Acids Flashcards
What is an acid?
A substance that forms H+ ions when they dissolve in water (aqueous solutions)
How do were measure how acidic or alkaline a substance is?
pH scale
What is an alkali?
An alkali is a substance that forms OH- ions when they dissolve in water - a soluble base
What is a weak acid?
- Only partially ionise in water, meaning not all the acid molecules break up to form H+ ions
- Most acids are weak acids
What is an example of a weak acid?
- Ethanoic acid
- CH3COOH ⇌ CH3COO- + H+
What is a strong acid?
- Fully ionise in water, meaning that all the acid molecules break up to form H+ ions
What is an example of a strong acid?
- Hydrochloric acid
- HCl -> H+ + Cl-
What is pH a measure of?
The concentration of H+ ions in a solution
How much does the concentration of H+ ions get divided by as the pH goes up by 1?
Divided by 10
What is the concentration of H+ ions at pH 0, 1 and 2?
0 - 1 mol/dm3
1 - 0.1 mol/dm3
2 - 0.01 mol/dm3
What are the 2 main ways of measuring the pH of a substance?
Universal indicator, pH probe
What are 3 ways of determining if a substance is acid or alkali?
Phenolphthalein, Methyl orange, litmus paper
Describe a method to test for change in pH when adding a solid base to a fixed volume of acid. (likely to be calcium hydroxide CaO or calcium oxide Ca(OH)2 to HCl)
1) Use a measuring cylinder to add a set volume of acid to the beaker
2) Add the amount of solid base to the beaker (number of spatulas worth)
3) Stir with a glass rod
4) Record the pH of the beakers contents by dipping in glass rod, and tapping some onto universal indicator paper
5) Match the colour to the appropriate pH on a pH colour chart after 30s
How can the experiment where you add a soild base to a set volume of acid be improved?
Use a pH probe to measure pH, as this will mean you don’t have to judge the colour, and is quicker
What is a concentrated solution?
A solution that contains a large amount of the solute in a given volume of the solvent