Acids and bases

Threshold Questions
1 Write a chemical and a net ionic equation to represent the reaction, if any, of
hydrochloric acid solution with:

a magnesium;

b magnesium oxide;

c magnesium hydroxide;

d magnesium carbonate;

e magnesium chloride

2 Write a chemical and a net ionic equation to represent the reactions between:

a zinc and sulfuric acid solution

b aluminium and hydrochloric acid solution

c copper oxide and nitric acid solution

d strontium oxide and hydrobromic acid solution

e hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions

f nitric acid and potassium hydroxide solutions

g sulfuric acid and lithium hydroxide solutions

h hydrofluoric acid and sodium hydroxide solutions

i acetic acid and barium hydroxide solutions

j ammonia and hydriodic acid solutions

k calcium carbonate and hydrochloric acid solution

l ammonium carbonate and sulfuric acid solutions

3 Write a net ionic equation to represent reactions between each of the following pairs of

solutions and explain any apparent pattern.

a sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid

b potassium hydroxide + sulfuric acid

c caesium hydroxide + nitric acid

d barium hydroxide + hydriodic acid

e lithium hydroxide + hydrobromic acid

Intermediate Questions
4 If hydrochloric acid is accidentally swallowed or spilled on the skin a solution of
sodium bicarbonate is immediately administered.

a Briefly explain why this is effective.

b Sodium hydroxide solution would be a faster and cheaper alternative in such cases of
accidental spillage but it is never used. Briefly explain.
5 Explain why:

a phosphoric acid (H3PO4) is classed as a weak acid yet one mole of it can neutralise
much more NaOH than can one mole of hydrochloric acid.

b pure phosphoric acid does not react with magnesium but a 1M solution does react.

a Which acid, 1M hydrochloric or 2M hydrochloric, would produce the larger amount of

hydrogen if each reacted completely with one gram of magnesium?

b Which acid, 1M hydrochloric or 1M acetic, would produce the larger amount of

hydrogen if each reacted completely with one gram of magnesium?

c Which acid, 1M nitric or 1M sulfuric, would produce the larger amount of carbon dioxide
if each reacted completely with one gram of magnesium carbonate?

7 When a small piece of sodium is added to dilute sulfuric acid solution most of the reaction is
between the sodium and water (because the solution is mainly water). If the same amount
of sodium was added to concentrated sulfuric acid solution would the volume of hydrogen
formed at R.T.P. be greater, less or the same as when dilute sulfuric acid was used?

8 If 1.00 g of each of the following substances reacted completely with hydrochloric acid,
which would yield the largest volume of gas at S.T.P.?

a aluminium, lithium, zinc, magnesium or cadmium

b calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, zinc carbonate or sodium bicarbonate.

9 Briefly outline a method for converting:

a some solid aluminium oxide into a pure solid sample of aluminium sulfate

b some of solid lead carbonate into a pure solid sample of lead nitrate

c some solid copper hydroxide into a pure solid sample of copper chloride

d some solid magnesium chloride into a pure solid sample of magnesium sulfate.

e a solid mixture of sodium carbonate and sodium bromide into a pure solid sample of
sodium bromide.

10 50.0 mL of a sulfuric acid solution were added to a piece of zinc weighing 7.64 g. After all
reaction was complete 6.00 grams of unreacted zinc remained. Calculate the original
concentration of the sulfuric acid solution.

11 What volume of 0.100 M sulfuric acid would be completely neutralised by a mixture of

0.500 g solid NaOH and 0.800 g solid KOH?

12 What mass of solid anhydrous sodium carbonate will react completely with 20.0 mL of
0.250 M hydrochloric acid solution?

13 1.00 gram of hydrated barium hydroxide [Ba(OH)2·yH2O] required 63.4 mL of 0.100 M

nitric acid solution for complete neutralisation. Evaluate the integer “y”.

14 1.31 grams of solid hydrated potassium carbonate [K2CO3·yH2O] reacted completely with
150.4 mL of 0.100 M HCl solution. Calculate the value of the integer “y”.

15 Calculate the percentage purity of a sample of calcium hydroxide if 0.206 g of the solid
required 42.6 mL of 0.104 M nitric acid for complete neutralisation.
16 1.166 g of a mixture of potassium chloride and potassium carbonate required 42.1 mL of
0.134 M hydrochloric acid for complete neutralisation. Calculate the percentage by mass of
potassium carbonate in the mixture. (HINT: Use the table on p. 168)

17 0.669 g of a solid metal hydroxide M(OH)2 required 37.3 mL of 0.245 M hydrochloric acid
solution to completely dissolve it. Identify the metal M.

18 Three test tubes (A, B and C) each contained 1.0 g of solid lead carbonate. To A was added
20.0 mL of 1.0 M HNO3 solution, to B was added 20.0 mL of 1.0 M HCl solution, and to C
was added 20.0 mL of 1.0 M H2SO4 solution.

In each tube gas bubbles were seen and the solid began to dissolve. The reaction in A
continued until the solid disappeared but, in B and C, the visible reactions stopped after a
short time.

Explain why the observed changes were different in A in comparison to B and C.

19 Human stomachs contain hydrochloric acid to assist in the digestion of food.

Sometimes too much acid is made by the body and a feeling of discomfort
(indigestion) results. Antacid tablets are taken to ease indigestion by neutralising
some of the hydrochloric acid in the stomach. The active ingredients (per tablet) of 7
common antacids are tabulated.

mass of CaCO3 mass of MgCO3 mass of Mg(OH)2

Brand of Tablet
(mg) (mg) (mg)

Tums Extra Strength 750 0 0

Rennies 680 80 0

Mylanta Rolltabs 350 0 150

a Write a balanced equation to represent the reaction of hydrochloric acid with:

• calcium carbonate

• magnesium carbonate

• magnesium hydroxide

b Calculate the total volume of 0.100 M hydrochloric acid solution that would react
completely with each of the three antacid tablets described in the table.

20 Calculate the total volume of 0.100 M sulfuric acid solution that is required to
react completely with 10.0 grams of the mineral “malachite” whose formula is
CuCO3·Cu(OH)2·H2O
21 “White lead” is a mixture of lead carbonate and lead hydroxide. It may be analysed as
follows:

carbon dioxide gas

(0.448 L at S.T.P.)

white lead 1. add excess colourless 2. add excess colourless

(7.76 g) nitric acid solution solution sulfuric acid solution solution

lead sulfate
(9.09 g)

a Write net ionic equations to represent the reaction in Step 1.

b Calculate the number of moles of lead carbonate that were present in the sample of
white lead.

c Write a net ionic equation to represent the formation of lead sulfate in Step 2.

d Calculate the number of moles of lead sulfate formed in Step and thus the total
number of moles of (lead carbonate + lead hydroxide) in the original sample.

e Evaluate the ratio (mol of lead carbonate) ÷ (mol of lead hydroxide) in white lead.

22 Carbon dioxide dissolves in water forming acid solution). When soda water and “limewater”
(calcium hydroxide solution) mix, a white precipitate forms. Describe, using appropriate
equations, the reactions that occur during the limewater test.

Advanced Questions
23 Alka–Seltzer antacid tablets each contain 1916 mg sodium bicarbonate and 1000 mg citric
acid (a weak acid with formula C5H7O5COOH). In water these react:

C5H7O5COOH + NaHCO3 → NaC5H7O5COO + H2O + CO2

In the stomach all the citric acid reacts with some of the sodium bicarbonate; the rest of
the sodium bicarbonate then quickly reacts with the hydrochloric acid that is causing the
indigestion.

a Calculate the mass of sodium bicarbonate that would react completely with 1000 mg
citric acid according to the equation above.

b Calculate the total volume of 0.100 M hydrochloric acid solution that would react
completely with the unreacted sodium bicarbonate from a.

24 Calculate the volume of a 0.105 M HCl solution required to completely precipitate all the
Ag+ ions in 20.0 mL of a 0.110 M AgNO3 solution.