topic 8/18 - acids and bases Flashcards
give the Bronsted-Lowry definition of an acid and a base
acid - proton/H+ donor
base - proton/H+ acceptor
define amphiprotic species
can act as both Bronsted Lowry acids and bases
define a conjugate acid-base pair
a pair of species differing by a single proton
give 2 ways of representing a proton in aqueous solution
H+
H3O+
give an example of an amphiprotic substance
water
h2o -> h+ + OH-
h2o + h+ -> H3O+
define an amphoteric substance
a more general term that refers to substances that can act as an acid or a base
give the difference between an amphoteric and amphiprotic substance
all amphiprotic substances are amphoteric but not all amphoteric substances are amphiprotic
define a Lewis acid and base
a substance that can accept an electron pair
a substance that can donate an electron pair
give 5 properties of acids
- taste sour
- pH < 7
- litmus is red
- phenolphthalein is colourless
- methyl orange is red
give 5 properties of bases
- taste bitter
- pH > 7.0
- litmus is blue
- phenolphthalein is pink
- methyl orange is yellow
give the equation for the reaction of an acid with:
- metal
- base
- metal carbonate/metal hydrogencarbonate
acid + metal -> salt + hydrogen
acid + base -> salt + water
acid + metal carbonate/metal hydrogen carbonate -> salt + carbon dioxide + water
salt and water are produced in…
exothermic neutralisation reactions
give the two equations for pH
pH = -log[H+] or -log[H3O+]
[H+] = 10^-pH
a change in one pH unit represents
a ten fold change in the hydrogen ion concentration
pH 1-6
acid
pH 7
neutral
pH 8-14
alkaline
give the equilibrium expression for the auto-ionisation of water
H2O (l) <-> H+ (aq) + OH- (aq)
Kc expression for ionisation of water
[H+][OH-]/[H2O]
Kw =
[H+][OH-] = 10^-14
define a strong acid
an effective proton donor that is assumed to completely dissociate in water
3 examples of strong acids
HCl, H2SO4, HNO3
define a weak acid
a poor proton donor that dissociates only partially in water.
describe the dissociation of an acid
a reversible reaction that reaches an equilibrium where only a small proportion of the acid molecules have dissociated
compare the conjugate base of a weak acid to that of a strong acid
the conjugate base of weak acid is stronger (has a higher affinity for a proton) than does the conjugate base of a strong acid
define a strong base
an effective proton acceptor that completely dissociates in water
give an alternative explanation of strong/weak bases
A strong base is a base that ionizes completely in an aqueous solution. A weak base is a base that ionizes only slightly in an aqueous solution.
why does a metal hydroxide not act as a bronsted-lowry base
because it does not have the capacity to accept a proton.
when does this change and why?
in solution the hydroxide ion acts as a base, accepting a proton:
OH- + H3O+ -> 2H2O
ammonia is a
weak base
ammonia + water
NH3 (aq) + h2O (l) <-> NH4+ (aq) + OH- (aq)
effect of strength of acid/base on electrical conductivity
in a stronger acid/base, concentration of ions is greater, making it more conductive
effect of strength of acid/base on pH
acid - in a strong acid, there is a higher concentration of H+ ions, so lower pH
base - in a strong base, there is a higher concentration of OH- ions, so higher pH
effect of strength of acid/base on rate of reaction
stronger acid/base means higher concentration of H+/OH- ions, leading to a higher rate
why is the enthalpy change of neutralisation for a strong acid almost identical to that for a weak acid?
the neutralisation reaction removes ionised species from the dissociation reaction, so driving the reaction to completion
state the effects of acid deposition on the earth
Vegetation:
The acid (H+ ions) can displace metal ions from the soil that are consequently washed away (calcium, magnesium, potassium ions).
Mg2+ ions needed to produce chlorophyll, so photosynthesis is stopped
Acid rain also causes aluminium ions to dissolve from rocks, which damages plant roots and limits water growth.
This can cause stunted growth and thinning/yellowing of leaves on trees.
Lakes and rivers:
Insect, larvae, fish and invertebrates cannot survive below pH 5.2.
No life will survive below pH 4.0.
Acid rain can also dissolve minerals like Al3+ from rocks, which can damage aquatic life (aluminium damages fish gills).
Buildings:
Limestone and marble are eroded by acid rain and dissolve away.
This exposes a fresh surface to react with more acid.
CaCO3 (s) + H2SO4 (aq)CaSO4 (s)+H2O (l) + CO2 (g)
Human health
Acids irritate mucous membranes and cause respiratory illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis
Acidic water can dissolve heavy metal compounds releasing poisonous ions such as Cu2+, Pb2+ and Al3+ which may be linked to Alzheimer’s.