Acids and Bases
Chapter 17
A special solution
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Acids and bases are ALWAYS in a water
solution.
Your body has water in it so they are
always dangerous to living things.
Bases are just as dangerous as acids.
In low concentrations they are not that
dangerous and found all over your house.
Acids and Bases
•Although they can be dangerous, acids
and base do not react with or “eat”
everything.
•Neither has an effect on glass for example.
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turn litmus paper
have a pH
taste
react with
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Aci
Re
less than 7
sour
metals and
bases
D
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ase
lue
more than 7
bitter and feel slippery
oils and acids
B
Common places to find acids
and bases
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Acids
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Vinegar- acetic acid 
citrus fruits- citric
acid
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carbonated drinks- 
carbonic acid
Your stomach
hydrochloric acid
Bases
Antacid tablets
(calcium hydroxide)
Windex- ammonia
Oven cleanersodium hydroxide
Draino – sodium
hydroxide
Homework
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Using the litmus paper provided in class check to
see if two common items found in your house are
acidic or basic.
Report your findings on a piece of paper, and
staple the litmus paper with it.
You need to report what the items are and if they
are acidic or basic.
Please exercise caution and common sense. Do
NOT test anything dangerous!
Definitions
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Acid- a proton (H+) donor [force feeder]
Acids produce H3O+ (hydronium) in
water
Base- a proton (H+) acceptor [thief]
Bases produce OH- (hydroxide) in water
Heat of solution
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Normally dissolving a substance is an
exothermic process.
You are normally increasing the state of
entropy (measure of disorder)
Which normally means you will release
heat.
There are exceptions, dissolving
ammonium nitrate is an endothermic
process
Always do what you oughta …
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Always add acid to water
Dissolving the acid in water releases
heat
If you have a lot of acid and a little
water on top, the water typically boils
quickly causing the hot acid to spray
out.
A lot of water on the bottom typically
doesn’t boil if the acid is added slowly
enough.
Self dissociation of water.
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Some water will dissociate itself
H2O +H2O  H3O+ +OHin “pure” water you will find
H3O+ has concentration of 1 x 10-7 M
OH- has concentration of 1 x 10-7 M
The product of the conc. of H3O+ and OHis always 1 x 10-14
[ ]-conc.
[H3O+] [OH-] = 1 x 10-14
pH
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In any solution the H3O+ and OHconcentration is always very small.
pH- method of representing the H3O+
concentration in a solution.
pH = -log [H3O+]
So the pH of water is…
pH = - log 1 x10-7
pH = 7
What is a log
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log stands for logarithm
~we can use them to solve for an exponent.
log xy = y log x
For example log 1 x10-7 =
-7
the log key on your calculator is log10
meaning it will cancel out a 10^.
To reverse a log10 raise the whole thing to
the 10th power (10^), this is an antilog
The reversed pH equation is
[H3O+] = 10^(-pH)
pH values
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pH of 7 is neutral- equal [H3O+] and [OH-]
below 7 is acidic, higher [H3O+] than [OH-]
above 7 is basic or alkaline, higher [OH-]
than [H3O+]
pOH
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pOH = -log [OH-]
pH + pOH = 14
pOH is the reverse of pH
Above 7 is acidic, below 7 is basic
pH problems
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What is the pH of a 2.4 x 10-4 M H3O+?
pH = - log 2.4 x 10-4
pH = 3.6
What is the OH- concentration?
[H3O+] [OH-] = 1 x 10-14
2.4 x10-4 [OH-] = 1 x 10-14
[OH-] = 4.2 x10-11 M
What is the pOH?
pOH = - log 4.2x10-11
pOH = 10.4
Backwards problem
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What is the pOH, [H3O+] and [OH-] of a
solution with a pH of 8.7?
[H3O+] = 10^(-pH)
[H3O+] = 10-8.7
[H3O+] = 2.0 x 10-9 M
1.995…x10-9 [OH-] = 1 x 10-14
[OH-] = 5.0 x 10-6 M
pOH + pH = 14
pOH = 5.3