Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Chemistry > Characteristics of Acids and Bases > Flashcards

Characteristics of Acids and Bases Flashcards

1
Q

What pH values do acids have? What happens when they are added to a base

A

Acids have pH values of below 7, have a sour taste (when edible) and are corrosive

Acids are substances that can neutralise a base, forming a salt and water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Acids can be ….. or …..

A

Dilute or concentrated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Why must acids be handled carefully?

A

They must be handled carefully, especially the concentrated solutions because they are corrosive, they can eat metals away, skin and cloth

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What are the acids that are not corrosive, even when they’re concentrated called?

A

Weak acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What do acids form when added to water?

A

When acids are added to water, they form positively charged hydrogen ions (H+)

The presence of H+ ions is what makes a solution acidic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

4 examples of common acids

A

Hydrochloric acid, Sulfuric acid, Nitric acid, Ethanoic acid

HCl (aq) → H+ (aq) + Cl- (aq)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What colour does blue litmus paper turn in an acidic solution?

A

Red

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Only which metals in the reactivity series react with dilute acids?

A

Only metals above hydrogen in the reactivity series will react with dilute acids.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What products are formed when acids react with metals?

A

When acids react with metals they form a salt and hydrogen gas:

acid + metal → salt + hydrogen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Colour of purple litmus dye/ paper in an acid

A

Red

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

How does an alkali solution affect litmus?

A

Alkali turns litmus blue

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What happens when an acid reacts with a base?

A

Metal oxides and metal hydroxides (alkalis) can act as bases

When they react with acid, a neutralisation reaction occurs

In all acid-base neutralisation reactions, salt and water are produced

acid + base → salt + water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Why do acids conduct electricity?

A

They contain ions, which makes them conduct electricity. This can be measured with a conductivity meter

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Acids fall into two groups, how is this related to their conductivity?

A

The first group has high conductivity and low pH (strong acids). The second group does not conduct electricity well, it has a higher pH, these are weak acids

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Reaction between acids and metal carbonates

A

Acids will react with metal carbonates to form the corresponding metal salt, carbon dioxide and water:

acid + metal carbonate → salt + carbon dioxide + water

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Where is litmus extracted from?

A

Many plants contain substances that can act as indicators and the most common one is litmus which is extracted from lichens

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What colour is phenolphthalein in acid?

A

Colourless

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What colour is phenolphthalein in alkali solutions?

A

Pink

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What colour is methyl orange in acid?

A

Red

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What colour is methyl orange in alkali soloutions ?

A

Yellow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Name 3 neutral substances

A

Many substances are not acids nor alkalis. They are neutral.
- Pure water
- Aqueous solutions of NaCl
- Sugar

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Name 4 common alkalis

A

Pure alkalis are solid except for ammonia which is gas
- Sodium hydroxide NaOH (aq)
- Potassium hydroxide KOH (aq)
- Calcium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 (aq)
(lime water)
- Ammonia NH3 (aq)
These are used in the lab as aqueous solutions.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

How many numbers are on the pH scale?

A

14,
- An acidic solution has pH less than 7
- An alkali solution has a pH greater than 7
- A neutral solution has a pH of exactly 7

24
Q

What happens to the molecules in a strong acid?

A

All molecules become ions in strong acids, acids conduct much better electricity

25
Q

What happens to molecules in weak acids?

A

Only some molecules become ions

26
Q

What are synthetic indicators?

A

Synthetic indicators are organic compounds that are sensitive to changes in acidity and appear different colours in acids and alkalis

Thymolphthalein and methyl orange are synthetic indicators frequently used in acid-alkali titrations.
Synthetic indicators are used to show the endpoint in titrations as they have a very sharp change of colour when an acid has been neutralised by alkali and vice-versa

27
Q

pH of a base

A

Bases have pH values of above 7

A base which is water-soluble is referred to as an alkali

28
Q

Bases are usually oxides or hydroxides of…..

A

Bases are usually oxides or hydroxides of metals

29
Q

What happens when an alkali is added to water?

A

When alkalis are added to water, they form negative hydroxide ions (OH–)

The presence of the OH- ions is what makes the aqueous solution an alkali
Sodium hydroxide

NaOH (s) → Na+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

30
Q

What happens when bases react with acids?

A

When bases react with an acid, a neutralisation reaction occurs

Acids and bases react together in a neutralisation reaction and produce a salt and water:

Acid + base → salt + water

31
Q

Hydrochloric acid gives…

A

chlorides

32
Q

Sulfuric acid gives…

A

Sulfates

33
Q

Nitric acid gives…

A

Nitrates

34
Q

What happens to ammonium salts when they are warmed with an alkali?

A

Ammonium salts undergo decomposition when warmed with an alkali

35
Q

What is formed when a base reacts with ammonium salt?

A

Ammonia gas is formed

36
Q

Why can ammonia be easily displaces from the salt by another alkali?

A

Even though ammonia is itself a weak base, it is very volatile and can easily be displaced from the salt by another alkali

A salt, water and ammonia are produced

For example:

NH4Cl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O + NH3

37
Q

Describe the test for the presence of ammonia

A

Alkali is added to the substance with gentle warming followed by the test for ammonia gas using damp red litmus paper

The damp litmus paper will turn from red to blue if ammonia is present

38
Q

Why is the reaction of acids with metals redox?

A

Because electrons are transferred

39
Q

Why are neutralisation reactions not redox?

A

In neutralisation reactions electrons are not transferred. Elements dont chnage oxidation state

40
Q

Are acids or bases proton donors or acceptors?

A

Acids are proton donors, bases are proton acceptors

41
Q

Ionic equations can show what is going on in a neutralisation reaction. Describe how to write one

A
  1. Write all ions present in the equation
  2. Cross out ions that appear unchanged on both sides
    (The crossed out ions are present in the solution but do not take part in the reaction. So they are called spectator ions)
  3. what is left is the ionic equation
42
Q

During neutralisation reactions the H+ ion combines with OH- ion to produce a water molecule

A
43
Q

How can an insoluble base such as magnesium oxide react to form a salt?

A

Magnesium oxide is a lattice of mg and o ions. It is insoluble in water, but when HCL is added, the acid donates protons to the oxide ions. The oxide accepts them forming water molecules, so the lattice breaks down. The mg ions joins the CL ions in the solution. If the water is evaporated, Magnesium Chloride can be obtained

44
Q

What is a neutralisation reaction?

A

Acids are a source of hydrogen ions, H+
Bases (or alkalis) are a sources of hydroxide ions, OH–

When they react together in a neutralisation reaction, the H+ ions react with the OH– ions to produce water

This is the net ionic equation of all acid-base neutralisations and is what leads to a neutral solution, since water has a pH of 7:

H+ (aq) + OH– (aq)⟶ H2O (

45
Q

pH range of strong and weak acids

A

The lower the pH then the more acidic the solution is:

pH 0-2 = strong acid

Extremely acidic substances can have values of below 1

pH 3-6 = weak acid

46
Q

pH range of strong and weak alkali

A

The lower the pH then the more acidic the solution is:

pH 0-2 = strong acid

Extremely acidic substances can have values of below 1

pH 3-6 = weak acid

47
Q

What is the relationship between the amount of hydrogen/hydroxide ions and the strength of the acid/base?

A

The more hydrogen ions the stronger the acid, but the lower the pH

The higher the concentration of hydroxide ions in a solution the higher the pH

So pH is a measure of the concentration of H+ ions in solution, but they have an inverse relationship

48
Q

Each change of 1 on the scale represents a change of concentration by a factor of how much?

A

The pH scale is logarithmic, meaning that each change of 1 on the scale represents a change in concentration by a factor of 10

49
Q

What happens to the equilibrium in weak acids?

A

For weak acids, there is usually an equilibrium set-up between the molecules and their ions once they have been added to water

Example of a weak acid: propanoic acid

CH3CH2COOH ⇌ H+ + CH3CH2COO-

The equilibrium lies to the left, indicating a high concentration of intact acid molecules, with a low concentration of H+ ions in the solution

50
Q

What are oxides?

A

Oxides are compounds made from one or more atoms of oxygen combined with one other element
Metal oxides act as bases

51
Q

When are acidic oxides formed? What happens when they react with a base?
Products when they dissolve in water.
Common examples

A

Acidic oxides are formed when a non-metal element combines with oxygen

They react with bases to form a salt and water

When dissolved in water they produce an acidic solution with a low pH

Common examples include CO2, SO2, NO2 and SiO2

52
Q

When are basic oxides formed? What happens when they react with an acid?
Products when they dissolve in water.
Common examples

A

Basic oxides are formed when a metal element combines with oxygen

They react with acids to form a salt and water

When dissolved in water they produce a basic solution with a high pH

Common examples include CuO and CaO

53
Q

Why are neutral oxides “neutral”?

A

Some oxides do not react with either acids or bases and thus are said to be neutral

Examples include N2O, NO and CO

54
Q

What are amphoteric oxides? what is formed when they react with an acid/alkali?
Common examples of amphoteric oxides

A

Amphoteric oxides can behave both as a base and an acid, depending on whether the other substance is acidic or alkali. In both cases salt and water are formed.

Two of the most common amphoteric oxides are zinc oxide, ZnO and aluminium oxide, Al2O3

The hydroxides of both of these elements also behave amphoterically

55
Q

Amphoteric oxide examples

A

Example of aluminium oxide behaving as a base:

Al2O3 + 6HCl → 2AlCl3 + 3H2O

Example of aluminium oxide behaving as an acid:

Al2O3 + 2NaOH → 2NaAlO2 + H2O

56
Q
A

Chemistry (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions