Describe as the opposite of acids.

• Substances that produce hydroxide ions
when they dissolve in water.

What are the characteristic properties of bases?

 Properties of Bases

Bases taste bitter

The slightly bitter taste is
caused by base, sodium
hydroxide. Shampoo and
detergents are bitter.

Warning: Do not taste substances or solutions to test

the presence of bases. Some bases are both corrosive or
poisonous.
 Most bases feel slippery to touch
When you wash your hands with
soap, it feels slippery.

Warning: Do not touch a

base just to test if it is
slippery or not. Strong base
can irritate or burn your
skin.
Bases are electrolytes

Like acidic solution, basic

solutions can contain
ions and can conduct
electricity.
Bases also react with indicator

The most common indicator is

litmus paper. While the acids
turn blue litmus paper to red,
bases turn red litmus paper to
blue.
 Uses of Bases

• Baking soda reacts with an

acid to produce carbon
dioxide gas in baked food.
Carbon dioxide makes
baked goods light and
fluffy.
• Milky of magnesia
(magnesium hydroxide) and
antacid tablets (calcium
carbonate) help ease effect of
too much acid in the stomach.
• Bases give soap and many• Ammonia is used in the
cleaning products like drainmanufacture of
cleaner some of their fertilizer, fibers, and
properties. The hydroxide plastics.
ion produced by bases react
• Calcium oxide and calcium
with certain substances such
hydroxide are used in the
as dirt and grease.
manufacture of chalk, mortar,
plaster, cement, and other paving
materials.
 Sodium hydroxide Mg(OH
• Bases give soap and many 2)- commonly called
caustic soda or lye, is
cleaning products like drainthe most widely used
industrial base.
cleaner some of their
• properties. Thematerial
It is a raw hydroxide
in
ion produced
soap making.by bases react
with certain substances such
• It is also used in the
as dirt and grease.
manufacture cellophane,
paper and rayon.
Harmful Bases
Harmful bases are strong bases that completely
dissociate in water into their ions.

• bleach
• oven cleaner
• ammonia
• lye or sodium hydroxide
• Potassium hydroxide
 Proper Handling of Bases
1.Wear protective clothing such as an apron or
laboratory gown when having an activity on
bases. Use goggles and gloves as required by
the teacher.
2.When using cleaning solutions at home, read
the product labels carefully to understand
their proper uses applications.
 The pH Scale
• The term pH is an abbreviation for “power of
hydrogen”
• Another term, the pOH, may also be used as a
measure of these properties.
• pOH is a measure of the hydroxide ion (OH-)
concentration of a solution.
• The pH values range from 0 to 14. At 25 ͦ C. a
solution with pH value less than 7 (or pOH
greater than 7) is described as acidic, where as
solution with a pH value greater than 7 (or
pOH less than 7) is basic.

• A solution with pH value of 7 (or pOH equal

to 7) is considered neutral.
How important are pH values?
• The human blood has a pH of about 7.4. If this
pH becomes lower or higher, a serious illness,
or even death, can occur.

• Acidosis results when blood pH becomes

lower than 7.4, while alkalosis occurs when
the pH becomes higher than 7.4.
• In agriculture, the pH of soil helps determine
the kind of crop that will readily grow in it and
what adjustments must made to make it
suitable for growing other crops.
Philippine crops grow in acidic
soil
rice pineappl
banan e
sweet
acoffee potato
 Philippine crops grow in basic
soil
grape petchay
s
Philippine crops grow in nearly neutral
soil
corn cabbag
watermelo egarlic
npeanut onion
• Shampoo for adults have pH value ranging
from 4 to 6.
• The “no more tears” shampoos for children
have a pH of about 7.4 which equal to the
pH of tears.
• In the production of beer, wine, vinegar,
cheese, and other processed food products,
pH is also strictly controlled to lengthen
the shelf life of these product.
 Acid-Base Indicators
• The pH of a solution can be approximated
using a suitable indicator, which changes
color within a certain pH range.

• Many indicators are obtained from plant

pigments. They behave as weak acids that
exhibit a certain color in their acid form and
a different color in their base form.
 • Examples of these indicators are extracts of
gumamela, black beans, ampalaya, red cabbage,
rose, and sweet potato leaves.
• Most plants contain pH-sensitive
pigments anthocyanins.
Anthocyanin molecules has both acidic and basic
properties. Thus it is capable of accepting or
donating hydrogen ion. The pigment changes color
over different ph ranges. When it accept a hydrogen
ion, it turns pink and when looses a hydrogen it
turns blue
Anthocyanin molecules has both acidic and
basic properties. Thus it is capable of accepting
or donating hydrogen ion. The pigment
changes color over different ph ranges. When it
accept a hydrogen ion, it turns pink and when
looses a hydrogen it turns blue
Some natural
indicators.