Measuring acids and bases
The acids in the food we eat are dilute weak acids, while the acid
in our stomach is a relatively concentrated strong acid. Ammonia solution
used in cleaning agents is a dilute weak base, but sodium hydroxide
is a strong base.
What is meant by weak and strong and how does this relate to concentrated
and dilute?
Strong or weak
Acid or base strength is a measure of the ability
of an acid to release hydrogen ions, H+(aq), into solution
or of a base to release hydroxide ions, OH-(aq), into solution.
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Strong acids completely
dissociate, that is 100% of their molecules break up to form hydrogen
ions in solution, while weak acids will only dissociate less than
1%. That is, of 100 acid molecules dissolved in a weak acid solution,
only one will break up to give a hydrogen ion. |
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Similarly strong bases completely dissociate
to give hydroxide ions in solution, while a weak base like ammonia
will dissociate around 1% only. |
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Some common acids
and bases:
Strond acids
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Weak acids
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Weak bases
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Strong bases
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Hydrochloric acid
KCl
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Acetic acid (vinegar) CH3CHOOH
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Ammonia solution
NH4OH
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Sodium hydroxide
NaOH
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Sulphuric acid
H2SO4
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Formic acid
(ant sting)HCOOH
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Methyl amine solution
CH3NH3OH
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Potassium hydroxide
KOH
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Nitric acid
HNO<3
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Citric acid
(fruit acid)
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Calcium hydroxide
Ca(OH) 2
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Concentrated and dilute
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A concentrated acid is one in which many acid molecules
are dissolved in a set volume of solution, while a dilute acid will
have very few molecules per unit volume. The same applies for bases
as acids. By adding water to a concentrated acid or base, the solution
is diluted. The more water that is added the more dilute the solution
becomes. |
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pH - combining and
measuring acid/base strength and concentration
pH or the "power of hydrogen" is a numerical way of measuring
the relative strengths and concentrations of acids and bases.
pH has a numerical scale from 0 to 14 with water in the
middle at 7 representing neutral.
pH scale
0
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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13
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14
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strong acid |
weak acid
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neutral
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weak base
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strong base
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- Acids have a pH less than 7 and bases greater than 7.
- Neutral is neither acid nor base. The only truly neutral substance
is pure water.
- Acid or base strength increases the further the pH is away from
neutral, 7.
Concentration also increases as pH values move away from
7, but not quite as simply as strength increases. Concentrated strong
acids will have a pH of 0 - 2 and their pH will approach 7 as they are
diluted with water. Similarly concentrated strong bases will have a
pH of 14 - 12 and their pH will approach 7 as they are diluted with
water.
Concentrated weak acids will have a pH of around 3 and
their pH will approach 7 as they are diluted with water. Similarly a
concentrated weak base will have a pH of 0 and their pH will approach
7 as they are diluted with water.
To take into account both strength and concentration,
the pH scale is better considered as a series of limits, as shown below.
The pH scale is the best way of measuring the concentration
of the hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions present in a solution, because
in the end it does not matter if the solution is a weak or strong acid
or how dilute it is. It is pH which is important.
A solution with pH 5 will have far fewer hydrogen ions
per litre than a solution with pH 2. In fact it will have 1/1000th of
the concentration of hydrogen ions as each unit represent a decrease
in concentration of hydrogen ions of 1/10th, so a difference of 3 pH
units represent a difference of 1/1000th of the concentration.
pH scale
0
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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13
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14
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concentrated
strong acid |
dilute
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dilute
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concentrated
strong base
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concentrated
weak acid
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concentrated
weak base
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Caution:
All acids and bases are potentially dangerous and concentrated acids
and bases, whether weak or strong, pose the most danger. Different acids
and bases also have other chemical properties not related to their acid/base
characteristics. For example, concentrated ammonia has a very powerful
and dangerous smell and concentrated sulphuric acid is a powerful dehydrating
agent, capable of ripping skin apart to get water out of it.
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