What Are Acids?

Acids are ionic compounds that produce positive hydrogen ions (H+) when

dissolved in water. Ionic compounds are compounds that contain
positive metal ions and negative nonmetal ions held together by ionic bonds.
(Ions are atoms that have become charged particles by gaining or losing
electrons.) An example of an acid is hydrogen chloride (HCl). When it
dissolves in water, it separates into positive hydrogen ions and negative
chloride ions (Cl-). This is represented by the chemical equation:
HCl →H2O H+ + Cl-

Properties of Acids

You already know that a sour taste is one property of acids.

(Warning: Never taste an unknown substance to see whether it is an acid!)
Acids have certain other properties as well. For example, acids can conduct
electricity when dissolved in water because they consist of charged particles
in solution. (Electric current is a flow of charged particles.) Acids can also
react with metals, and when they do they produce hydrogen gas. An example
of this type of reaction is hydrochloric acid reacting with the metal zinc (Zn).
The reaction is pictured in the Figure below. It can be represented by the
chemical equation:
Zn + 2HCl → H2 + ZnCl2
 [Figure 2]
Hydrochloric acid reacting with the metal zinc.

Q: What sign indicates that a gas is being produced in this reaction?

A: The bubbles are hydrogen gas rising through the acid.
Q: Besides hydrogen gas, what else is produced in this reaction?
A: This reaction also produces zinc chloride ZnCl2, which is a neutral ionic
compound called a salt.

Detecting Acids

Certain compounds, called indicators, change color when acids come into
contact with them, so indicators can be used to detect acids. An example of
an indicator is the compound called litmus. It is placed on small strips of paper
that may be red or blue. If you place a few drops of acid on a strip of blue
litmus paper, the paper will turn red. You can see this in the Figure below.
Litmus isn’t the only indicator for detecting acids. Red cabbage juice also
works well, as you can see in this entertaining video.

Strength of Acids
The strength of acids is measured on a scale called the pH scale. The pH
value of a solution represents its concentration of hydrogen ions. A pH value
of 7 indicates a neutral solution, and a pH value less than 7 indicates an acidic
solution. The lower the pH value is, the greater is the concentration of
hydrogen ions and the stronger the acid. The strongest acids, such as battery
acid, have pH values close to zero.

Uses of Acids

Acids have many important uses, especially in industry. For example, sulfuric
acid is used to manufacture a variety of different products, including paper,
paint, and detergent. Some other uses of acids are be seen in
the Figure below.

[Figure 4]
Nitric acid and Phosphoric acid: Both nitric acid and phosphoric acid are used to make fertilizer. Hydrochloric acid: Hydrochloric
acid is used to clean swimming pools, bricks, and concrete. Sulfuric acid: Sulfuric Acid is an important component of car
batteries.

Summary

 Acids are ionic compounds that produce positive hydrogen ions (H+)
when dissolved in water.
 Acids taste sour, conduct electricity when dissolved in water, and
react with metals to produce hydrogen gas.
 Certain indicator compounds, such as litmus, can be used to detect
acids. Acids turn blue litmus paper red.
 The strength of acids is measured on the pH scale. A pH value less
than 7 indicates an acid, and the lower the number is, the stronger
the acid.
 Acids have many important uses, especially in industry.
Review

What Are Bases?

Bases are ionic compounds that produce negative hydroxide ions (OH-) when

dissolved in water. An ionic compound contains positive metal ions and
negative nonmetal ions held together by ionic bonds. (Ions are atoms that
have become charged particles because they have either lost or gained
electrons.) An example of a base is sodium hydroxide (NaOH). When it
dissolves in water, it produces negative hydroxide ions and positive sodium
ions (Na+). This can be represented by the equation:
NaOH →H2O OH- + Na+

Properties of Bases

All bases share certain properties, including a bitter taste. (Warning: Never

taste an unknown substance to see whether it is a base!) Bases also feel
slippery. Think about how slippery soap feels. That’s because it’s a base. In
addition, bases conduct electricity when dissolved in water because they
consist of charged particles in solution. (Electric current is a flow of charged
particles.)
Q: Bases are closely related to compounds called acids. How are their
properties similar? How are they different?
A: A property that is shared by bases and acids is the ability to conduct
electricity when dissolved in water. Some ways bases and acids are different
is that acids taste sour whereas bases taste bitter. Also, acids but not bases
react with metals.

Detecting Bases

Certain compounds, called indicators, change color when bases come into
contact with them, so they can be used to detect bases. An example of an
indicator is a compound called litmus. It is placed on small strips of paper that
may be red or blue. If you place a few drops of a base on a strip of red litmus
paper, the paper will turn blue. You can see this in the Figure below. Litmus
isn’t the only detector of bases. Red cabbage juice can also detect bases, as
you can see in this video.
 
 
 
 
 

[Figure 2]
Drawing of red litmus paper turning blue in a base.

Strength of Bases

The strength of bases is measured on a scale called the pH scale, which

ranges from 0 to 14. On this scale, a pH value of 7 indicates a neutral
solution, and a pH value greater than 7 indicates a basic solution. The higher
the pH value is, the stronger the base. The strongest bases, such as drain
cleaner, have a pH value close to 14.

Uses of Bases

Bases are used for a variety of purposes. For example, soaps contain bases
such as potassium hydroxide (KOH). Other uses of bases can be seen in
the Figure below.

[Figure 3]
Summary

 Bases are ionic compounds that produce negative hydroxide ions

(OH-) when dissolved in water.
 Bases taste bitter, feel slippery, and conduct electricity when
dissolved in water.
 Indicator compounds such as litmus can be used to detect bases.
Bases turn red litmus paper blue.
 The strength of bases is measured on the pH scale. A pH value
greater than 7 indicates a base, and the higher the number is, the
stronger the base.
 Bases have many important uses. For example, they are found in
many cleaning products and in concrete.

Strength of Acids and Bases

Acids are ionic compounds that produce positively charged hydrogen ions (H+)

when dissolved in water. Acids taste sour and react with metals. Bases are
ionic compounds that produce negatively charged hydroxide ions (OH-) when
dissolved in water. Bases taste bitter and do not react with metals. Examples
of acids are vinegar and battery acid. The acid in vinegar is weak enough to
safely eat on a salad. The acid in a car battery is strong enough to eat through
skin. Examples of bases include those in antacid tablets and drain cleaner.
Bases in antacid tablets are weak enough to take for an upset stomach.
Bases in drain cleaner are strong enough to cause serious burns.
Q: What do you think causes these differences in the strength of acids and
bases?
A: The strength of an acid or a base depends on how much of it breaks down
into ions when it dissolves in water.

Concentration of Ions

The strength of an acid depends on how many hydrogen ions it produces

when it dissolves in water. A stronger acid produces more hydrogen ions than
a weaker acid. For example, sulfuric acid (H2SO4), which is found in car
batteries, is a strong acid because nearly all of it breaks down into ions when
it dissolves in water. On the other hand, acetic acid (CH3CO2H), which is the
acid in vinegar, is a weak acid because less than 1 percent of it breaks down
into ions in water.
The strength of a base depends on how many hydroxide ions it produces
when it dissolves in water. A stronger base produces more hydroxide ions
than a weaker base. For example, sodium hydroxide (NaOH), a base in drain
cleaner, is a strong base because all of it breaks down into ions when it
dissolves in water. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), a base in antacids, is a weak
base because only a small percentage of it breaks down into ions in water.

The pH Scale

The strength of acids and bases is measured on a scale called the pH scale,
which is shown in the Figure below. By definition, pH represents the acidity, or
hydrogen ion (H+) concentration, of a solution. Pure water, which is neutral,
has a pH of 7. With a higher the concentration of hydrogen ions, a solution is
more acidic and has a lower pH. Acids have a pH less than 7, and the
strongest acids have a pH close to zero. Bases have a pH greater than 7, and
the strongest bases have a pH close to 14. It’s important to realize that the pH
scale is based on powers of ten. For example, a solution with a pH of 8 is 10
times more basic than a solution with a pH of 7, and a solution with a pH of 9
is 100 times more basic than a solution with a pH of 7.
Q: How much more acidic is a solution with a pH of 4 than a solution with a
pH of 7?
A: A solution with a pH of 4 is 1000 (10 × 10 × 10, or 103) times more acidic
than a solution with a pH of 7.
 [Figure 2]
Q: Which solution on the pH scale in the Figure above is the weakest acid?
Which solution is the strongest base?
A: The weakest acid on the scale is milk, which has a pH value between 6.5
and 6.8. The strongest base on the scale is liquid drain cleaner, which has a
pH of 14.

Why pH Matters

Acidity is an important factor for living things. For example, many plants grow
best in soil that has a pH between 6 and 7. Fish may also need a pH between
6 and 7. Certain air pollutants form acids when dissolved in water droplets in
the air. This results in acid fog and acid rain, which may have a pH of 4 or
even lower. The pH chart in the Figure above and the Figure below reveal
some of the adverse effects of acid fog and rain. Acid rain not only kills trees.
It also lowers the pH of surface waters such as ponds and lakes. As a result,
the water may become too acidic for fish and other water organisms to
survive.
 [Figure 3]
Acid fog and acid rain killed the trees in this forest.

Even normal (clean) rain is somewhat acidic. That’s because carbon dioxide
(CO2) in the air dissolves in raindrops, producing a weak acid called carbonic
acid (H2CO3), which has a pH of about 5.5. When rainwater soaks into the
ground, it can slowly dissolve rocks, particularly those containing calcium
carbonate. This is how water forms underground caves.
Q: How do you think acid rain might affect buildings and statues made of
stone?
A: Acid rain dissolves and damages stone buildings and statues.
The Figure below shows a statue that has been damaged by acid rain.
 [Figure 4]

Summary

 The strength of an acid or base is called acidity. It depends on how

much of the substance breaks down into ions when it dissolves in
water.
 Acidity is measured by pH, which is the concentration of hydrogen
ions in a solution.
 Acidity is an important factor for living things because most can
survive only within a relatively narrow range of acidity.