Acids & Bases
Sulfuric acid is used in the production of fertilizers,
steel, paints, and plastics.
Car batteries
What is a Base?
A base is a solution that has an excess of OH- ions.
Another word for base is alkali.
Bases are substances that can accept hydrogen ions
Properties of a Base
Feel Slippery
Taste Bitter
Corrosive
Can conduct electricity. (Think
alkaline batteries.)
Do not react with metals.
Turns red litmus paper blue.
Uses of Bases
What is an acid? Bases give soaps, ammonia,
and many other cleaning products some of their
An acid is a solution that has an excess of H+ ions.
useful properties.
It comes from the Latin word acidus that means
The OH- ions interact strongly with certain
"sharp" or "sour".
substances, such as dirt and grease.
The more H + ions, the more acidic the solution.
Chalk and oven cleaner are examples of familiar
products that contain bases.
Your blood is a basic solution.
Properties of an Acid
Tastes Sour
Conduct
Electricity
Corrosive, which
means they
break down
certain
substances.
Many acids can corrode fabric, skin, and paper
Some acids react strongly with metals
Turns blue litmus paper red
Uses of Acids
Acetic Acid = Vinegar
Citric Acid = lemons, limes, & Arrhenius Acids & Bases
oranges. It is in many sour ACIDS: Upon dissociation in water yields H+ ion
candies such as lemonhead &
sour patch. Acid (aq) -> H+ + anion
Ascorbic acid = Vitamin C
HCl (aq) -> H+ (aq) + Cl- (aq)
which your body needs to
function.
BASES: yields OH- ion
Bases (aq) -> cation (aq) + OH- (aq) Lewis Acids & Bases
Lewis acid - a substance that accepts an electron pair
NaOH (aq) -> Na+ (aq) + OH- (aq)
Lewis base - a substance that donates an
Bronsted-Lowry; Acids & Bases
electron pair
Bronsted-Lowry Model:
Formation of hydronium ion is also an
For every acid, there must be a base excellent example.
Acid = proton donor
Base = proton acceptor
HCl (aq) + NH3 (aq) -> NH4+ (aq) + Cl- (aq)
Acid Base Conjugate acid Conjugate base • Electron pair of the new O-H bond originates on
the Lewis base.
Relative Strengths of Acids and Bases
Lewis Acid-Base Interactions in
Biology
The heme group in hemoglobin can
interact with O2 and CO.
The Fe ion in hemoglobin is a Lewis acid
O2 and CO can act as Lewis bases
Types of Acids
Monoprotic and Polyprotic Acids
o Acids can contain 1 or more hydrogens
that are acidic
**Not ALL hydrogens are acidic (Ex. Vinegar)
Conjugate Pairs
Conjugate pair = two compounds differing only by the Identify the following as monoprotic or polyprotic:
gain or loss of one H+
Ex.) NH3 / NH4+ is a conjugate pair
HNO3, H2SO4, HClO, HClO4, H3PO4, HC2H3O2
Every acid has a conjugate base, formed when H+ is
removed from the acid.
Every base has a conjugate acid, formed when H+ is
added to the base.
Strength of Acids/Bases
Strengths of Acids
Strong Acids -> Give off LOTS of H+
o 100% Dissociation
o Strong Acids: HCl, HI, HBr, HNO3,
H2SO4, HClO4
o That’s it! -> Everything else is “weak”
Weak Acid -> Give off smaller amounts of H+
o Equilibrium occurs (molecules break pH Scale
apart and recombine)
pH is a measure of how acidic or
o Not all H+ ions separate (not 100%
dissociation) basic a solution is.
The pH scale ranges from 0 to
14.
Acidic solutions have pH values
Strengths of Bases
Strong Base -> Give off LOTS of OH-1 below 7
A solution with a pH of 0 is very
o 100% Dissociation acidic.
o Generally, Group I, II Hydroxides (except H, A solution with a pH of 7 is
Be, Mg) neutral.
Pure water has a pH of 7.
Ex.) Ca(OH)2, NaOH
Basic solutions have pH values
o Everything else is “weak” above 7.
A change of 1 pH unit represents a
Weak Base -> Give off smaller amounts of OH-1 tenfold change in the acidity of the
o Equilibrium occurs (breaks apart and then solution.
recombines) For example, if one solution has a pH of 1 and a
second solution has a pH of 2, the first solution is
o Not 100% dissociation
not twice as acidic as the second— it is ten times
more acidic.
More About Water
H2O can function as both an ACID and a BASE. In pure
water there can be AUTOIONIZATION
Equilibrium constant for water = Kw Definition: Hydronium Ion
In aqueous solution, H+ does NOT exist! Note: In
Kw = [H3O+] [OH-] = 1.00 x 10-14 at 25 oC problems, [H+] = [H3O+]
Autoionization
Kw=[H3O+] [OH-] =1.00 x 10-14 at 25 oC
In a neutral solution [H3O+] = [OH-]
So, Kw=[H3O+]2 = [OH-]2
and so [H3O+] = [OH-] = 1.00 x 10-7 M
pH Equations
pH = - log [H3O+] pOH = - log [OH-]
Make sure you have the negative sign!
Find the “log” function on your calculator!
pH + pOH = 14
[H+][OH-] = 1.0 x 10-14
pH Testing
There are several ways to
test pH
o Blue litmus paper
(red = acid)
o Red litmus paper
(blue = basic)
o pH paper (multi-
colored)
o pH meter (7 is neutral,
<7 acid, >7 base)
o Universal indicator
(multi-colored)
o Indicators like phenolphthalein
Natural indicators like red cabbage, radishes
Why is pH important to living
pH meter organisms?
Tests the voltage of the Key molecules, known as enzymes, function at
electrolyte
set pH values.
Converts the voltage to pH
Very cheap, accurate All our cells function within a certain pH range.
Must be calibrated with a If the fluids bathing those cells is “off” these
buffer solution cells won’t function at max capacity.
Other than just cells, our blood needs to be at a
certain pH.
pH indicators
Indicators are dyes that can be
added that will change color in the
presence of an acid or base.
Some indicators only work
in a specific range of pH
Once the drops are added,
the sample is ruined
Some dyes are natural, like
radish skin or red cabbage
But… The chemical reactions of life constantly
produce acids and bases within cells. These have a
tendency to throw off the pH values. We need some
sort of mechanism to minimize how much the pH is
altered.
Solution: Buffers
Buffers:substance that can take up or release hydrogen
ions into a solution so that the pH can maintain
equilibrium.
Produce substances less acidic or alkaline.
Act like a chemical sponge to soak up excess acid or Each salt listed in this table can be formed by the
base, keep pH constant. reaction between an acid and a base.
Buffers can be “used up”. Once used up, no longer
help regulate pH
Buffers are vital to maintaining pH in organisms
So...if pH is low, what about the [H+]?
o It is HIGH
...if pH is high, what about the [H+]?
o It is LOW
What would a buffer do if pH falls?
o Remove hydrogen ions from the solution.
What would a buffer do if pH rises?
o Donate hydrogen ions to the solution.
In living organisms a key buffer is known as the
Bicarbonate Ion Buffer System.
Acid – Base Reactions
A reaction between an acid and a base is called
neutralization. An acid-base mixture is not as
acidic or basic as the individual starting
solutions.
