TouchTutor Series

Physical Sciences
Grade 11

Term 3

CHEMICAL CHANGE: Types of Reactions

12 hours

LESSON 2: ACID-BASE REACTIONS

Lesson Objectives

By the end of this lesson you should …

• understand NEUTRALISATION REACTIONS, and the

products formed, and their occurrence in daily life

• be able to list ACID REACTIONS and their various

products

• know what an INDICATOR is

Acid-Base Reactions
When an acid and a base react with each other, they form a
salt and, if the base contains hydroxide (OH-) ions, water as
well. By way of an example …
HBr(aq) + KOH(aq) → KBr(aq) + H2O(ℓ)
acid base salt water
In more general terms …
HA + BOH → BA + H 2O
acid base salt

The word salt describes one of the products of a reaction

between an acid and a base, a metal oxide or carbonate, etc.
A SALT is a neutral, ionic compound, consisting of the cation
(+) of the base (metal, etc.), and the anion (–) of the acid.
Clearly, the type of salt formed then depends on the reactants.
Neutralisation
When an acid reacts with a base to form a salt, this is called a
NEUTRALISATION REACTION.
Take, for example, the reaction between the acid HCl, and the
base, NaOH, both in aqueous solution.
The reaction: HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → H2O(ℓ) + NaCl(aq)
This overall reaction can be broken up as follows …
• HCl(aq) → H+(aq) + Cl-(aq)
• NaOH(aq) → Na+(aq) + OH-(aq). Then …
• H+(aq) + OH-(aq) → H2O(ℓ) – the ions are neutralised to
form water, and
• Na+(aq) + Cl-(aq) → NaCl(aq), a salt solution.
Neutralisation reactions are so called because the acid is
neutralised by the base, or vice versa. Given the right propor-
tions, the end product is neutral (as water is).
 Neutralisation in Action
In neutralisation reactions between an acid and a base, a salt
will always be formed. Water forms in specific circumstances.
As another example: H2SO4(aq) + 2NH3(aq) → (NH4)2SO4(aq)
acid Base salt
Neutralisation reactions are important in everyday life.
• If soil is too acidic and plants unable to grow, calcium oxide
or calcium carbonate may be added to neutralise the soil.
• If soil is too basic, compost of rotting vegetables or leaves
(releasing acidic gas) may be added to neutralise the soil.
• Power stations release acidic SO2 gases. These may be
neutralised using a base like calcium oxide (CaO).
• We use antacids (milk of magnesia – Mg(OH)2, or NaHCO3)
to neutralise excessive stomach acids.
• Wasp stings (slightly basic) can be
neutralised using vinegar (slightly acidic)
More Neutralisation in Action
• The food we eat is mostly acidic, and
can cause tooth decay. Hence we
brush our teeth with an alkaline toothpaste.
• We wash our hair with slightly basic shampoos. Extended
use can result in hair damage and so we use mildly acidic
conditioners to repair the damage.
• Neutralisation is also at the heart
of baking a cake. The neutrali-
sation reactions that take place
release the gas CO2 which raises
the cake.

We focus now on three very specific

acid-base reactions involving three
different types of bases – metal hydroxides, metal oxides
and metal carbonates.
Acid – Metal Hydroxide
A METAL HYDROXIDE is any metal (for example, Na, K, Ca, Mg,
Al) bonded to one or more hydroxide ions (OH–): NaOH,
Ca(OH)2, Al(OH)3, KOH, etc.
Metal hydroxides react with acids to form a salt and water, e.g.:
2HCl(aq) + Mg(OH)2(aq) → MgCl2(aq) + 2H2O(ℓ)
HBr(aq) + KOH(aq) → KBr(aq) + H2O(ℓ)
H2SO4(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) → Na2SO4(aq) + H2O(ℓ)
Note that neutralisation is an exothermic reaction, so the
reaction mixture will warm up.
NAMING SALTS: The name of the salt formed in an acid – base
reaction has two parts: the 1st comes from the metal, the 2nd
from the acid used to make it. Thus MgCl2 is magnesium
chloride, Na2SO4 is sodium sulfate, and KBr is potassium
bromide.
Acids and Metal Oxides
A Metal Oxide is any metal bonded
to the appropriate number of
oxygen atoms, e.g.: Na2O
(sodium oxide), Al2O3 (aluminium
oxide), etc.
Oxides tend to produce lovely
colours – as shown in the above picture.
When metal oxides react with acids, a salt and water is formed.
e.g. H2SO4(aq) + ZnO → ZnSO4(aq) + H2O(ℓ)
2HNO3(aq) + MgO → Mg(NO3)2 + H2O(ℓ)
2HCl(aq) + CuO(aq) → CuCl2(aq) + H2O(ℓ)
2HBr(aq) + Na2O → 2NaBr(aq) + H2O(ℓ)
The salts formed in the above reactions are zinc sulfate, mag-
nesium nitrate, copper (II) chloride and sodium bromide. Note
that metal oxides are not generally soluble in water.
 Acids – Metal Carbonates
A METAL CARBONATE is any metal bonded to CO32- ions, e.g.:
Na2CO3, CaCO3, MgCO3, etc.
When metal carbonates react with an acid, the
acid is neutralised forming a salt and H2O. In
addition, carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is given off.
2HCl(aq) + CaCO3 → CaCl2(aq) + H2O(ℓ) + CO2(g)
H2SO4(aq) + CuCO3 → CuSO4(aq) + H2O(ℓ) + CO2(g)
2HNO3(aq) + PbCO3 → Pb(NO3)2(aq) + H2O(ℓ) + CO2(g)
CO2 is a colourless gas. The gas will be seen bubbling through
the solution, and may be identified as CO2 using lime-
water. This turns a milky white when it reacts with CO2.

Some further notes: When acids react with metals such

as zinc (Zn) or magnesium (Mg), a salt is formed and ..
 Salt Formulae
hydrogen gas (H2) is given off.
e.g.: 2HCl(aq) + Zn(s) → ZnCl2(aq) + H2(g)
When an acid reacts with a hydrogen carbonate (HCO3–), a
salt and water is formed, and CO2(g) is given off.
e.g.: HCl(aq) + NaHCO3 → NaCl(aq) + H2O(ℓ) + CO2(g)
NH3 is a base. When it reacts with an acid, a neutralisation
reaction takes place. The salt formed is the only product.
e.g.: HNO3(aq) + NH3(aq) → NH4NO3(aq)

To determine the formula of the salt formed, consider the

charges on the separate ions forming the salt. The pos. & neg.
charges must balance (add to zero), e.g.: Na+ and SO42-
To balance the charges, double the Na+ ions. Thus the correct
formula is Na2SO4 – leave out the charges in the final formula.
 Producing / Isolating Salts
Given that acids reacting with metal hydroxides, oxides or
carbonates invariably produce a salt, any desired salt may be
produced using the appropriate reactants.
To produce CuSO4, we may react sulfuric acid
with copper oxide:
CuO + H2SO4(aq) → CuSO4 (aq) + H2O(ℓ).
To isolate the CuSO4 salt, the solution may be
filtered to remove any unreacted oxide, then heated gently to
evaporate all the water, leaving the salt as residue.
Other salts may be produced using the same technique.
NaCl: HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O
CaCl2: 2HCl + CaCO3 → CaCl2 + H2O + CO2
Na2SO4: H2SO4 + 2NaOH → Na2SO4 + H2O
Indicators
A solution may be acidic, neutral, or basic (alkaline). To find out
which it is, a small drop of an INDICATOR may be added.
Indicators are substances that undergo a COLOUR CHANGE
when a certain threshold of acidity / alkalinity is reached.
One commonly used indicator is LITMUS PAPER. When dipped
into an acidic solution, BLUE litmus paper will turn RED. If the
solution is basic, RED litmus paper will turn BLUE.
Other common indicators are …

bromothymol blue methyl orange

Natural Indicators
A variety of plant extracts may also be
used as indicators.
Red cabbage is a good example.

This picture shows the colour range of the red cabbage extract
as the solution changes from very acidic (left) to very basic
(right).
Rooibos tea may also be used as indicator, as is plant
colouring material found in berries, leaves and flowers.
Macro- vs Microscopic Changes
Consider the following reaction:
2HCl(aq) + CuCO3(s) → CuCl2(aq) + H2O(ℓ) + CO2(g)
At a MACROSCOPIC level (what our five senses can detect), …
• you will observe the blue-green colouring of CuCO3 give
way to a clear blue solution of CuCl2.
• You will also see CO2 bubbles forming in the solution,
turning clear limewater milky.
At the MICROSCOPIC level (at molecular / ionic / atomic) level,
there is the dissociation of molecules and an exchange of ions.
• HCl dissociates into H+ and Cl-, and CuCO3 dissociates into
Cu2+, CO2 and O2-.
• The two Cl- ions bond with the Cu2+ ion to form a CuCl2
solution, and the H+ ions bond with the O2- to form water.
 Class Exercise 1/1
1) What is a neutralisation reaction?
A neutralisation reaction is a reaction between an acid and a
base that produces two neutral substances: salt and water.
2) Give the general equation for neutralisation reactions.
acid + base → water + salt
3) Complete the following reaction: Ba(OH)2(aq) + H2SO4(aq)
→ 2H2O(ℓ) + BaSO4(s) – which precipitates
4) Write down three different reactions for the production of
potassium nitrate - KNO3.
a) K(s) + HNO3(aq) → H2(g) + KNO3(aq)
b) KOH (aq) + HNO3(aq) → H2O(ℓ) + KNO3(aq)
c) K2O (aq) + 2HNO3(aq) → H2O(ℓ) + 2KNO3(aq)
d) K2CO3 (aq) + 2HNO3(aq) → H2O(ℓ) + 2KNO3(aq) + CO2(g)
5) Complete the table given on the next slide.
Class Exercise 1/2

Metal …. Acid Salt Byproduct

Cu H2SO4 CuSO4 H2
CaO HCl CaCl2 H2O
Al(OH)3 H3PO4 AlPO4 H2O
Mg(OH)2 HNO3 Mg(NO3)2 H2O
Na2CO3 H2SO4 Na2SO4 H2O + CO2
6) Explain how an antacid relieves heart burn / indigestion.
An antacid is a base that neutralises the excess stomach
acid that causes the heart burn.
HCl(aq) + NaHCO3(s) → NaCl(aq) + H2O(ℓ) + CO2(g)
7) Write a balanced equation for the sodium hydroxide with
nitric acid. Include phase indicators.
NaOH(aq) + HNO3(aq) → H2O(ℓ) + NaNO3(aq)
 Class Exercise 1/3
8) For each of the following reactions, indicate what changes
take place on the macro- and microscopic levels.
a) LiOH (aq) + HNO3(aq) → H2O(ℓ) + LiNO3(aq) (bromo
thymol blue is added to the solution)
b) Ba(OH)2(aq) + H2SO4(aq) → 2H2O(ℓ) + BaSO4(s)↓
c) Cu(s) + H2SO4(aq) → H2(g) + CuSO4(aq)
a) Macro: Bromothymol blue changes from blue to yellow as the acid
is added. It may reach a point where the indicator is green.
Micro: Adding the acid changes the acidity of the solution and
therefore the colour of the indicator.
HNO3 donates a H+ to the LiOH which accepts it. If the same
amount of LiOH and HNO3 is present, the acid and base have
neutralised one another, producing a salt and water.
Class Exercise 1/4 (Answers)
b) Macro: A white precipitate forms.
Micro: H2SO4 donates two H+-ions to the Ba(OH)2 which
accepts it, producing a salt and water. The salt,
however, is insoluble in water.
c) Macro: Copper metal is corroded away. The solution
obtains a clear blue colour. A gas is formed which,
when tested, explodes with a POP.
Micro: Cu atoms are changed by the H2SO4 into Cu2+-
ions, which bond with the SO42--ions to produce the salt.
The gas formed is clearly, hydrogen.
 Key Concepts
An acid – base reaction is a NEUTRALISATION reaction.
• Such reactions are useful in agriculture, in industry and in
the home.
Acids also react with …
• metal hydroxides, to form a salt and water (H2O).
• metal oxides, to form a salt and water (H2O).
• metal carbonates, to form a salt, water (H2O) and carbon
dioxide (CO2) gas.
The chemical reaction involves microscopic changes –
dissociation, ion-exchange and bond-formation. At a macro-
scopic level, this may be observed in colour changes, in gas
formation, a precipitate forming, etc.
An INDICATOR is a chemical substance that changes colour
depending on the change in the acidity / alkalinity of a solution.