Neutralisation of Dilute Acids with Bases and Carbonates

Neutralisation of Dilute Acids with Bases and Carbonates

  • Neutralisation occurs when an acid and a base react to form a salt and water.

  • A base is any substance that can react with an acid and neutralise it. This leads to the production of a salt and water only.

  • Alkalis are bases that can dissolve in water. They are a particular type of base.

  • Examples of common bases include oxide, hydroxide and carbonate compounds. Examples include magnesium oxide (base), sodium hydroxide (alkali) and sodium carbonate (alkali).

  • Carbonates also produce carbon dioxide gas when they react with acids, in addition to a salt and water.

  • The general neutralisation equations are:
    • Acid + Base → Salt + Water
    • Acid + Carbonate → Salt + Water + Carbon Dioxide

  • Every base and every acid has its own unique corresponding salt. For example, hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide to create sodium chloride, which is a salt. The type of salt produced relies on the specific acid and base involved in the neutralisation reaction.

  • The pH scale is used to measure how acidic or basic a solution is. The neutralisation process generally brings the pH of a solution closer to 7 which is the pH of pure water.

  • Indicators like litmus paper, phenolphthalein, or universal indicator can be used to determine whether a solution is acidic or basic. These indicators change colour based on the pH of the solution.

  • Acid and base strengths affect how much of the base and acid react to neutralise each other. Strong acids and bases fully dissociate in water, leading to a larger amount of ions available for reaction.

  • The concept of titration is often used to quantify the concentration of an acid or base in a solution. In a titration, a solution of known concentration is used to find out the concentration of another solution.

  • In chemistry, a neutral solution is one that is neither acidic nor basic. It has a pH of 7.

  • The type of salts produced from these reactions have various use in everyday life, for example, sodium chloride in cooking, copper sulphate in agriculture, and magnesium sulphate in medicine.