Lesson 3.1: Acids and Bases in Action

You have learned that there are many acids and bases in your house.  When you make a cake or bread, you have to add ingredients that make the dough rise so that the finished product is light and fluffy.  Have you heard of baking powder? 

Baking powder is made of an acid (cream of tartar) and a base (sodium bicarbonate) as well as alum.  When water is added to the baking powder, a chemical reaction occurs that produces carbon dioxide gas.  This gas makes the bubbles in the dough, which makes the product light and fluffy.  When the dough is baked, the alum reacts with the sodium bicarbonate to produce even more carbon dioxide gas.  There are even more ways that acids and bases are used in your home. 

Read page 70 in your textbook to learn more.

Question 1. List four ways that acids and bases are used in your home.

Question 2: The introductory paragraph to this lesson explained how baking powder works.  The text describes another way of making dough rise.  What is another way of making dough rise?

Question 3: What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda? 

Question 4. Compare vegetables cooked in acidic water to vegetables cooked in water that is basic.

Question 5: What do chefs add to dried beans before cooking them?  Why is this ingredient added?

Question 6: What are antacids? 

Question 7: What is the scientific name for the chemical reaction of antacids with acids in your stomach?

Question 8: Explain how acids and bases work to neutralize odours in a refrigerator. 

Question 9: Explain why mixing certain acids and bases is dangerous.

Check your answers with those that follow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Answers to Questions:

Question 1. List four ways that acids and bases are used in your home.

The four ways, described in the textbook, that acids and bases are used in your home are
·    baking
·    cooking
·    health care
·    deodorizing

Question 2. The introductory paragraph to this lesson explained how baking powder works.  The text describes another way of making dough rise.  What is another way of making dough rise? 

Another way of making dough rise is to use sour milk and baking soda.  The sour milk is the acid; the baking soda is the base.  The reaction of the acid and the base produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles.

Question 3. What is the difference between baking powder and baking soda? 

The difference between baking soda and baking powder is more than just the name.  Baking soda is a base (it is sodium bicarbonate).  Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda (a base) and cream of tartar (an acid) as well as alum.

Question 4. Compare vegetables cooked in acidic water compared to vegetables cooked in water that is basic.

Vegetables cooked in acidic water take longer to cook and do not soften compared to those cooked in basic water.

Question 5. What do chefs add to dried beans before cooking them?  Why is this ingredient added?

Chefs add baking soda (a base) to dried beans before cooking them.  This ingredient is added to soften the beans and to shorten cooking time required.

Question 6. What are antacids?

Antacids are bases that you eat to reduce or eliminate heartburn.

Question 7. What is the scientific name for the chemical reaction of antacids with acids in your stomach? 

When antacids react with acids in your stomach, the scientific name for the chemical reaction is neutralization.

Question 8. Explain how acids and bases work to neutralize odours in a refrigerator.

Some foods have unpleasant odours because of the acids in the foods.  A base such as baking soda will react with these acids and neutralize them, eliminating the odour.  You may have wondered why you do not have to pour the baking soda on the food.  The fact that you can smell the acid means that the acid is in a gas form and is in the air in the refrigerator.  This gas makes contact with the baking soda in the box and is neutralized.

Question 9. Explain why mixing certain acids and bases is dangerous.

Certain substances, such as bleach, react with other acids and bases to produce deadly fumes.  Chlorine gas is one of these deadly gases.

 


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