Science Extra Questions Answers
LESSON -5
ACIDS – a substance that reacts with an base to form a salt and water is called an acid .
Acids have a sour taste and turn blue litmus red. Examples Latic acid, citric acid etc
Bases - a substance which can neutralise an acid to form a salt and water is called an
base .Bases are bitter in taste and soapy in touch they turn red litmus blue. Examples
sodium hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide etc
Indicator - An indicator is a chemical compound or a dye that changes its colour in presence
of an acid or base. Litmus, Phenolphthalein, turmeric, China rose etc
Neutral- A neutral solution is a solution which is neither acidic nor basic. It has a pH value of
7.
Alkalis- Alkalis are bases that can be dissolved in water. Few examples of alkalis are potassium
hydroxide, sodium hydroxide etc. The pH value of a soluble base is greater than 7.0.
ACIDS
• The word acid comes from Latin word acere means sour.
• Acids are sour in taste.
• They are soluble in water.
• Ph less than 7.
• The acids present in plant materials and animals are called organic acids.
• The acids prepared from the minerals of the earth are called inorganic acids or mineral acids. The
three most common mineral acids are Hydrochloric acid, Sulphuric acid and Nitric acid
BASES
• Bases are bitter in taste. And soapy in touch.
• Bases are chemical opposites of acids.
• Most bases are insoluble in water. The bases that dissolve in water are called alkalis.
• Ph more than 7.
• Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) and potassium hydroxide (caustic potash) are very strong bases
which can burn our skin.
• Magnesium hydroxide is a very weak base that is used in Milk of magnesia used as an antacid to
cure indigestion.
• We know that some of the sugary food eaten by us is converted into acid by the bacteria present
in our mouth. And this acid causes tooth decay. The toothpaste which we use for brushing and
cleaning our teeth is basic in nature. Since toothpaste is basic, it neutralises the acid in our mouth
and hence prevents tooth decay.
INDICATORS
• We cannot taste every substance to find its nature.
• So, there are some special types of substances which are used to test whether a substance is acidic
or basic. These substances are known as indicators.
• The indicators change their colour when added to a solution containing an acidic or a basic
substance
SOME COMMON INDICATORS:
Turmeric Paper- • Acids turn the turmeric paper to yellow.
• Bases turn the turmeric paper to red
Litmus Paper - Litmus Paper Indicator Litmus is a natural indicator.
Litmus solution is a purple coloured dye, extracted from a type of plant lichen
Acids turn blue litmus red Bases turn red litmus to blue
China Rose- • China rose indicator is a light pink coloured solution which is extracted from the red
flowers of China rose plant with water.
• Acids turn China rose indicator to magenta (deep pink).
• Bases turn China rose indicator to green.
Phenolphthalein- • Phenolphthalein is a synthetic (man- made) acid-base indicator.
• Phenolphthalein indicator is colourless in acid solution.
• Phenolphthalein indicator gives pink colour in basic solution
What is an ACID RAIN?
The rain which contains a higher level of acid than the normal rain is called acid rain.
Acid rain is caused by the acidic gases like sulphur dioxide ,nitrogen dioxide and
carbon dioxide which are released into the air as pollutants during the burning of
various types of fuels . Sulphur dioxide gas dissolves in falling rain drops to form
sulphuric acid ; nitrogen dioxide gas dissolves in air to form nitric acid and carbon
dioxide dissolves in the falling rain drops to form carbonic acid . The presence of
sulphuric acid , nitric acid and carbonic acid in rain water makes the rain water acidic
and when this acidic rain water falls on the earth we call it as cid rain . ACID RAIN
CAUSES DAMAGE TO AQUATIC ANIMALS , TREES, CROP PLANTS,METAL STRUCTURES
AND STONE BUILDINGS AND MONUMENTS.
What is neutralization reaction ?
• The solution which does not change the colour of either red or blue litmus paper is called neutral
solution. • These substances are neither acidic nor basic.
• Examples: water, salt solution, sugar solution
• The reaction between an acid and a base is known as neutralisation. Salt and water are produced
in this process with the evolution of heat.
• The heat evolved raises the temperature of the reaction mixture.
• Salt produced in this reaction may be acidic, basic or neutral. PH Scale
How to cure indigestion?
• Indigestion: Sometimes, excess of hydrochloric acid is produced in the stomach due to various
reasons (one being over-eating, fasting or having spicy food) and that causes indigestion. To cure
indigestion we can take "antacids". Being basic in nature, antacids react with excess acid in the
stomach and neutralise it. A common antacid used for curing indigestion due to acidity is milk of
magnesia. Milk of magnesia contains a base called magnesium hydroxide
How to cure ants bite ?
Ant's Bite: The sting of an ant contains an acid called formic acid.The effect of the acid can be
neutralised by rubbing moist baking soda (sodium hydrogencarbonate) or calamine solution, which
contains zinc carbonate.
What is soil treatment ?
Soil Treatment: Excess use of chemical fertilisers make the soil acidic. Acidic soil can be neutralised
by putting quick lime (calciul oxide) or slaked lime (solid calcium hydroxide). Basic soil can be
neutralised by addingorganic manure to the soil. During decomposition process,CO2 gets released
and when it mixes with water in soil, forms carbonic acids which neutralises the extra base in the
soil.
How can factory waste be neutralise?
Factory Waste:Its mainly acidic. It can be neutralised by adding quick lime or slaked lime.
