CHEMISTRY FOR
ENGINEERS - LEC
ACIDS AND
BASES
LEARNING OUTCOMES
❖ Differentiate acid from base.
❖ Explain theories of acids and base.
❖ Calculate the pH of a solutions.
ACID
• An acid is a substance
that releases H ions in
an aqueous solution.
• Example: When
hydrochloric acid is
dissolved in water, the
compound separates
into chlorine ions and
hydrogen ions
BASE
• A base is a substance that
releases hydroxide (OH-) ions
in an aqueous solution.
• Example: When sodium
hydroxide is dissolved in water,
the compound separates into
sodium ions (Na+) and
hydroxide (OH-) ions.
PROPERTIES OF AN ACID
• Acid taste sour.
• Acids have smell that frequently burn nose.
• Acids have sticky texture.
• Acids turn litmus paper to red color.
• Acids react frequently with metals to form hydrogen gas.
PROPERTIES OF A BASE
• Bases taste bitter.
• Bases usually have no smell (except NH3)
• Bases are slippery.
• Bases turn litmus paper to blue.
• Bases reacts with many oils and fats.
THEORIES OF ACIDS AND BASES
THE ARRHENIUS THEORY
• Svante Arrhenius, Swedish chemist , 1887
• Arrhenius acid is a substance that breaks up in aqueous
solution into hydrogen ions (H+) and anions. (Because a
hydrogen ion is a hydrogen atom from which the sole
electron has been removed, H+ ions are also called
protons).
• Arrhenius base is a substance that releases hydroxide ions
(OH-) in aqueous solution.
LIMITATIONS OF ARRHENIUS
THEORY
• A simple free proton does not exist in water solution. The
H+ ion has such a high positive charge density that it is
immediately attracted to a lone pair of electrons on an O
atom of a water molecule, forming a hydronium ion
• It does not explain the basicity of ammonia and related
compounds.
• It applies only to reactions in aqueous solution.
BRONSTED-LOWRY THEORY
• Proposed in 1923 by J. N. Bronsted in Denmark and T. M.
Lowry in Great Britain.
• An acid is a proton donor
• A base is a proton acceptor
BRONSTED-LOWRY THEORY
BRONSTED-LOWRY THEORY
• Conjugate Acid – formed when a proton (H+) is added to
the base.
• Conjugate base - this is what’s remain after the acid has its
H+ (proton) removed.
LEWIS THEORY
• Gilbert Lewis, 1923
• Lewis acid - is a substance that accepts a pair of electrons
• Lewis base - is a substance that donates a pair of electrons
STRONG VERSUS WEAK ACID
• A strong acid breaks down completely in water and give off
many H+ ions.
• A weak acid only partially breaks down. It gives off much
H+ than a strong acid.
STRONG VERSUS WEAK BASE
• A strong base breaks down completely in water and give
off many OH- ions.
• A weak base only partially breaks down.
NaOH → Na+ + OH-
COMMON ACIDS
• Hydrochloric acid, HCl
• Hydrobromic acid, HBr
• Hydroiodic acid, HI
• Sulfuric acid, H2SO4
• Nitric acid, HNO3
• Perchloric acid, HClO4
• Phosphoric acid, H3PO4
• Acetic acid, HC2H3O2
COMMON BASES
• Sodium hydroxide, NaOH
• Potassium hydroxide, KOH
• Sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3
• Sodium carbonate, Na2CO3
• Ammonia, NH3
ACID AND BASE REACTION
(NEUTRALIZATION)
• When an acid reacts with a base, the products are water
and a salt. It is called neutralization.
• Example: HCl + NaOH → NaCl + H2O
ACID-BASE STRENGTH
• pH stands for potential hydrogen and is a measure of how
many H+ ions there are in solution.
• The strength of an acid or base is usually measured using a
pH scale.
• The more the H+ there, the lower the pH will be.
ACID-BASE STRENGTH
pH Scale
ACID-BASE INDIC ATOR
• The numbers of the pH Scale usually range from 0 -14
• The middle number, 7, represents a neutral solution.
• A neutral substance is neither an acid nor a base. Pure
water has a pH of 7.
ACID-BASE INDICATOR
pH Scale
• First proposed in 1909 by Danish biochemist S. P. L.
Sorensen to describe the degree of acidity or basicity.
• Numbers on the pH scale are directly related to the
hydrogen ion concentration.
• p stands for “power” and H stands for “ hydrogen”
• pH is defined as the the negative logarithm of the molar
concentration of hydrogen ion.
pH = - log [H+ ]
PROBLEM
What is the pH of a solution that has a hydrogen ion
concentration of 1 x 10-5 M?
What is the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution that has
a pH of 4?
BUFFER SOLUTIONS
• A buffer solution is a mixture of a weak acid and its
conjugate base or a weak base and its conjugate acid.
• A buffer maintains a nearly constant pH when a small
amount of a strong acid or a strong base is added.
• Buffer solutions of acids and their conjugates accomplish
the stability of pH by shifting their equilibria to use up
added hydronium ion or to replace hydronium ion that has
reacted with added hydroxide ion.
• Many commercial products contains buffers, which are
needed to maintain optimum pH condition.
APPLIC ATIONS
• Sulfuric acid – used for making fertilizer, ore processing, oil
refining
• Sulfuric acid – automobile batteries and in some special
drain cleaners.
• Hydrochloric acid – cleaning of metals and bricks, removing
scale from boilers
• Sodium hydroxide – for cleaning ovens, unclogging drains
and in commercial and homemade soaps.
APPLIC ATIONS
• Ammonia – fertilizer , household cleaners
• Magnesium hydroxide – antacid
• Calcium hydroxide – plaster, cement, soil neutralizer
SAFETY PREC AUTIONS
• Concentrated strong acid and base are corrosive poisons
that can cause serious chemical burns. The severity of this
corrosive action depends on the strength of the acid or
alkali, the concentration of the chemical, the temperature
of the chemical, and the duration of contact.
• Strong acid/alkali should never be used without wearing eye
protection such as safety glasses or a face shield. Other
personal protective equipment should also be used to
prevent contact with skin or clothing. This would include
appropriate gloves, as well as a lab coat or apron.
• If contact occurs with skin or eyes, those areas should be
flushed with copious amounts of water.
REFERENCES
Hill, John W. (2013). Chemistry for Changing Times. New York:
Prentice Hall
Masterton, William, et al. General Chemistry. Philippines:
Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd
Stoker, H. Stephen (2016). General Chemistry. Andover:
Cengage Learning Asia Pte Ltd.
Zumdahl, Steven S. (2015). Introductory Chemistry: A
Foundation. USA: Cengage Learning Asia Ptd Ltd., USA
