8.3 Properties of Acids and Bases
Reading Focus
Key Concepts
What are some general properties of acids and bases?- What are the products of neutralization?
- What are proton donors and proton acceptors?
Vocabulary
acid
indicator
base
neutralization
salt
Reading Strategy
Using Prior Knowledge Before you read, copy the table below and write your definition for each vocabulary term. After you read, write the scientific definition of each term and compare it with your original definition.
| Term | Your Definition | Scientific Definition |
|---|---|---|
| Acid | a. |
b. |
| Base | c. |
d. |
| Salt | e. |
f. |
Figure 14 Soap making involves the use of a base such as sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide.
One of the chemicals used to make the soaps shown in Figure 14 is sodium hydroxide. In traditional soap making, sodium hydroxide is added to a mixture of melted animal or vegetable fats. As the mixture is brought to a boil, the sodium hydroxide reacts with the fats. The products of the reaction are glycerol (a colorless, syrupy liquid) and soap. After the glycerol is separated from the soap, the soap is purified. Other chemicals are then mixed with the soap to give it a particular scent and color.
Sodium hydroxide belongs to a class of compounds, known as bases, that share some physical and chemical properties. Bases are related to another class of compounds called acids. As you will discover, there are several differences among acidic solutions, basic solutions, and solutions that have properties of neither an acid nor a base.
Identifying Acids
An acid is a compound that produces hydronium ions (H3O+) when dissolved in water. Recall that when hydrogen chloride gas dissolves in water, it ionizes and forms hydronium ions and chloride ions.
The solution that results is called hydrochloric acid. Figure 15 lists some common acids and their uses.
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