KS3 Chemistry
7E Acids and Alkalis
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Write the WALT, date and keywords and begin the ‘Starter’!
WALT: understand about acids and
alkalis
STARTER (5mins):
With your partner discuss:
What is an acid?
to add text
Can you nameClick
any acids?
What is an alkali?
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Keywords:
Acid
Alkalis
Corrosive
Dilute
Concentrate
d
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What is an acid?
Acids are a group of chemicals.
What do you know about acids? Are all acids dangerous?
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What is an acid?
Acids are a group of chemicals.
Which of these items contains an acid?
everyday acids
laboratory acids
Can you think of other examples of acids?
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What is a weak acid?
Acids are found in household items such as food, drink
and beauty/skincare products.
It is safe to handle these acids and even taste them, if they
are for eating! These acids are known weak acids.
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• Vinegar are made from: Acetic Acid /
Ethanoic Acid
• Citrus fruits like orange, lemon and limes
contains Citric Acid
• Vitamin C – Ascorbic Acid
• Natural acids, e.g. methanoic acids can
be a nuisance; it helps make bee and ant
stings painful
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What is a strong acid?
Some acids, like those found in the laboratory or a car
battery, are very dangerous (too dangerous to taste or touch).
These acids are said to be corrosive as they can damage
other materials by wearing them away! They are strong acids.
Why must strong acids always be handled very carefully?
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Taste of Acid
• Fizzy drinks are
carbonated drinks (soft
drinks)
• Many of them contains acid
so that the drinks taste
“tangy”
• Acid usually taste sour,
sharp or tangy
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Pickling Food
• Some food can be preserved
by pickling them: soaking them
in vinegar
• Great way to preserve food as
most bacteria can’t survive in
such acidic conditions
• It also makes the pickled food
more flavourful
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The Acid Bath Murderer
Concentrated acids can completely dissolve skin and bones.
In the 1940s, an Englishman called John Haigh murdered six
people, and disposed of each of the bodies by dissolving them
in sulfuric acid for two days.
Without the bodies as evidence Haigh
thought he would get away with the
crimes, but a pathologist found human
fat, pieces of bone, gall stones and
false teeth, which had resisted the acid.
John Haigh was found guilty of the murders and sentenced to
death by hanging in 1949.
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Acid summary
• Usually Taste Sour, sharp, tangy
• Strong acid are Corrosive
• pH 0-6
• Examples: Lemon juice, Vitamin C
(Ascorbic acid), Vinegar
• Lab Chemical: Hydrochloric Acid,
Sulphuric Acid
• Used to preserve and add flavour to
food; make fertilisers, detergents,
dyes, medicines, insecticides, paints,
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What is an alkali?
Alkalis are another group of chemicals, the opposite of acids.
Which of these items contains an alkali?
everyday alkalis
laboratory alkalis
Can you think of other examples of alkalis?
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What is an alkali?
Alkalis are substances that are chemically the opposite
of acids.
Weak alkalis are found in soaps and other
cleaning materials. They are also used in
antacids to treat indigestion.
It is safe to handle these
alkalis, which often feel soapy.
These alkalis are weak
alkalis.
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• Sodium hydroxide solution is an important alkali- to
make paper, detergents and aluminium metal.
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Alkali Summary
• Taste Bitter
• Slippery feel
• pH 8-14
• Examples: Soap, detergent,
tooth paste, baking soda
• Strong alkali corrosive as well
• Lab Chemical: Sodium
Hydroxide, Lime water
(Calcium Hydroxide)
• Used as cleaning agents
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What is a weak alkali?
Alkalis are found in soaps and other materials used for
cleaning.
It is safe to handle these alkalis, which can feel soapy.
These alkalis are known as weak alkalis.
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What is a strong alkali?
Some alkalis, like those in the laboratory or in cleaning
materials such as toilet cleaner, are too dangerous to touch.
These alkalis are said to be caustic because they can burn
skin and damage other materials! They are strong alkalis.
Why must strong alkalis always be handled very carefully?
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What are hazard symbols?
How can you tell which chemicals are safe and which are
dangerous?
Special symbols are used on bottles and vehicles that
contain dangerous chemicals.
i
toxic
irritant
h
harmful corrosive
highly
flammable
These hazard symbols show why the chemical is dangerous.
Why is it important that these symbols can be recognised by
people from other countries?
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What do hazard symbols mean?
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Contents
7E Acids and Alkalis
What are acids and alkalis?
Hazard symbols
Indicators and the pH scale
Neutralization
Summary activities
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What is an indicator?
How can you test a liquid to find if it is an acid or an alkali?
An indicator is a special chemical that changes
to a different colour in an acid or an alkali.
Litmus paper and litmus solution are
examples of indicators.
Litmus is
red in acid.
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Litmus is
blue in alkali.
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Litmus test experiment
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What is universal indicator?
Litmus is used to show if a solution is acid or alkali.
Litmus does not show if the acid or alkali is weak or strong.
Universal indicator has a range of colours that show how
weak or strong the acid or alkali is.
stronger acid
strong
acid
stronger alkali
weak
weak
acid neutral alkali
strong
alkali
What is the colour for a weak acid?
What is the colour for a strong alkali?
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What is the pH scale?
The strength of an acid or alkali is measured by the pH scale.
Each universal indicator colour is given a number called
the pH value.
Universal indicator can tell you the pH of a solution.
stronger acid
stronger alkali
1 2 3 4 5 6
7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
strong
acid
weak
weak
acid neutral alkali
strong
alkali
What is the pH of a weak acid?
What is the pH of strong alkali?
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What is the pH?
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What type of substance?
Are these substances acidic or alkaline?
Are they weak or strong?
Substance
soda water
car battery acid
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Description of acid/alkali
very weak acid
very strong acid
soap
8
very weak alkali
washing soda
10
weak alkali
stomach acid
2
strong acid
oven cleaner
14
very strong alkali
vinegar
4
weak acid
acid
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pH
6
1 2 3 4 5 6
7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
alkali
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Contents
7E Acids and Alkalis
What are acids and alkalis?
Hazard symbols
Indicators and the pH scale
Neutralization
Summary activities
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Mixing an acid and an alkali
What happens when an acid and an alkali are mixed?
?
Mixing an acid and an alkali causes a chemical change.
This chemical change is called a chemical reaction.
How do you know this chemical reaction has taken place?
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What is neutralization?
The chemical reaction between an acid and an alkali
is called neutralization.
acid
alkali
a salt
water
What happens to the pH value of the reaction mixture during
neutralization?
The pH value of the reaction mixture becomes closer to 7.
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What is neutralization?
The chemical reaction between an an acid and an alkali
can be written as:
acid
alkali
a salt
water
What are the two new substances produced by a
neutralization reaction?
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Neutralization and indigestion
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Neutralizing stings
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A bee sting
is acidic.
A wasp sting
is alkaline.
Why can bicarbonate
of soda (pH 9) be used
to treat a bee sting?
Why can vinegar (pH 3)
be used to treat
a wasp sting?
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Neutralizing soil
Soils in different places can
be acidic, alkaline or neutral.
Many plants do not grow
well in acidic soil.
Why do farmers test soil
to check the pH?
Farmers often add an alkali to acidic soil to make their
plants grow better.
How does the alkali help to treat the acidic soil?
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Neutralizing acid rain
Gases emitted by cars, power
stations and factories mix with
rainwater in the atmosphere.
This rainwater has a pH <5.5.
Why is it called acid rain?
Acid rain can have a harmful
effect on the environment
killing trees, polluting lakes
and damaging buildings.
How can the effects of
acid rain be prevented?
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Contents
7E Acids and Alkalis
What are acids and alkalis?
Hazard symbols
Indicators and the pH scale
Neutralization
Summary activities
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Glossary
⚫ acid – A chemical that has a pH less than 7.
⚫ alkali – A chemical that has a pH greater than 7 and
dissolves in water.
⚫ indicator – A special chemical that changes into different
colours in acid and alkali solutions.
⚫ neutral – A chemical with a pH of 7 that is not an acid or
an alkali.
⚫ neutralization – The chemical reaction between an acid
and an alkali.
⚫ pH scale – The range of values that shows how strong or
weak an acid or alkali is.
⚫ universal indicator – The indicator that shows the pH
value of a chemical.
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Anagrams
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Word search
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Facts about acids
⚫ Weak acids, like lemon juice and vinegar, taste sour.
⚫ Strong acids are corrosive and can “eat away” at metal,
stone and flesh!
⚫ Acids turns blue litmus paper red.
⚫ Acids have a pH of less than 7.
⚫ Acids can be neutralized with alkalis.
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Facts about alkalis
⚫ Alkalis feel soapy and are used in household cleaning
materials.
⚫ Strong alkalis are caustic.
⚫ Alkalis turn red litmus paper blue.
⚫ Alkalis have a pH of more than 7.
⚫ Alkalis can be neutralized with acids.
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Multiple-choice quiz
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