Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
Acids and Bases
| Which acid is formed when milk is fermented to form yoghurt? | Acids, Bases and You! |
lactic. Its name comes from the Latin word 'lac', which means milk.
| Aqua regia is a very powerful acid and its name in Latin means 'Royal Water'. Why was it given this name? | Acids, Bases and You! |
It can dissolve gold. Aqua regia is made up of one part concentrated nitric acid to three parts of concentrated hydrochloric acid. The chemical action between the two forms nitrosyl chloride (NOCl) and chlorine gas, both powerful oxidizing agents. However, it is the presence of the oxidizers plus excess hydrochloric acid that enables aqua regia to dissolve gold and platinum.
| This acid is used in almost all car batteries and is also known as 'Oil of Vitriol'. Which acid is it? | Acids, Bases and You! |
sulphuric acid. Sulphuric acid is a strong mineral acid and highly corrosive.
| A very well known gas is highly basic when dissolved in water but mildly basic in vapour form. It is used for making explosives such as TNT and fertilizers such as Urea. Which gas is it? | Acids, Bases and You! |
ammonia. In water it forms ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) which is highly basic. It is commercially produced by the Habers Process.
| The chemical name for Vitamin C is __________ acid? | Acids, Bases and You! |
ascorbic. Deficiency of Vitamin C can often lead to a disease called scurvy.
| The 'fizz' in soft drinks is produced by adding which acid? | Acids, Bases and You! |
carbonic acid. Carbonic acid(H2CO3) decomposes to form bubbles of carbon dioxide(CO2).
| If you're suffering from acidity in your stomach then you should take antacids. 'Antacids' could contain which two bases? | Acids, Bases and You! |
aluminium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. These help in neutralizing the hydrochloric acid produced in your stomach.
| If a base will dissolve in water, by what name is it better known? | Acids and Bases |
Alkali. Most bases are not soluble, but if they are, they are referred to as alkalis.
| What are the products when silver reacts with dilute sulphuric acid? | Acids and Bases |
Silver doesn't react with dilute sulphuric acid.. Silver is an unreactive metal and would not react with acids, as it is less reactive than hydrogen.
| Aluminium will react with Hydrochloric acid. What are the products of this reaction? | Acids and Bases |
Aluminium chloride + hydrogen. You can test for the hydrogen by igniting a small amount producing a squeaky pop.
| What are the products, if a reaction occurs between nitric acid and sodium hydroxide? | Acids and Bases |
Sodium nitrate + water. Nitric acid + sodium hydroxide ----> sodium nitrate + water.
| If I react magnesium with hydrochloric acid, what gas is produced? | Acids and Bases |
Hydrogen. If you react a metal with an acid the gas given off is always hydrogen.
| What colour would hydrochloric acid (pH 1) turn universal indicator? | Acids and Bases |
Red. Strong acids turn universal indicator red. Weaker ones may turn it orange or yellow.
| Why is universal indicator a better indicator to use than litmus indicator? | Acids and Bases |
Universal indicator gives the pH of the solution.. Universal indicator gives a range of colours that can be used to determine the pH of a solution. Litmus can only tell you whether something is acid alkali or neutral.
| What colour is methyl orange in alkali conditions? | Acids and Bases |
Yellow. Methyl orange is one of the indicators commonly used in titrations. In an alkaline solution, methyl orange is yellow. In a solution becoming less acidic, methyl orange moves from red to orange and finally to yellow with the reverse occurring for a solution increasing in acidity. It should be noted that the entire color change occurs in acidic conditions.
| What is a buffer solution? | High School Acids & Bases |
A solution that resists pH changes. A buffer solution is designed to maintain a constant pH with the addition of small ammounts of acids or bases. They are made up of a weak acid and the soluble salt of its conjugate base or a weak base and the soluble salt of its conjugate acid.
| What is Kw? | High School Acids & Bases |
The ionization constant for water. Kw is equal to the concentration of hydrogen multiplied by the concentration of hydroxide. At 25 degrees C it is equivalent to 1.0 x 10^14.
| What is an equivalence point? | High School Acids & Bases |
The point where mol H+ =mol OH-. The equivalence point is also known as a stiochiometric point. It occurs when two substances are mixed until such time that the moles of hydrogen and hydroxide ions are equal.
| What is the range of pH for a acid? | High School Acids & Bases |
less than 7. Although the majority of substances will have a pH that falls between 0 and 14, there are some that fall outside of this range. Acidic substances are less than 7, neutral substances have a pH of 7, while basic substances have a pH greater than 7.
| What does a strong base do in solution? | High School Acids & Bases |
becomes fully ionized. A strong base will become 100% ionized in solution, and a strong acid will fully dissociated in solution. Weak acids and bases set up an equilibrium where they don't fully dissociate.
| What is an amphiprotic substance? | High School Acids & Bases |
A substance that acts both as an acid and a base. An amphiprotic substance can either donate a proton, or accept a proton. This ability allows it to be defined both as an acid and a base.
| What is the pH of water at 25 degrees c? | High School Acids & Bases |
7. Water is a neutral substance with an equal proportion of hydrogen and hydroxide ions in solution. At different temperatures the pH of water can vary, but it will always remain neutral.
| What is an Arrhenius Acid? | High School Acids & Bases |
A substance which releases hydrogen ions in water. All Arrhenius Acids start with an H and are ionic substances. Common examples include HCl (hydrogen chloride) and HBr (hydrogen bromide).
