Acids, Bases, & Salts

Concepts

Acids
taste sour; the word 'acid' comes from the Latin acere, which means 'sour' acids change litmus (a blue vegetable dye) from blue to red their aqueous (water) solutions conduct electric current (are electrolytes) react with bases to form salts and water evolve hydrogen gas (H2) upon reaction with an active metal (such as alkali metals, alkaline earth metals, zinc, aluminum)

Examples of Common Acids

citric acid (from certain fruits and veggies, notably citrus fruits) ascorbic acid (vitamin C, as from certain fruits) vinegar (5% acetic acid) carbonic acid (for carbonation of soft drinks) lactic acid (in buttermilk)

Bases
taste bitter feel slippery or soapy bases don't change the color of litmus; they can turn red (acidified) litmus back to blue their aqueous (water) solutions conduct and electric current (are electrolytes) react with acids to form salts and water

Examples of Common Bases

detergents soap lye (NaOH) household ammonia (aqueous)

Salts
Definition: sometimes 'salt' simply refers to table salt, which issodium chloride. Usually the term is applied to an ionic compoundproduced by reacting an acid with a base. Examples: NaCl, KCl, CuSO4 One of the products of neutralization

Acid-Base Indicators
What is an acid-base indicator? An acid-base indicator is a weak acid or a weak base. The undissociated form of the indicator is a different color than the iogenic form of the indicator. An Indicator does not change color from pure acid to pure alkaline at specific hydrogen ion concentration, but rather, color change occurs over a range of hydrogen ion concentrations. This range is termed the color change interval. It is expressed as a pH range.

How is an indicator used?

Weak acids are titrated in the presence of indicators which change under slightly alkaline conditions. Weak bases should be titrated in the presence of indicators which change under slightly acidic conditions.

Litmus paper
Filter paper which has been treated with a natural water-soluble dye obtained from lichens. The resulting piece of paper, called 'litmus paper', can be used as a pH indicator. Blue litmus paper turns red under acidic conditions (pH below 4.5) while red litmus paper turns blue under alkaline conditions (pH above 8.3). Neutral litmus paper is purplish in color.

Methyl Orange
Methyl orange is a weak base. It gives end points between pH range between 3.1 and 4.4. In weak acidic or basic environment (pH>4.4), its color is yellow. In high acidic environment (pH<3.1), it is red in color. In the detection range (pH : 3.1 to 4.4), its color is orange. The color changes from yellow to orange (when solution pH falls towards detection range) or red to orange (when solution pH rises towards detection range), indicating equivalence point.

Phenolphthalein
Phenolphthalein is a weak acid. It gives end points between pH range between 8.3 and 10. In strong acidic and weak basic environment (pH<8.3), it is colorless. In strong basic environment (pH>10), it is pink in color. In the detection range (pH : 8.8 to 10), its color is pale pink. The color changes from colorless to pale pink (when solution pH rises towards detection range) or from pink to pale pink (when solution pH falls towards detection range), indicating equivalence point.

References
http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/acidsbasesterms.htm http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/a/saltdef.htm http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/Acid-BaseIndicators.htm http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090125081323 AAsGlab http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/a/litmuspaperdef. htm