Physical Chemistry Flashcards
1
Q
Describe the pH levels
A
- pH 1-4: strongly acidic
- pH 4 - 6: weakly acidic
- pH 7: neutral
- pH 8-9: weakly acidic
- pH 10-14: strongly alkaline
2
Q
How do you determine the pH of a solution?
A
- universal indicators
- litmus paper: red in acidic solutions, purple in natural and blue in alkaline solutions
- phenolphthalein: colourless in acidic solutions and in weak alkaline, it is pink and in strong alkaline, it is pink/purple
- methyl orange: changes from red in acidic solution to orange-yellow in weak acid, to yellow in alkaline
3
Q
What is an acid?
A
- a source of hydrogen ions (H+)
- pH less than 7
4
Q
What is a base?
A
- a substance that can neutralise and acid
- alkalis are soluble bases
5
Q
What is an alkali?
A
- a source of hydroxide ions (OH-)
- pH greater than 7
6
Q
What is the reaction between an acid and base called?
A
- a neutralisation reaction
- acid + base = salt + water
- H+(aq) + OH-(aq) = H2O
7
Q
acid + metal oxide =
A
- acid + metal oxide = salt + water
8
Q
acid + metal =
A
-acid + metal = salt + hydrogen
9
Q
acid + metal carbonate =
A
acid + metal carbonate = salt + water + carbon dioxide
10
Q
acid + metal hydroxide =
A
acid + metal hydroxide = salt + water
11
Q
What are the solubility rules?
A
- all common sodium, potassium and ammonium salts are soluble
- all nitrates are soluble
- all chlorides are soluble except for silver chloride
- all sulphates are soluble except for barium and calcium sulphate
- all carbonates are insoluble except for sodium, potassium and ammonium carbonates
12
Q
How to make and purify a soluble salt (a pure dry sample)?
A
- e.g. sulphuric acid + copper oxide = water + copper sulphate
- warm the acid to about 50 degrees
- spoon copper oxide and dissolve it
- make it dissolve in excess
- warm to about 70 degrees, add more copper oxide, if cannot dissolve, all acid has been reacted
- filter through filter paper into an evaporating basin
- gently boil until a third is left, not all because there may be thermal decomposition
- leave to crystallise. leave it in a warm place or desiccator
13
Q
How do you make an insoluble salt?
A
- a precipitation reaction
- mix the two solutions
- separate with a funnel and filter paper
- it is not pure if you dry immediately because some of the filtrate will be left in the residue as impurities. rinse with dilute water
- dry in desiccator or evaporate slowly
14
Q
How do you do titration?
A
- using a pipette, add some alkali (about 25cm^3) to a conical flask, along with two or three drops of indicator
- fill a burette with the acid, below eye level
- using the burette, add the acid to the alkali a bit at a time, given the conical flask a swirl
- indicator changes colour when all the alkali has been neutralised
- record the volume of the acid
- repeat for more reliable results
15
Q
What four things do the rate of reaction depend?
A
- pressure/concentration
- temperature
- catalyst
- surface area