GROUP 3

Members:
JHON REY PARAON
ANGEL MAY GUTANG
JAYZEN NIEL ARELLANO
KURT HORTILANO
MISSY LURA
AINEL CABARLES
SHELBY SUMAGAYSAY
Module 9: Acid-base Equilibria And Salt Equilibria
At the end of this module. I can:
1. Define acids and bases.
2. Discuss the acid-base property of water.
3. Define pH.
4. Calculate the pH from the concentration of hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions
in aqueous solutions.
5. Determine the relative strength of acids or bases from their ionization
constants.
6. Determine the pH of a solution of a weak acid or a weak base.
7. Determine the pH of weak acid solutions at different concentrations and in
the presence of their salt.
8. Classify generally used household products as acid or base.
9. Relate the characteristics of acids and bases in the handling, transport,
storage, and disposal of various household and industrial chemical products.
 DEFINITION OF ACIDS AND BASES

Acid-base chemistry is one of the important

concepts used in our everyday life. In here, concepts
of chemical equilibrium are applied to acid-base
reactions.
Let us first define acids and bases based on their
observable characteristics. Acids are those compounds
that have sour taste. The acidity of different kinds of
vinegar, wines, and fruit juices are due to the presence of
acetic acid, tartaric acid, and citric acid, respectively.
Bases or alkalis, on the other hand, are compounds that
have a bitter taste and slippery feel. Sodium hydroxide
and potassium hydroxide are generally used in making
soaps and detergents. Ammonium hydroxide is another
example of a base.
Now, let us define acids and bases on a molecular
level. Recall in module 4 that Svante Arrhenius
defined acids as those that produce protons or
hydrogen ions in aqueous solutions, and bases are
those that produce hydroxide ions in aqueous
solutions. Then, Johannes Bronsted and Thomas
Lowry independently expanded the definition of
acids and bases. Bronsted and Lowry defined acids
as proton donors and bases as proton acceptors.
For example, a water molecule contains an oxygen atom
containing two unshared electron pairs that are capable of
forming a bond with the H' ion. In figure 9.1, water acts as a
base, and the hydrochloric acid donates H' to form the
hydronium ion ( H_{3} O^ + )
An aqueous solution (aq) of an acid is given in the following
reaction (where A serves as the conjugate molecule):
The conjugate acid is formed when a proton is
transferred to water (as a base). The conjugate base, on
the other hand, is formed after a proton is lost. As shown
in the reaction, there are two conjugate acid-base pairs:
(1) HA and A and (2) H,O and H_{2}*O The proton
transfer reaction is so fast that a system involving an acid
and a base is always at equilibrium. The equilibrium
expression for the previous reaction is written as
where K_{d} is the acid dissociation constant. Note
that water is not included in the equilibrium
expression as the activity of pure liquid water is 1.
Let's apply equation 9.2 using ammonium as an
example:
The equilibrium expression for ammonium is
written as
K{c} =K{b} = [ NH {4}^+ ][OH^+]
[NH{3}]

where K{b} is the base dissociation constant.

 Acid-Base Properties of Water
Water can act as both a base and an acid. The two electron
pairs in the oxygen atom of water are responsible for
accommodating a proton from an acid. Also, the presence of a
hydrogen ion enables water to donate a proton. This makes
the water amphiprotic-it can either donate or accept a proton.
The amphiprotic nature of water is illustrated in the
previous reaction, in which two water molecules undergo
a proton transfer reaction called autoionization or
autoprotolysis. Autoionization refers to a substance
ionizing itself. The equilibrium expression for the
autoniozation of water is
K {c} = [H{3}O^+][OH^-]
[H{2}O]^2
Because the activity of pure water is 1, K_{w} is used
instead of K_{c} The equilibrium expression becomes
K{w} =[H{3}O^+][OH^-]
where K{w} is the water autoionization constant. At
equilibrium, the product of the concentration of the
hydrogen ion and the concentration of the
hydroxide ion is always equal to K{w} . At 298K(25
deg*C), the hydrogen ion in pure water has a
concentration equal to 1.0 * 10^-7 Because the
formation of the hydronium ion concentration is
associated with the formation of a hydroxide ion, in
pure Water, [H{3}O^+]=[OH^-] . The relationship
gives a value of K{w} at 1.0 * 10^-14 at 298 Κ.
RELATIONSHIP AMONG K{A}, K{B} AND K{W}
Consider the equilibrium reaction of NH, in water:

as well as the equilibrium reaction of NH", a conjugate acid, in

water:
Multiplying the two equilibrium expressions,

The previous equations simply imply that the stronger the

base, the weaker the conjugate acid. If K {b} is large, then
K{a}, must be small so that the product would be equal to
1.0 * 10^-14. Also, if K{a} is large, then K{b} must also be
small. In other words, a strong acid yields a weaker
conjugate base.
Expressing The Hydrogen Concentration In
Terms Of Ph Level
Different types of soils contain a wide variety of
components. Because of these different
components, soils can exhibit varying pH levels
depending on the concentration of the hydronium
ion. Plants would have varying requirements for
soil acidity for them to grow, reproduce, and
remain healthy.
 The pH scale measures how acidic or basic a
substance is. The pH scale is conveniently determined
using a pH paper or a pH meter to express the acidity
or basicity of a solution. The pH is taken as the
negative logarithm of the [HO] concentration. It is
written as

pH = -log [H{3}O^+] = 1
log [H{3}O^+]
where [H{3}O^+] gives the molar concentration of
the hydronium ion. Thus, at 298 K, the hydro- gen ion
in pure water has a concentration equal to 1.00×10^-
7, equivalent to a pH level of 7. The higher the
hydronium ion concentration, the more acidic the
solution is, and the lower is its pH level. Acidic
solutions have pH levels less than 7.0, wherein
[H{3}O^+]>[OH^-]. Basic solutions have pH levels
greater than 7, wherein [H{3}O^+] < [OH^-].
A neutral solution is one that has a pH level of 7,
wherein [H{3}O^+]= [OH^-] The autoionization
equilibrium of water can be used to calculate the
presence of hydroxide (pOH) in the solution. The pOH
level of pure water is equal to 7 at 298 K. Adding pH
and pOH gives pk, which is -log (1.0×10^-14); In
other words, the addition of pH and pOH is equal to
14.
 ACID STRENGTH
Concentration pertains to the amount of acid per liter
of solution, whereas the strength refers to the proton-
donating ability of the acidic compound. Therefore, a
concentrated acid is different from do strong acid. The
acid strength gives the equilibrium position of its
dissociation reaction in aqueous solution. A strong acid
is one that is completely dissociated in solution at
equilibrium, such that the equilibrium is shifted to the
right, whether concentrated or diluted.
Furthermore, a strong acid has a large K{a}, (or a small
pK{a}). Examples of strong acids are hydrochloric acid,
nitric acid, perchloric acid, and sulfuric acid. A weak
acid, on the other hand, is one that is partially
dissociated in an aqueous solution. The position of the
equilibrium is shifted to the left, and thus, K{a} is small.
When mixed with water, weak acids generally give a
relatively strong conjugate base (pK{a} is greater).
Examples of weak acids are acetic acid, tartaric acid,
and citric acid.
CLASSIFICATION OF ACIDS

Another way of classifying acids is according to the number of

available hydrogen ions. An acid containing one replaceable
hydrogen ion is classified as a monoprotic acid, whereas an acid
having two acidic protons are classified as diprotic acids. Acids
that have multiple protons are categorized as polyprotic acids.
Factors such as the intermolecular forces of attraction, the
ability of the conjugate base to be hydrated and solvated,
and the bond strength in H-A primarily dictate acid
strength. For example, compare the acid strength of the
binary compounds formed by elements in period 2 of the
periodic table with hydrogen, such as hydrogen fluoride
(HF), water (H₂O), and aqumoni sol. Comparison shows
that HF is acidic, H₂O is neutral, and NH, is basic in aqueous
solutions. Fluorine (F) is the most electronegative element
and gives the most polar bond with hydrogen (among the
three compounds cited).
However, in hydrohalic acids such as hydrofluoric acid
(HF{aq}), hydrochloric acid (HCI{aq}), hydrobromic acid
(HBr{aq}), and hydroiodic acid (HI{aq}), the trend in acid
strength in aqueous solutions is somewhat anomalous, as
HF{aq} is a weak acid among the hydrohalic acids.
Generally, the bond strength in hydrohalic acids is too great,
making it difficult to remove the proton. However, once
acetic acid is used as a solvent, a clear trend is established:
HI{aq}>HBr{aq}>HCI{aq}>HF(aq).Bond trength decreases
from F to iodine (I), which is brought about by increasing
interatomic distances between H and the halides, hence the
weakening of the H-A bond.
 OXOACIDS
Oxoacids are acid compounds wherein the replaceable
hydrogen is always bonded to an oxygen atom. Examples
of oxoacids are sulfuric acid ((HO){2},SO{2}) and
phosphoric acid ((HO{3}), PO). Let us consider the
chlorine oxoacids such as hypochlorous acid (HCIO),
chlorous acid (HCIO{2}), chloric acid (HCIO{3}), and
perchloric acid (HCIO{4}) as examples. In predicting the
acid strength of oxoacids, two factors predominate: (1)
the number of oxygen atoms and (2) the oxidation
number of the chlorine atom.
A generalization can be made, such that as the number of
oxygen atoms increases, acidity increases. Therefore, as the
oxidation number increases, acidity also tends to increase.
In the case of hypohalous acids, such as HCIO,
hypobromous acid (HBrO), and hypoiodous acid (HIO), the
electronegativity of the halides will dictate their relative
acid strength to give the following trend: HCIO > HBrO >
HIO. The greater electronegativity of the chlorine atom
permits the formation of a more polar bond in O-H; thus,
the removal of protons would be a lot easier.
In the case of organic molecules such as alcohols
and carboxylic acids (which include substituted
ones), acid strength is dependent on the
electronegativity of the atom bonded to a hydroxyl
(-OH) group. Alcohol has the skeletal formula R-OH.
Ethyl alcohol (CH{3},CH{2},OH) is an example. On
the other hand, acetic acid (CH{3}COOH), a
carboxylic acid, has an additional oxygen atom.
Therefore, acetic acid is more acidic than alcohol.
In addition, substituting H in the methyl group of
acetic acid with chlorine atoms to give
trichloroacetic acid (CCI{3}COOH) increases the
acid strength of the carboxylic acid. Chlorine atom is
an electron-withdrawing atom that tends to
strongly weaken the -OH bond, resulting in the
convenient removal of the proton. As a result, the
substituted carboxylic acid, trichloroacetic acid, is
stronger than acetic acid.
 pH LEVEL OF WEAK
ACIDS AND WEAK
BASES

The pH of aqueous solutions of weak acids and weak bases can be

determined from the equilibrium reaction between the weak acid
and its conjugate base and/or between the weak base and its
conjugate acid. Calculations involving the equilibrium of weak
acids and weak bases can be made by following these steps
. 1.Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction that
yields H^+.
. 2. Identify the major component in the solution.
. 3. Write the equilibrium reaction/expression.
. 4. Determine the initial concentrations of all the participating
components.
. 5. Define the change in concentration as x to achieve
equilibrium.
. 6. Set up the equilibrium concentration in terms of x.
. 7. Substitute the equations in the equilibrium expression.
. 8. Calculate the unknown using equation 9.1 or equation 9.2.
. 9. Determine the [H^+] and pH.
. Example: Calculate the pH and the percentage of acid ionized in 0.25 M
solution of propanoic acid (HC{3}H{5}O{2}), given that the K{a} for
propanoic acid is 1.2×10^-5.

. Solution: The equilibrium reaction is

. The major components in the solution are HC{3}H{5}O{2} ,H{3}O^+
and C{3}H{5}O{2}^-. Based on the given reaction:
CALCULATING THE pH LEVEL OF POLYPROTIC
ACIDS
Example: Calculate the pH and the equilibrium concentrations following
substances: [H^+],[OH^-], arsenic acid ([H{3}AsO{4}]) dihydrogen arsenate
([ H{2}AsO{4}^-]), and the arsenate ions ([HAsO{4}^2-] and [AsO{4}^3-]) in a
0.22 M arsenic acid solution. The dissociation constants are as follows:
• K{a1} = 5 * 10 ^ -3
• K{a2} = 8 * 10 ^ - 8
• K{a3} = 6 * 10 ^ - 10
The major component in solution is H{3}AsO{4}. The K{a2}
and K{a3} values are so small to give significant amounts of
other species in the solution. Therefore, we use K{a1}.
The equilibrium expression employing K{a2} is used to determine
[HAsO{4}^2-].
K {a2} =8*10^-8 = [H{3}O^+] [HAsO{4}^2]
[H{2}AsO{4}^-]

You may now plug in the following concentrations:

[H{3}O^+] = 3.3 * 10 ^ - 2 mol/L = [H{2}AsO{4}^-
[HAsO{4}^2-] = 8 * 10 ^ - 8 * mol/L

The equilibrium expression employing K{a2} is used to determine [AsO{4}^3-].

K{a3} = 6*10^-10 = [H{3}^O][AsO{4}^3-]
[HAsO{4}^2-]

[AsO{4}^3- ]= 1.4 * 10 ^ - 15 * mol/L

 ACID-BASE PROPERTIES OF SALTS
Salts or ionic compounds break up into ions when dissolved in water. These
salts may produce neutral, basic, or acidic solutions. Salts that are composed of
cations of strong bases or anions of strong acids do not contribute to the
proton ion concentration or pH, which explains why strong acids or strong
bases completely ionize in aqueous solutions. Hence, these salts give neutral
solutions. Examples of these salts are sodium nitrate (NaNO{3}), NaCl, and
potassium nitrate (KNO{3}).
A mixture of a strong acid and a strong base gives a solution that has a
pH level of 7. On the other hand, if the salt is obtained from the cation of
a strong base and the anion of a weak acid, such as sodium acetate
(NaC{2}H{3}O{2}), potassium cyanide (KCN), and sodium fluoride
(NaF), is dissolved in water, the resulting aqueous solution will be basic.
In this case, the anion acts as a base, whereas the cation exhibits no
affinity with the water molecule.
Acidic aqueous solutions can be achieved if the following conditions are
met:
1. The salts are made up of a cation that is a conjugate acid of a weak base
and an anion from a strong acid (such as NH{4}Cl and NH{4}NO{3} );
2. The cation is a highly charged metal ion (such as AI^3+1 or Fe^3+),
and the anion is obtained from a strong acid [such as aluminum nitrate
(Al(NO{3}){3}) and ferric chloride (FeC1{3})]:
Ammonium acetate (NH{4}C{2}H{3}O{2}) and ammonium cyanide
(NH_{4}CN) are examples of salts in which the cations are conjugate acids
of weak bases, whereas their anions are conjugate bases of weak acids.
Salts such as these give aqueous solutions with distinct pH levels:
• pH < 7 K{a} > K{b}
• pH > 7, if K{b} > K{a}
• pH = 7 K{a} = K{b}
The previous equilibrium reaction
produces both weak acid and base.
Hydrogen cyanide (HCN) has a K{a} of
6.2*10^-10), whereas ammonium
hydroxide (NH{4}OH) has a K{b} of
1.8*10^-5 K{b} is much larger than K{a};
therefore, the resulting solution is basic.