Monday, May 2nd: “A” DayAgenda

Begin chapter 15: Acids & Bases15.1: “What Are Acids & Bases?”

Strong acid, weak acid, strong base, weak base, Bronsted-Lowry acid, Bronsted-Lowry base, conjugate acid, conjugate base, amphoteric species

Homework:Concept Review: “What Are Acids and Bases?”Take-home quiz: “What Are Acids and Bases?”

Chapter 15: Acids and Bases

Vinegar is acidic. So are the juices of many fruits. Colas and some other soft drinks are also acidic.

These substances can be recognized as acidic by their tart, sour, or sharp taste.

Acid Solutions Conduct ElectricityAcids are electrolytes, so their solutions in water

are conductors of electric current.

Like other electrolytes, hydrogen chloride dissociates to produce ions.

HCl(g) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + Cl−(aq)

The hydronium ion, H3O+, is able to transfer charge through aqueous solutions much faster than other ions do.

The result is that acid solutions are excellent conductors of electricity.

Acids React With Many MetalsAll metals that are above hydrogen in the

activity series react with acids to produce hydrogen gas.

The reaction is caused by the hydronium ion present in the solution.2H3O+(aq) + Zn(s) 2H2O(l) + H2(g) + Zn2+(aq)

Acids Generate Hydronium Ions (H3O+)

Because acids are electrolytes, they can be classified as strong or weak based on how much they dissociate into their ions.

Strong acid: and acid that ionizes completely in a solvent.

Nitric acid, HNO3, is a strong acid.

HNO3(l) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + NO3-(aq)

No HNO3 molecules are present in a solution of nitric acid. All of the HNO3 dissociates into ions.

Acids Generate Hydronium Ions (H3O+)

Weak acid: an acid that releases few hydrogen ions in aqueous solution

When a weak acid is dissolved in water, only a small fraction of its molecules are ionized at any given time.

Hypochlorous acid, HOCl, is a weak acid.HOCl(l) + H2O(l) H3O+(aq) + ClO- (aq)

The arrows in this equation indicate equilibrium.

Acids Generate Hydronium Ions (H3O+)

In some acids, a single molecule can react to form more than one hydronium ion.

Sulfuric acid has two ionizable hydrogens.

One of them ionizes completely, after which the other ionizes partially as a weak acid.

Arrhenius Definition of an AcidThe presence of a considerable number of

hydronium ions identifies an aqueous solution as acidic.

A Swedish chemist, Svante Arrhenius, was among the first to recognize this fact.

In 1890, he proposed that an acid be defined as any substance that, when added to water, increases the hydronium ion concentration.

Some Strong and Weak Acids

BasesBases are also electrolytes. Unlike acids, which

are usually liquids or gases, many common bases are solids.

Solutions of bases are slippery to the touch.

The slippery feel comes because bases react with oils in your skin, converting them into soaps.

This property of attacking oils and greases makes bases useful in cleaning agents.

Bases Generate Hydroxide Ions(OH-)

Because bases are electrolytes, they too can be classified as strong or weak based on how much they dissociate into their ions.

Strong base: a base that ionizes completely in a solvent.

Sodium hydroxide is a strong base:.NaOH(s) Na+(aq) + OH−(aq)

Bases Generate Hydroxide Ions(OH-)

Ammonia is a typical weak base.

Weak base: a base that releases few hydroxide ions in aqueous solution.

NH4+ is the ammonium ion. Because NH3 is a

weak base, most of the NH3 molecules remain un-ionized at any given time.

Arrhenius Definition of a BaseBoth strong and weak bases generate

hydroxide ions when dissolved in water.

This property is the basis of the Arrhenius definitions of a base.

Alkali: a base that is very soluble

in water. These solutions are saidto be “basic” or “alkaline”.

Two Problems With Arrhenius Definitions

1. Arrhenius definitions are limited to aqueous solutions.

2. Arrhenius definition cannot classify substances that sometimes act as acids and sometimes act as bases.

Bronsted-Lowry Classification

In 1923, the Danish chemist Johannes Brønsted proposed a broader definition of acid.

The same year, the British scientist Thomas Lowry happened to make exactly the same proposal independently.

Their idea was to apply the name acid to any species that can donate a proton.

Bronsted-Lowry Acids Donate ProtonsBronsted-Lowry acid: a substance that donates a

proton to another substance.A proton is a hydrogen atom that has lost its

electron.It is a hydrogen ion and can be represented as H+.

HCl is a Bronsted-Lowry acid because it donates a proton, H+ to water.

Bronsted-Lowry Bases Accept ProtonsBronsted-Lowry base: a substance that accepts a proton.

Ammonia, NH3, is a Bronsted-Lowry base because it accepts a proton from water when it is dissolved in water.

Bronsted-Lowry Recap

In the language of Brønsted and Lowry, an acid-base reaction is very simple: one molecule or ion passes a proton to another molecule or ion.

Whatever loses the proton is an acid, and whatever accepts the proton is a base.

H+

Conjugate Acids and BasesConjugate acid: an acid that forms when a base gains a proton.Conjugate base: a base that forms when an acid loses a proton.

Base Acid Conjugate Acid Conjugate Base

Always in pairs: Base/conjugate acidAcid/conjugate base

Conjugate Acid-Base Pairs

Amphoteric Species Are Both Acids and Bases

Some species are both an acid and a base and can both donate and accept protons.

Such species are described as amphoteric.

Amphoteric: describes a substance, such as water, that has the properties of an acid and the properties of a base.

HomeworkBecause the section review is very similar to

the concept review (and I like the questions in the concept review better), you only have to complete the concept review for homework today…

You’re welcome!

Take-home quiz:“What Are Acids and Bases?”