Lab: Acids and Bases
This lab is designed to help you find out about acids and bases by allowing you to perform a series of reactions with various materials.
SAFETY RULES:

WEAR GOGGLES

WASH HANDS AT END OF PERIOD

ASK TEACHER TO CLEAN UP ANY CHEMICAL SPILLS
Procedure :
1.
Half fill a test tube with the acid or base being tested.
2.
Add a bit (a few grains if it is a solid, or a few drops if it is a liquid) of the other substance.
3.
It is not practical and safe for you to test the gasses that are generated during some of the reactions, so the teacher will demonstrate a typical test for each of the gasses.
4.
Write your observations about the resulting reaction (or lack of reaction) in the appropriate box of the table.
5.
To a 1/4 full test tube of water, add 10 drops of sodium hydroxide and 5 drops of phenolphthalein. Then add, drop by drop, enough hydrochloric acid to cause a permanent change (shake the tube gently to mix the reactants).
Number of drops of hydrochloric acid used = ________
Analysis and Conclusions : use your observations and your textbook to help answer these questions:
1.
Write the formulas for each of the substances used in the appropriate box in the table.
2.
Look at the formulas of the acids and bases: what do all the acids have in common? What do all the bases have in common?
3.
Write the balanced chemical equations and name the type of reaction for the following reactions: a.
Magnesium with hydrochloric acid b.
Magnesium with sodium hydroxide c.
Sodium carbonate with sulfuric acid d.
Sodium carbonate with ammonium hydroxide
4.
Based on your observations, make the following generalizations: a. What do acids react with? b. What do bases react with?

5.
a. Describe the reaction in step #5 of the procedure, note that this is a special case of double replacement which is called neutralization.
b. What is neutralization? Give a practical uses for this chemical
reaction?
6.
Why would it be bad to store an acid in a metal container? If you had to store it in metal, which would be the best metal of all of the elements to use? Why?
7.
Why does acid rain destroy many public artworks?
8.
When soil is too acid for certain crops, farmers will add lime. Why? Look it up on the Internet. In your answer include the formula for lime.
9.
Describe two practical uses each for acids and bases.
10. What is an indicator ?

Table I: Observations of the reactions of acids and bases.
Copper
________
Magnesium
__________
Marble
Chips
_________
Phenol- phtalein
Hydro- chloric acid
________
Sulfuric
Acid
_______
Acetic acid
________
Sodium hydroxide
(base)
________
Ammon- ium hydroxide
(base)
_______
Universal indicator
Sodium
Carbonate
_________