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Chapter 7: Problem 17

What is an acid–base reaction? List an example and identify the acid and the base.

Short Answer

Expert verified
An acid-base reaction involves an acid donating a proton to a base, producing a salt and water. For example, HCl reacts with NaOH to form NaCl and H2O, where HCl is the acid and NaOH is the base.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding an Acid-Base Reaction

An acid-base reaction is a chemical reaction that occurs when an acid and a base interact, typically resulting in the production of a salt and water. In this process, the acid donates a proton (H+) to the base.
02

Example of an Acid-Base Reaction

An example of an acid-base reaction is the reaction between hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH): \[\text{HCl} + \text{NaOH} \rightarrow \text{NaCl} + \text{H}_2\text{O}\]
03

Identifying Acid and Base in the Example

In the provided example, hydrochloric acid (HCl) is the acid because it donates a proton (H+) to the base, and sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is the base because it accepts a proton.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Chemical Reaction
When substances interact and transform into different substances, we call this process a chemical reaction. It's like a dance that atoms and molecules perform, changing partners and forming new substances with different properties.

In any acid-base reaction, like the one we're discussing, certain molecules give away parts of themselves (protons) and others gladly accept them, leading to a noteworthy change. An easy way to recognize such a transformation is to look for new substances being formed, such as water and salts, which weren't present before.
Proton Donor
A proton donor, known in chemistry as an acid, is like a generous friend at a party, offering something valuable—in this case, protons (positively charged hydrogen ions, represented as H+).

In the example of hydrochloric acid (HCl), it acts as the proton donor. This is because it has a hydrogen ion ready to be donated to anything willing to accept it, which is one of the defining moves in the acid-base reaction dance.
Proton Acceptor
On the flip side, a proton acceptor behaves like an eager recipient, someone who takes the offered proton. We call this recipient a base.

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), with its OH group, is always on the lookout for an extra proton to latch onto. When NaOH encounters an H+ from HCl, it quickly snaps up the proton, essentially neutralizing the acid's generosity and forming water in the process.
Hydrochloric Acid
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a strong acid, which means it's a real go-getter in terms of donating protons. It breaks up completely in water, releasing all its H+ ions into the solution.

Because of its eagerness to give up protons, HCl is often used in chemical reactions to study acid behavior. Its reaction with bases like sodium hydroxide is a prime example of acid-base chemistry at work.
Sodium Hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), on the other hand, is a strong base. It's at the ready to accept any protons thrown its way. In water, NaOH separates into Na+ and OH- ions, with the OH- ions being particularly keen on grabbing a proton from any nearby acid.

This acceptance of H+ ions from HCl leads to the creation of water (H2O), showcasing its basic, or alkaline, nature in the always fascinating dance of acid-base reactions.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Mercury(I) ions \(\left(\mathrm{Hg}_{2}{ }^{2+}\right)\) can be removed from solution by precipitation with \(\mathrm{Cl}^{-}\). Suppose a solution contains aqueous \(\mathrm{Hg}_{2}\left(\mathrm{NO}_{3}\right)_{2}\). Write complete ionic and net ionic equations to show the reaction of aqueous \(\mathrm{Hg}_{2}\left(\mathrm{NO}_{3}\right)_{2}\) with aqueous sodium chloride to form solid \(\mathrm{Hg}_{2} \mathrm{Cl}_{2}\) and aqueous sodium nitrate.

What does each abbreviation, often used in chemical equations, represent? (a) \((g)\) (b) \((l)\) (c) \((s)\) (d) \((a q)\)

Write balanced complete ionic and net ionic equations for each reaction. (a) \(\mathrm{AgNO}_{3}(a q)+\mathrm{KCl}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{AgCl}(s)+\mathrm{KNO}_{3}(a q)\) (b) \(\mathrm{CaS}(a q)+\mathrm{CuCl}_{2}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{CuS}(s)+\mathrm{CaCl}_{2}(a q)\) (c) \(\mathrm{NaOH}(a q)+\mathrm{HNO}_{3}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{H}_{2} \mathrm{O}(l)+\mathrm{NaNO}_{3}(a q)\) (d) \(2 \mathrm{~K}_{3} \mathrm{PO}_{4}(a q)+3 \mathrm{NiCl}_{2}(a q) \longrightarrow \mathrm{Ni}_{3}\left(\mathrm{PO}_{4}\right)_{2}(s)+6 \mathrm{KCl}(a q)\)

Nitric acid in acid rain forms when gaseous nitrogen dioxide pollutant reacts with gaseous oxygen and liquid water to form aqueous nitric acid. Write a balanced chemical equation for this reaction.

Write a balanced chemical equation for the fermentation of sugar \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{12} \mathrm{H}_{22} \mathrm{O}_{11}\right)\) by yeasts in which the aqueous sugar reacts with water to form aqueous ethyl alcohol \(\left(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{5} \mathrm{OH}\right)\) and carbon dioxide gas.
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