Page 1 of 2

Acid-Base and Solubility Equilibria

Act:
(a) Assuming that each species given below can lose a proton, write down the formula of its
conjugate base. (i) OH– (ii) H2PO4– (iii) NH2– (iv) CH3OH (v) HCOOH
(b) Assuming that each species given below can gain a proton, write down the formula of its
conjugate acid. (i) OH– (ii) H2PO4– (iii) NH2– (iv) O2– (v) HCOOH
(c) Identify the conjugate acid base pairs in the equation below.
H2PO4– + H2C2O4(aq) ⇌ HC2O4– + H3PO4(aq).

(d) The acid dissociation constants of HNO2 and HClO2 are respectively 4.30 x 10–4 and 1.20 x 10–2.
Identify a stronger base between NO2– and ClO2– and give and explanation for your choice.
(e) An equation for the Brønsted-Lowry acid base reaction is given below. Is the equation correct or
wrong? Explain.
CH3COOH + HNO3 ⇌ CH4COOH+ + NO3–.

11.11 Acid-base indicators

Acid-base indicators are either dyes or mixture of dyes in nature. They are used to detect acid-base
character of a solution and end-point of acid-base titration.

Definition: An Acid-base indicator is a substance whose colour change over a specific narrow pH
range depending on the concentration of hydrogen ions in solution.

Many acid-base indicators are weak acids in nature and abbreviated as HIn. The indicator (HIn) has
a different colour from its conjugate base (In-).
The ionisation equation for indicator in water is
HIn(aq) ⇌ H+(aq) + In-(aq)
un-ionised conjugate base
Indicator colour B
colour A
The colour of the indicator depends on the relative concentrations of HIn and In- in solution
- Adding acid (source of H+ ions) to the indicator solution, shifts the equilibrium position to the
left. This makes more HIn molecules and the solution changes to colour A.
- Adding an alkali (source of OH- ions) to the indicator solution neutralises H+ ions and shifts the
equilibrium position to the right. This makes more In- ions and the solution changes to colour B.
The colour of the indicator during acid-base titration depends on the concentration of H + ion in the
solution. Acid-base indicators usually change colour over a specific narrow pH range between 1 and
2 pH units.
The colour of an indicator at the end-point is in the middle of the indicator’s pH range and has a
colour between two extreme colours.
The table below shows the colours, ranges and end-points of some indicators.
Indicator (dye) pH range End-point Colour in acid Colour in
(pKIn) base
Methyl orange 3.2 – 4.4 3.7 red yellow
Bromothymol blue 6.0 – 7.6 7.0 yellow blue
Phenolphthalein 8.2 – 10.0 9.3 colourless pink
The equation for the ionisation of an indicator HIn is: HIn(aq) ⇌ H+(aq) + In-(aq)

The dissociation constant KIn, for the indicator is: KIn = . This implies [H+] = KIn.
At midpoint, [HIn] = [In-]. => KIn = [H+] and no colour dominates in solution. Colour A dominates in
solution when [H+] ≥ 10KIn. Colour B dominates in solution when [H+] ≤0.1KIn.

11.12 Acid-Base Titrations and Titration Curves

When pH of a solution in the conical flask is plotted against the volume of the solution added from
the burette during an acid-base titration, a pH curve (titration curve) is obtained.
Definition: A pH curve is a plot of pH of solution in the conical flask against volume of titrant
added during an acid-base titration.

THE NEN SERIES A-Level chemistry notes 2023-2024 school year prepared by Nkemzi E.N
 Page 2 of 2
Acid-Base and Solubility Equilibria

(a) Strong acid and a strong base

An example here is the titration between 0.1moldm-3 NaOH is titrated with 0.1mold-3 HCl acid.

Volume of base added in cm3

- Curve either begins at a very low acidic pH (strong acid) and ends at a very high basic pH (strong
base) if acid is in the conical flask or begins at a very high basic pH (strong base) and ends at a
very low acid pH (strong acid) if base is in the conical flask.
- Curve begins at a very low acidic pH and ends at a very high basic pH (strong base) since acid
is in the conical flask.
- The acid or base is monoprotic since there is only one region of sharp or rapid pH rise.
- The graph shows a sharp or rapid pH rise in the pH range 3.0 to 11.0. In this region, tiny
addition of OH – ions result in a rapid rise in pH.
- The midpoint of the sharp or rapid rise in pH is at pH 7
- The midpoint of the sharp or rapid rise in pH corresponds to the point at which the H+ ions in
the acid have exactly reacted with the OH- ions in the alkali. This is the end point of the titration
that corresponds to the equivalence point.
Any indicator that has a pH range between 3.0 and 11.0 can be used to detect the end-point of the
titration. A more accurate indicator has a pH range 6 – 8 since the midpoint of the sharp or rapid rise
is 7.
(b) Strong acid and a weak base
An example here is the titration between 0.1moldm-3 NH3 solution (a weak base) is titrated with
0.1mold-3 HNO3 acid (a strong acid).

- The strong acid is in the conical flask since the

curve begins at a very low acidic pH.
- The curve ends not at a very high basic pH
because the base is weak.
- The acid or base is monoprotic since there is only
one region of sharp or rapid pH rise region.
- The graph shows a sharp or rapid rise in the pH
range 3 to 8. In this region, tiny addition of OH-
ions result in a rapid rise in pH.
-
Volume of base added in cm3
- The midpoint of the sharp or rapid rise is around pH 5.5
- The midpoint of the sharp rise corresponds to the point at which the H+ ions in the acid have
exactly reacted with the OH- ions in the alkali. This is the end point of the titration that
corresponds to the equivalence point.
- Any indicator that has a pH range between 2.8 and 8.0 can be used to detect the end-point of
the titration. An example is methyl orange with pH range 3.2 – 4.4. An indicator with a pH
range around 4 – 6 will be more appropriate since the midpoint of the sharp or rapid rise is 5.5.
This midpoint is below 7 due to hydrolysis of the conjugate acid of the weak base.
- For a weak base and a strong acid, Kb of the weak base can be determined from the titration
curve. At half the volume of the acid required for complete neutralisation, pH = pKa and
pKa + pKb = pKw = 14. It implies that the base dissociation constant Kb = 10(pH – 14).
-

THE NEN SERIES A-Level chemistry notes 2023-2024 school year prepared by Nkemzi E.N