Acid and Base

In older times, acids, bases, and salts were categorized by experimenting with the aqueous solutions of the acids, bases, and salts. An acid is termed as a matter whose aqueous solution tastes sour, turns blue litmus paper red, and deactivates bases.  A matter is called base if its liquid solution tastes bitter, turns red litmus paper blue, and deactivates acids.

Salt is an impartial matter whose liquid solution shows no impact on the litmus paper. Faraday has termed acids, bases, and salts as electrolytes. Later, Liebig suggested that acids are compounds that comprise hydrogen which can be replaced by metals.

This is why everything tastes so differently. Lemons taste tangy whereas mango is sweet. This is due to unlike ratios of acids, bases, and salts in their organic composition.

MEANING OF ACIDS

Acids mean those different classical substances soluble in water and sour compounds that in state of a liquid can react with a base for the formation of a salt, turns red litmus blue, and have a pH not more than 7, that are molecules or ions containing hydrogen which can surrender a proton to a base, or that are substances which can receive a pair of electrons from a base that is not shared.

PROPERTIES OF ACIDS

Certain substances have specific properties that characterize them as acids. Some of which are discussed below:

Watery solutions of acids conduct electrical currents as they are termed electrolytes. Acids that ionize completely in water are strong electrolytes, resulting in many ions whereas some acids are weak electrolytes that occur mostly in a non-ionized form when liquified in water.

Acids have a tangy taste. Some substances like lemons, vinegar, and sour candies contain acids.

Acids alter the color of certain acids of acid-base. The two most commonly known indicators are litmus and phenolphthalein. In the presence of acid, blue litmus paper turns red while phenolphthalein turns pale.

Acids respond to active metals to result in hydrogen gas. An activity series is a sequence of metals in decreasing order of the reactivity. Metals that are overhead hydrogen in the activity sequence will substitute the hydrogen from acid in a single-replacement reaction, as stated below:

Zn(s)+H2SO4(aq)→ZnSO4(aq)+H2(g)

Acids respond with bases for the production of a salt compound and water. When equivalent molecules of an acid and a base are mixed, the acid is diffused by the base. The outcomes of this reaction are an ionic compound, which is considered salt, and water.

EXAMPLES OF ACIDS

There are various commonly found examples of acids. For example, acetic acid and citric acid are also the two most commonly found acids.

Acetic acid 

The chemical formula of acetic acid is CH3COOH. It can also be written as C2H2O2. The weight of molecules of acetic acid is estimated to be 60.05 grams/mole.

It is a pure, colorless fluid that can be nicely defined as a weak acid due to the tendency of its ions to not dissolve completely in solution. It can corrode the metals. The most unique property of acetic acid is the smell of acetic acid however, it is most commonly identified for its link to vinegar.

Citric Acid

The chemical formula of citric acid is C6H8O7. The weight of molecules of citric acid is an aggregate of 192.12 grams/mole. It is also a weak acid in which the ions would not dissolve completely in water.

Citric acid is most commonly used in the setting of a cooking environment. It exists nearly in all types of fruit. It is used as a souring agent in many varieties of foods, but it has several other utilities as well found in lemons, oranges, bananas, and certain cooking ingredients.

MEANING OF BASES

Bases are substances that mean any of different specific substances soluble in water and are compounds with a bitter taste in solution. They have a pH of more than 7. They have the capability of reacting with acid for the formation of a salt and the molecules or ions of which can receive a proton from acid or able to surrender an electron to an acid that is not shared.

PROPERTIES OF BASES

There are various properties that a substance needs to be characterized as a base. Some of them are discussed below:

Watery solutions of bases are also called electrolytes. Bases, like acids, can be strong or weak.

Bases generally have an unpleasant taste and are found in foods very rarely than acids. Bases are sometimes slippery like in the soaps.

Bases also can alter the color of indicators. Bases can turn litmus paper blue in the presence of a base while phenolphthalein turns pinkish.

Bases do not respond with metals as acids do. Bases produce salt and water when reacted with acids.

EXAMPLES OF BASES

Bases do not exist as commonly as acids do. However, there are certain examples of bases commonly found:

Potassium hydroxide 

It is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula KOH. It is commonly known as caustic potash. This is a colorless solid which is a perfectly strong base like sodium hydroxide (NaOH). It has many applications in industries, most of which show the nature of corrosion and its response toward acids. It is a strongly exothermic reaction with context to its dissolution in water.

Ammonia

It is a composite of nitrogen and hydrogen compounds with the formula NH3NH3. It is a colorless gas with a distinguishing pungent smell. It is the lively outcome of smelling salts, and can quickly recover the faint of heart and light of head. Even though it is commonly used and found worldwide, ammonia is both corroding and harmful in its concerted form.

MEANING OF SALTS

In the context of chemistry, salts are substances that are an outcome of the reaction of an acid with a base. A salt involves the positive ion or cation of a base and the negative ion or anion of an acid. A neutralization reaction is a reaction between an acid and a base. The term salt refers particularly to common table salt, or sodium chloride that we use in our everyday lives. In its soluble state or the melted state, most salts are completely broken into ions of negative and positive charge and are good conductors of electricity as electrolytes.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ACIDS AND BASES

The differences between Acids and Bases are discussed below:

Based on pH: The pH of acids is less than 7 whereas the pH of bases is more than 7.

Based on Reactivity: Acids react with metals for producing hydrogen gas whereas bases react with various oils and facts. 

Based on Texture: Acids have a sticky texture whereas bases have a slippery texture thereby used in soaps.

Based on Odor: Acids have a burning odor but the bases are odorless except for ammonia which has a pungent smell.

Based on Taste: Acids have a characteristic sour taste as in vinegar whereas bases as in baking soda have a bitter taste.

Based on Indicators: Acids can turn blue litmus paper red but bases do not change the litmus paper. Bases can only turn red litmus back to blue.

CONCLUSION

An acid is termed as a matter whose aqueous solution tastes sour, turns blue litmus paper red, and deactivates bases. Acetic acid and citric acid are also the two most commonly found acids. A base is a matter, the liquid solution of which tastes bitter and turns red litmus paper blue, and deactivates acids. Sodium hydroxide and ammonia are two commonly known bases. 

Acids alter the color of certain acids of acid-base. In the presence of acid, blue litmus paper turns red while phenolphthalein turns pale. Bases also can alter the color of indicators. Bases can turn litmus paper blue in the presence of a base while phenolphthalein turns pinkish.