5.

1 What is an acid
Goals

1, The major acids

2, What are indicators

3, Universal indicator

4, The PH scale
The major acids
1,Organic acids( 有机酸 )---the acids are pesent in animal and plant
material ,they are weak and dilute
2,Mineral acids( 无机酸 )---some powerful acids
What are indicators

1,Indicators---substances that change colour if they are put

into an acid or alkali solution
2,The colour change of indicators is reversed( 可逆的 ) if the acid is
“cancelled out” or neutralised （中和）

3,Two common indicators ---litmus and methyl orange

Indicator Neutral solution Acidic soltion Alkaline solution

Litmus purple turns red turns bule

Litmus paper 石蕊试纸

Litmus paper---paper that has been soaked （浸透的） completely

in litmus solution
two forms of litmus papaer

Blue form of litmus paper Red form of litums paper

turns red when dipped into acid turns blue when dipped into alkali
solution solution

some common indicator colour changes

Universal indicator 通用指标 (full-range)

1, Universal indicator is used to measure acidity( 酸度 ) of acid

solution

2,Universal indicator Is a combination of many different indicator

substances that have different colors at different acidity.

3, Universal indicator gives a range of colours depending

on acid/alkali strength

4, Universal indicator produces different colours with different

acid solutions or the same acid solution with different
concentrations
How the colour of universal indicator changes in solutions of different PH vales
 The PH scale
1, the PH scale runs from 1 to 14
2, Acids have a PH less than 7
3, the more acidic a solution, the lower the PH
4,Neutral substance have a PH of 7(such as pure water)
5,Alkalis have a PH greater than 7
6,The more alkline a solution, the higer the PH

PH<7 PH=7 PH>7

Acid solution Neutral solution Alkali solution

The solution is getting more acidic as PH moves down from 7;

The solution is getting more alkaline as PH moves up from 7.
 Measuring PH
• How do we measure the pH of a substance?
• The easiest way to measure pH is to use an indicator.
• indicator( 指示剂 )= a substance that changes color when
placed in an acidic or basic solution; many come from plants

• 1. Litmus paper
– -made from lichen( 青苔 / 地衣 )
– -turns red in acidic solutions
– -turns blue in basic solutions
– *can be used to test the pH of gases but the paper must be
wet first*
Blue form litums paper and red form of litums paper
• 2. Universal Indicator 通用指标 (full-range)
-Is a combination of many different indicator substances that
have different colors at different pH.
-Used to measure the specific pH of a substance.
• 3.PH Meter PH 计
• Electronic machine that gives very precise pH measurements.
5.2 Acid and Alkali solutions
Goals

1, Hydrogen ions in acid solution and hydroxide

ions in alkali solution

2, The importance of water

 Acids( 酸 )
• What are some examples of acids?

• Stomach acid 胃酸 is HCl. Many fruits contain citric acid 柠檬酸 .

• Other acids include: H2SO4 (sulfuric acid 硫酸 ), HNO3 (nitric acid 硝

酸 ), H2CO3 (carbonic acid 碳酸 ).

• Which element do all of these acids have in common?

• All acids contain hydrogen.

H2SO4 (sulfuric acid), HNO3 (nitric acid), H2CO3 (carbonic acid).

• acid 酸 = a substance that dissolves in water to produce H+

• In all acidic solutions, [H+] > [OH-] .

• The PH means the power of the hydrogen-ion concentration of a

solution.

*[x] = concentration ( 浓度 )
-Are there any ions in pure water?

H2 O H+ + OH-
-Pure water contains small amounts of both H+ and OH- ions.

-In pure water, the amount of H+ and OH- ions are equal.

-We say that pure water is neutral( 中性 )

[H+] = [OH-]
Alkalis( 碱 )
How can we decrease the [H+] in an acidic solution?
• H2 O H+ + OH-

• H+ will react with OH- to make H2O.

• We can decrease the [H+] in an acidic solution by increasing the

[OH-].

• When [H+] = [OH-], the solution is no longer acidic, it is now neutral.

• All alkalis contain hydroxide.

NaOH (sodium hydroxide), KOH (potassium hydroxide),

Ca(OH)2(calcium hydroxide).

• alkali 碱 = a substance that dissolves in water to produce OH-

• In all alkali solutions, [OH-]>[H+] .

*[x] = concentration ( 浓度 )
The ions present in solutions of some acids and alkalis
 An indicator, like litmus, is affected by the presence of
H+ or OH- ions

• The hydrogen ions H+ in acid solution makes litmus go red

• The hydroxide ions OH- in alkali solution makes litmus go blue

 The importance of water

The gas is made up of covalently bonded molecules, it daes not

conduct electricity, however, when the gas is dissolved in water, a
acidic solution is produced.

Example

the gas HCl (hydrogen chloride) is dissolved in water to produce a

acidic solution.
Summary of acid and alkali

Properties of acids/acidic solution

Have a sour taste (don’t taste things in chemistry).

Have pH values of less than 7.

Dissolve in water to produce H+ ions.

Turns litmus paper red.

Some are corrosive and potentially dangerous.

Summary of acid and alkali
Properties of alkalis/alkaline solution

Feel slippery( 滑溜 ) and soapy( 肥皂水 ).

Have pH values greater than 7.

Turn litmus paper blue.

All bases neutralize acids to produce a salt and water.

Soluble bases (alkalis) dissolve in water to produce OH - ions.

Strong bases are just as dangerous as strong acids.