Acids and Alkalis!

Learning Objective: What is the difference between acids and alkalis?

Recall the hazards of acids Describe differences

Compare the properties of
and alkalis and how to between concentrated and acids and alkalis.
handle them safely. dilute solutions of an acid.

DO NOW: Keywords:
• acids
What do
• alkalis
vomit, • corrosive
vinegar, and • concentrated
lemons have • dilute
in common?
KS3 Activate
Science
 DO NOW: What do vomit, vinegar, and
lemons have in common?
• They all taste sour. This is because they contain acids.
• Vomit includes an acid from the stomach, hydrochloric acid. This acid
helps digest foods.
• Vinegar is a solution of ethanoic acid and other substances.
• Lemons contain citric acid.
Foul
Fact!
William Beaumont
discovered stomach acid
when treating a shooting
victim.
Beaumont removed
stomach juices through
holes in the skin and
stomach. He tested the
juices with different foods.
 WB RECALL TASK: Hazard symbols
https://wordwall.net/resource/47125/science/hazard-symbols-match

CORROSIVE
Attacks and FLAMMABLE
destroys living
tissues, such as Catches fire easily.
skin and eyes.

IRRITANT
TOXIC
Not corrosive but
Can cause death will make the skin
if swallowed, red or blister. Not
breathed in or as dangerous as
absorbed by Toxic.
 What is an Acid?
Acids taste sour. It is safe to eat
the acid in lemons and fizzy
drinks, but acids in the lab are
corrosive.

Corrosive - Can
burn your skin and
eyes. Examples of acids in the
Lab
Hydrochloric acid = HCl
Sulphuric acid = H2SO4 What do
they have in
Nitric acid= HNO3
They all contain hydrogen common?
 What is an Alkali?
Alkalis are the chemical opposite of acids. Soap
solution is an alkali, and so is toothpaste. Most
alkalis feel soapy.
It is safe to use alkaline soap but alkalis in the lab
are corrosive.

Examples of alkalis in the

Lab
Sodium hydroxide = NaOH What do
Potassium hydroxide= KOH they have in
Calcium hydroxide= Ca(OH)2 common?
Corrosive - can
burn your skin They all contain hydroxide (OH)
 Using acids and alkalis safely
If is safe to eat the acid in lemons, and to use alkaline soap. But there are
hazards linked to some acids and alkalis.
The bottle below has a hazard symbol. The symbol shows that
the solution in the bottle is corrosive. It could burn your
skin and eyes.
You can control risks from corrosive solutions by:
• Wearing eye protection
• Keeping the solution off your skin
If a solution is very corrosive, a teacher might wear
protective gloves when using it.
Some acids and alkaline solutions are labelled with the hazard symbol
on the right, irritant. An irritant might cause slight swelling or redness if it gets
on your skin.
Alka
li
Acid Alka
Acid Acid li

Alka
Acid Acid or Alkali? li

Alka Acid
Acid
li
Acid
 QUICK QUIZ
1. Acids taste s _ _ _.
2. Alkalis feel s _ _ _ _.
3. Acids and alkalis are c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
4. Clue: An acid found in food C _ _ _ _ _ a _ _ _
5. Clue: A laboratory acid H___________ a___
6. Clue: A laboratory alkali S_____h________
7. Acids all contain h _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8. Alkalis all contain h _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9. Chemical formulae of Sulphuric acid: unscramble SO4H2
10. Chemical formulae of sodium hydroxide: unscramble OHNa
 ANSWERS:
1. Acids taste SOUR.
2. Alkalis feel SOAPY.
3. Acids and alkalis are CORROSIVE
4. Clue: An acid found in food CITRIC ACID
5. Clue: A laboratory acid HYDROCHLORIC ACID
6. Clue: A laboratory alkali SODIUM HYDROXIDE
7. Acids all contain HYDROGEN
8. Alkalis all contain HYDROXIDE
9. Chemical formulae of Sulphuric acid: unscramble H2SO4
10. Chemical formulae of sodium hydroxide: unscramble NaOH
 Acids and Alkalis
Information Hunt Activity!

Complete the worksheet

you have been given by
using the information
sheets displayed around
the room.
 Concentrated or dilute?
Pure ethanoic acid causes severe burns and catches fire
easily. Vinegar contains ethanoic acid. It is safe to eat,
and does not catch fire. Why is there a difference?
Pure ethanoic acid contains no water. The dilute solution
hurts if it gets into a
Dissolving in water changes some cut and might make
properties. skin slightly red but
has no other hazards.
Acid particle
Dilute acid
Water molecule

Concentrated The
acid concentrated
solution is
corrosive, so it
burns skin and
eyes.
 QUICK CHECK QUESTIONS
Q1. List the chemical names of three common ANSWERS
lab acids. Q1. Hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid,
nitric acid.
Q2. State two hazards of using a corrosive
solution. Q2. It could burn your skin and eyes.
Q3. State one difference between a
Q3. A concentrated solution is corrosive,
concentrated solution of an acid and a dilute
so it burns skin and eyes.
solution of the same acid. A dilute solution hurts if it gets into a cut
Q4. State two control risks when handling and might make skin slightly red but has
corrosive solutions. no other hazards.

Q5. Complete the following:

The hazards of using acids and alkalis depend Q4. You can control risks from corrosive
on: aci alka solutions by:
d
• The ______ li
or _______ you are using Wearing eye protection
concentrat
ed
dilut the solution is ______________ Keeping the solution off your skin
• Whether or
e Wearing protective gloves.
________.
 SUMMARY QUESTIONS
1. Copy the sentences below, choosing the correct bold words.

Acids taste sour/feel soapy. Some acidic and alkaline solutions are
corrosive/correlated. A concentrated solution of an acid is more/less
corrosive than a dilute solution. A concentrated solution has fewer/more
acid particles per litre than a dilute solution.

2. Describe the hazard, risk and precaution of using acids and alkalis in the
lab.

CHALLENGE: Compare and contrast the properties of acids and alkalis.

EXIT TICKET: Which one is more dangerous -
Acids or Alkalis?
There are many different acids and alkalis but which ones are
more dangerous?

• Use the information you have found out this lesson to

evaluate this question. You need to include sides for both
being more dangerous.

• Swap and check each others – find two excellent things

they have written and one thing they could improve.
 Indicators and pH!
Learning Objective: How do we identify if a substance is acid or alkali?

Identify acids, alkalis, and Identify the best indicator Use data and
neutral solutions on the to distinguish between observations to determine
pH scale. solutions of different pH. the pH of a solution.

DO NOW: A student Keywords:

• indicator
has two beakers. One • litmus
contains an acid and • universal
the other contains an indicator
alkaline solution. • pH scale
How can he find out • neutral
KS3
which is which? Activate
Foul Fact!
Murderer John Haigh, also
known as the Acid Bath
Murderer, disposed of the
bodies of his victims in
baths of concentrated
sulfuric acid. The acid pH
was between 0 and 1.
 RECALL TASK: Acids and Alkalis
1. Acids taste s _ _ _.
2. Alkalis feel s _ _ _ _.
3. Acids and alkalis are c _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.
4. Clue: An acid found in food C _ _ _ _ _ a _ _ _
5. Clue: A laboratory acid H___________ a___
6. Clue: A laboratory alkali S_____h________
7. Acids all contain h _ _ _ _ _ _ _
8. Alkalis all contain h _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
9. Chemical formulae of Sulphuric acid: unscramble SO4H2
10. Chemical formulae of sodium hydroxide: unscramble OHNa
 ANSWERS:
1. Acids taste SOUR.
2. Alkalis feel SOAPY.
3. Acids and alkalis are CORROSIVE
4. Clue: An acid found in food CITRIC ACID
5. Clue: A laboratory acid HYDROCHLORIC ACID
6. Clue: A laboratory alkali SODIUM HYDROXIDE
7. Acids all contain HYDROGEN
8. Alkalis all contain HYDROXIDE
9. Chemical formulae of Sulphuric acid: unscramble H2SO4
10. Chemical formulae of sodium hydroxide: unscramble NaOH
Alka
li
Acid Alka
Acid Acid li

Alka
Acid Acid or Alkali? li

Alka Acid
Acid
li
Acid
 RECAP: ACIDS
Acids taste sour. It is safe to eat
the acid in lemons and fizzy
drinks, but acids in the lab are
corrosive.

Corrosive - Can
burn your skin and
eyes. Examples of acids in the
Lab
Hydrochloric acid = HCl
Sulphuric acid = H2SO4 What do
they have in
Nitric acid= HNO3
They all contain hydrogen common?
 RECAP: ALKALIS
Alkalis are the chemical opposite of acids. Soap
solution is an alkali, and so is toothpaste. Most
alkalis feel soapy.
It is safe to use alkaline soap but alkalis in the lab
are corrosive.

Examples of alkalis in the

Lab
Sodium hydroxide = NaOH What do
Potassium hydroxide= KOH they have in
Calcium hydroxide= Ca(OH)2 common?
Corrosive - can
burn your skin They all contain hydroxide (OH)
DO NOW: A student has two beakers. One contains an
acid and the other contains an alkaline solution.
How can he find out which is which?

You can use an indicator to find out whether a

solution is acidic or alkaline. An indicator contains a
dye. The dye turns a different colour in acidic and
alkaline solutions.

How many indicators do you know?

 Which plants make good
indicators?
You can make indicators from plants. The table
shows the colours of some plant indicators in acidic
and alkaline solutions.

Juice extracted Colour in dilute Colour in dilute

from….. hydrochloric acid sodium hydroxide
solution
Red cabbage Red Yellow/green
Hibiscus flower Dark pink/red Dark green
Beetroot Red/purple Yellow
 CLASS PRACTICAL 1: Making red cabbage
indicator!
Making red cabbage substance p Acid or Alkali
H
indicator
Lemon juice
DISCUSS: How are you going to
Coke
produce red cabbage indicator using
the following apparatus? Ammonia
• Pestle and mortar Sodium hydroxide
• Spatula Vinegar
• Conical flask Hydrochloric acid
• Filter funnel and filter paper Bleach

1) Once you have made your indicator you will be given a

variety of household substances to test.
2) Test to see what the pH of each substances is. Record your
results in the results table.
3) Conclusion – describe what your results show.
4) Evaluation – discuss the good points of your method.
Suggest one way you could improve your method.
Red Cabbage Indicator Practical (example method)

Apparatus:
Red cabbage, 100ml beaker, filter funnel, filter paper, conical flask,
70ml water, Bunsen, tripod, mat
Method:
1) Collect the above apparatus.
2) Place the red cabbage in your 100ml beaker. Add 70ml hot
water.
3) Heat the beaker until the water boils then heat again for 3-5
mins until the water turns purple.
4) Remove from tripod and filter the solution into a conical flask.
Safety:
Take care when removing the beaker from the tripod as it will be
very hot. See your teacher for guidance
 Litmus Paper
• Litmus is a solution of dyes from lichens.

• Litmus paper is usually more reliable

than litmus solution, and comes as red
litmus paper and blue litmus paper.

• You are going to test some substances

using red litmus and blue litmus paper.

• Substance to test: Vinegar, Toothpaste,

Water, Oven cleaner.
CLASS PRACTICAL 2: Litmus paper

Add red litmus Add blue

litmus
Toothpaste
(Alkali)
Vinegar (Acid)
Water
(Neutral)
Oven Cleaner
(Alkali)
 Check your results
Add red litmus Add blue litmus
Toothpaste (Alkali) Turns blue Stays blue
Vinegar (Acid) Stays red Turns red
Water (Neutral) Stays red Stays blue
Oven Cleaner (Alkali) Turns blue Stays blue

QUICK QUIZ: Identify the colour

Write your answers on mini whiteboards.

E
1. Red litmus paper in hydrochloricRacid?
D
2. Blue litmus paper in sodium hydroxide?
BLU
U
3. Red litmus paper in bleach?BL E
E R
4. Blue litmus paper in nitric acid?E
D RE
5. Red litmus paper in sulphuric acid?
CHALLENGE: If you dipped red and blue D litmus
paper into acid rain what would you expect to
happen and why?
 How acidic? How alkaline?
THINK, PAIR, SHAIR:

Which is more acidic, vinegar or stomach acid? How can you find
out?

HINT: You cannot use blue litmus paper. Both acids would make
it red.
 How acidic? How alkaline?

Which is more acidic, vinegar or stomach acid? How can you find
out?

You need universal

indicator.
Universal indicator is a
mixture of dyes. It changes
colour to show how acidic or
alkaline a solution is.
 CLASS PRACTICAL 3: Using Universal
Indicator
• You are going to build your own pH scale
using the different solutions around the
room.
• You need to draw a pH scale like below:
METHOD:
(1) Put a small amount of solution
onto the spotting tile.
(2) Add a drop of UI.
(3) Each solution has a number on it.
(4) Colour your pH scale in at the
correct number with the correct colour
(or the closest you can get to it).
 What is the pH Scale?
The pH scale is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a
solution is.

The pH value of a solution can be found using universal

indicator. Each colour represents a number relating to a pH value.
What is the pH of the following
substances?
• An acid has a pH of less than 7.0. The lower the pH, the more
acidic the solution.
• An alkaline solution has a pH of more than 7.0. The higher the
pH, the more alkaline the solution.
 QUICK CHECK: Copy the sentences and
choose the correct words:
• If something is acid/alkali/neutral then it would turn
universal indicator red or orange and less
has athan
pH of ____.
7
• If something is an acid/alkali/neutral then it would turn
universal indicator blue or purple and more
has athan
pH of ____.
7
• If something is acid/alkali/neutral then it would turn
universal indicator green and has
7 a pH of ____.

CHALLENGE: Look back at

your notes from last lesson
about what makes something
acidic – why are not all acids
the same pH?
 EVALUATE:
Which is the best indicator –
Universal indicator, red cabbage indicator or litmus paper?
Explain your answer
 EXTENDED WRITING TASK:
pick one task to complete.

1 chilli: Write a guide for 2 chillies: Explain how

using the pH scale. In it you you would use the pH
need to describe how you scale to assess the
would find a: strong alkali, danger of a substance.
weak alkali, strong acid, Would there be enough
weak acid and a neutral evidence?
substance.
3 chillies: Which is the most effective
indicator we have used so far?
Include: the strengths and
weaknesses of each indicator and a
summary paragraph stating your
 EXIT
TICKET