THE CHEMISTRY OF ACIDS AND BASES

ACID AND BASES

ACIDS Have a sour taste. Vinegar is a solution of acetic acid. Citrus fruits contain citric acid. React with certain metals to produce hydrogen gas. React with carbonates and bicarbonates to produce carbon dioxide gas Have a bitter taste. Feel slippery. Many soaps contain bases. Bases

þ Produce H + (as H 3 O + ) ions in water (the hydronium ion is a hydrogen ion attached to a water molecule) þ Taste sour þ Corrode metals þ Electrolytes þ React with bases to form a salt and water þ pH is less than 7 þ Turns blue litmus paper to red “Blue to Red A-CID” SOME PROPERTIES OF ACIDS

 Produce OH - ions in water  Taste bitter, chalky  Are electrolytes  Feel soapy, slippery  React with acids to form salts and water  pH greater than 7  Turns red litmus paper to blue “Basic Blue” SOME PROPERTIES OF BASES

NaOHsodium hydroxidelye KOHpotassium hydroxideliquid soap Ba(OH) 2 barium hydroxidestabilizer for plastics Mg(OH) 2 magnesium hydroxide“MOM” Milk of magnesia Al(OH) 3 aluminum hydroxideMaalox (antacid) Al(OH) 3 aluminum hydroxideMaalox (antacid) SOME COMMON BASES

 Definition #1: Arrhenius (traditional) Acids – produce H + ions (or hydronium ions H 3 O + ) Bases – produce OH - ions (problem: some bases don’t have hydroxide ions!) ACID/BASE DEFINITIONS

Arrhenius acid is a substance that produces H + (H 3 O + ) in water Arrhenius base is a substance that produces OH - in water

ACID/BASE DEFINITIONS  Definition #2: Brønsted – Lowry Acids – proton donor Bases – proton acceptor A “proton” is really just a hydrogen atom that has lost it’s electron!

A Brønsted-Lowry acid is a proton donor A Brønsted-Lowry base is a proton acceptor acid conjugate base base conjugate acid

ACID-BASE THEORIES The Brønsted definition means NH 3 is a BASE in water — and water is itself an ACID

CONJUGATE PAIRS

Label the acid, base, conjugate acid, and conjugate base in each reaction: LEARNING CHECK! HCl + OH -  Cl - + H 2 O H 2 O + H 2 SO 4  HSO H 3 O +

THE pH SCALE IS A WAY OF EXPRESSING THE STRENGTH OF ACIDS AND BASES. INSTEAD OF USING VERY SMALL NUMBERS, WE JUST USE THE NEGATIVE POWER OF 10 ON THE MOLARITY OF THE H + (OR OH - ) ION. UNDER 7 = ACID 7 = NEUTRAL OVER 7 = BASE

PH OF COMMON SUBSTANCES

pH = - log [H+] (Remember that the [ ] mean Molarity) Example: If [H + ] = 1 X pH = - log 1 X pH = - (- 10) pH = 10 Example: If [H + ] = 1.8 X pH = - log 1.8 X pH = - (- 4.74) pH = 4.74 CALCULATING THE PH

Find the pH of these: 1) A 0.15 M solution of Hydrochloric acid 2) A 3.00 X M solution of Nitric acid TRY THESE!

If the pH of Coke is 3.12, [H + ] = ??? Because pH = - log [H + ] then - pH = log [H + ] - pH = log [H + ] Take antilog (10 x ) of both sides and get 10 -pH = [H + ] [H + ] = = 7.6 x M *** to find antilog on your calculator, look for “Shift” or “2 nd function” and then the log button *** to find antilog on your calculator, look for “Shift” or “2 nd function” and then the log button PH CALCULATIONS – SOLVING FOR H+

 A solution has a pH of 8.5. What is the Molarity of hydrogen ions in the solution? PH CALCULATIONS – SOLVING FOR H+ pH = - log [H + ] 8.5 = - log [H + ] -8.5 = log [H + ] Antilog -8.5 = antilog (log [H + ]) = [H + ] 3.16 X = [H + ] pH = - log [H + ] 8.5 = - log [H + ] -8.5 = log [H + ] Antilog -8.5 = antilog (log [H + ]) = [H + ] 3.16 X = [H + ]

MORE ABOUT WATER H 2 O can function as both an ACID and a BASE. In pure water there can be AUTOIONISATION Equilibrium constant for water = K w K w = [H 3 O + ] [OH - ] = 1.00 x at 25 o C

In a neutral solution [H 3 O + ] = [OH - ] so K w = [H 3 O + ] 2 = [OH - ] 2 and so [H 3 O + ] = [OH - ] = 1.00 x M MORE ABOUT WATER Autoionization

 Since acids and bases are opposites, pH and pOH are opposites!  pOH does not really exist, but it is useful for changing bases to pH.  pOH looks at the perspective of a base pOH = - log [OH - ] Since pH and pOH are on opposite ends, pH + pOH = 14 POH

pH [H + ] [OH - ] pOH

What is the pH of the M NaOH solution? [OH-] = (or 1.0 X M) pOH = - log pOH = 3 pH = 14 – 3 = 11 OR K w = [H 3 O + ] [OH - ] [HO + ] = 1.0 x M [H 3 O + ] = 1.0 x M pH = - log (1.0 x ) = [H 3 O + ], [OH - ] AND PH

The pH of rainwater collected in a certain region of the northeastern Australia on a particular day was What is the H + ion concentration of the rainwater? The OH - ion concentration of a blood sample is 2.5 x M. What is the pH of the blood?

[OH - ] [H + ] pOH pH 10 -pOH 10 -pH -Log[H + ] Log[OH - ] -Log[OH - ] 14 - pOH 14 - pH 1.0 x [OH - ] [OH - ] 1.0 x [H + ] [H + ]

Calculating [H 3 O + ], pH, [OH - ], and pOH Problem 1: A chemist dilutes concentrated hydrochloric acid to make two solutions: (a) 3.0 M and (b) M. Calculate the [H 3 O + ], pH, [OH - ], and pOH of the two solutions at 25°C. Problem 2: What is the [H 3 O + ], [OH - ], and pOH of a solution with pH = 3.67? Is this an acid, base, or neutral? Problem 3: Problem #2 with pH = 8.05?

HNO 3, HCl, H 2 SO 4 and HClO 4 are among the only known strong acids. Strong and Weak Acids/Bases The strength of an acid (or base) is determined by the amount of IONIZATION.

STRONG AND WEAK ACIDS/BASES  Generally divide acids and bases into STRONG or WEAK ones. STRONG ACID: HNO 3 (aq) + H 2 O (l) ---> H 3 O + (aq) + NO 3 - (aq) HNO 3 is about 100% dissociated in water.

 Weak acids are much less than 100% ionized in water. One of the best known is acetic acid = CH 3 CO 2 H Strong and Weak Acids/Bases

 Strong Base: 100% dissociated in water. NaOH (aq) ---> Na + (aq) + OH - (aq) NaOH (aq) ---> Na + (aq) + OH - (aq) Strong and Weak Acids/Bases Other common strong bases include KOH and Ca(OH) 2. CaO (lime) + H 2 O --> Ca(OH) 2 (slaked lime) Ca(OH) 2 (slaked lime) CaO

 Weak base: less than 100% ionized in water One of the best known weak bases is ammonia NH 3 (aq) + H 2 O (l)  NH 4 + (aq) + OH - (aq) Strong and Weak Acids/Bases

WEAK BASES

TYPES OF ACID/BASE REACTIONS: SUMMARY