Module 5 Intro

Module 5—Acids and Bases

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Acids and Bases—Review of Basic Concepts

 
Acids and bases can be defined using empirical and theoretical definitions.

 

Read “Acids and Bases” on pages 198 and 199 in your textbook to review these definitions.

 

Read the information in the table below. What kind of information is provided here, empirical or theoretical information?

 

	Acids	Bases
Conductivity	conductive	conductive
Litmus	turns blue litmus red	turns red litmus blue
Taste	sour	bitter
Feel	similar to water	slippery
pH	pH less than 7	pH greater than 7
Reaction with Mg(s), Zn(s), or Fe(s)	produces hydrogen gas	does not produce hydrogen gas
Reaction with other substances	neutralized by bases	neutralized by acids

 

Empirical definitions, like those in the table, describe acids and bases in terms of their behaviour during chemical tests. Empirical definitions only provide one type of knowledge about substances and may not provide information as to why such behaviour is observed.

 

Turn to pages 248 to 253 of your textbook and read “6.4 Explaining Acids and Bases” to learn more about the theories about acids and bases you will use in this module. As you read this section, make summary notes on the following:

• the difference between dissociation and ionization
  
  
• the particle identified as providing a solution with its acidic properties by the different theories discussed
  
  
• the particle identified as providing a solution with its basic properties by the different theories discussed
  
  
• the particles involved during a neutralization reaction
  
  
• how a neutralization reaction can result in “neutral” products
  

You may wish to include, as often as possible, examples of chemical reactions that are helpful for your summaries and explanations.

 

You may also wish to review the rules regarding the naming and writing formulas for acids and bases. These rules appear on pages 34 to 36 in your textbook.

 

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