What are Acids, Bases, and Salts?
There are many acids, bases, and salts in nature, like citric acid in oranges, lemons, and other citrus fruits, tartaric acid in tamarind, malic acid in apples, lactic acid in milk and milk products, hydrochloric acid in gastric juices, and salt in seawater.
In the same way, there are many bases, such as lime water. We use many of these acids in our daily lives, like vinegar or acetic acid in the kitchen, boric acid for laundry, baking soda for cooking, washing soda for cleaning, etc.
Many acids and bases that we don’t use in our homes are used in labs and factories. These include acids like HCl, H2SO4, and bases like NaOH, KOH, and others. When these acids and bases are mixed in the right amounts, salt and water are made. This is called the neutralization reaction. Salts like NaCl and KCl can be found in seawater and natural rock deposits, among other places. In this part, we will learn more about the properties of acid, base, and salt.
Definitions
- Acid:- An acid is defined as a substance whose water solution tastes sour, turns blue litmus red, and neutralizes bases.
- Base:- A substance is called base if its aqueous solution tastes bitter, turns red litmus blue, or neutralizes acids.
- Salt:- Salt is a neutral substance whose aqueous solution does not affect litmus.
Acids
The word acid comes from two Latin words that mean “sour”: “acidus” and “acere.” The most common thing about them is that they taste sour. An acid is a substance that, when dissolved in water, makes the hydronium ion (H3O+) ionizable. Blue litmus paper turns red. These break apart in water to make the ions that make them up, as shown in the examples below.
There are two types of acids based on where they come from: natural acids and mineral acids.
These acids come from things like fruits and animal products that are found in nature. For e.g. lactic, citric, and tartaric acid etc.
Mineral Acids: Mineral acids are acids prepared from minerals. Hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulphuric acid (H2SO4), nitric acid (HNO3), and so on, are all examples of acids.
Bases
The most common thing about bases is that they taste bitter and feel soapy. A base is a substance that makes hydroxyl ions (OH–) when dissolved in water. When bases are present, red litmus paper turns blue.
In water, the bases break apart into their individual ions, as shown in the following examples.
Salts
Salt is an ionic compound that is made when acids and bases cancel each other out. Salts are made up of cations, which have a positive charge, and anions, which have a negative charge. Ions can be either organic or inorganic. Since there is a certain amount of each of these ions, the salt has a neutral nature.
The chemical reactions shown in the equations below show how salt is made.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs
Q.1 What does salt have to do with acids, bases, or salts?
In chemistry, a salt is something that is made when an acid and a base react. Salts are made up of cations (positive ions) from bases and anions (negative ions) from acids. It is called the neutralization reaction when an acid and a base react.
Q.2 Is NH4Cl a basic salt?
Ammonium chloride is an acid salt because it is made up of a strong acid (hydrochloric acid) and a weak base (ammonia). Its chemical formula is NH4Cl (i.e. ammonium hydroxide).
Q.3 What are the 2 types of acids?
Organic acids and inorganic acids are the two main types of acids. Mineral acids are another name for some types of inorganic acids. Most organic acids are not as strong as inorganic acids as a group. The main difference between the two is that organic acids contain carbon while inorganic acids do not.
inorganic acids: Mineral acids are a common name for inorganic acids. The form without water can be a gas or a solid. An inorganic anhydride is a metalloid oxide that, when mixed with water, makes an inorganic acid.
Example:
Sulphuric acid (H2SO4)
Acid from phosphorus (H3PO4)
Nitric acid (HNO3)
organic acids: Acids that come from living things are called organic acids. Corrosion is a form of toxicity to the tissues that the acid touches. Organic acids and the things that come from them include a wide range of things. They are used to make almost every kind of chemical. Because the chemical structures of the acids in the organic acid group are so different.
Example:
Acetic acid
Citric acid
Formic acid
Q.4 Is salt basic or acidic?
Salt is only basic if it has a weak acid conjugate base in it. For example, sodium chloride has the conjugate base of HCl, which is chloride (Cl-).
Q.5 What happens when salt reacts with HCl?
When an acid mixes with metal, it makes salt and hydrogen.
acid + metal → salt + hydrogen
What kind of salt is made depends on which acid and which metal are mixed together. When sodium metal meets hydrochloric acid, hydrogen gas and sodium chloride are made.
2Na(s)+2HCl(aq)→2NaCl(aq)+H2(g)
To learn more about acids and bases and neutralization reactions, the pH scale, and other related topics log on Utopper.com
