L-2 Acids, Bases and Salts

1. Why should curd and sour substances not be kept in brass and copper vessels ?
Answer:
Curd and sour substances should not be kept in brass and copper vessels because these and
other sour food-stuffs contain acids which can react with the metal of the vessel to form
poisonous metal compounds which can cause food poisoning and affect our health adversely.
2. You have been provided with three test tubes. One of them contains distilled water and the other
two contain an acidic solution and a basic solution, respectively. If you are given only red litmus
paper, how will you identify the contents of each test tube ?
Answer:
(i) Put the red litmus paper in all the test tubes, turn by turn. The solution which turns red litmus
to blue will be a basic solution. The blue litmus paper formed here can now be used to test the
acidic solution.
(ii) Put the blue litmus paper obtained above in the remaining two test-tubes, turn-by-turn. The
solution which turns the blue litmus paper to red will be the acidic solution.
(iii) The solution which has no effect on any litmus paper will be neutral and hence it will be
distilled water.
3. Which gas is usually liberated when an acid reacts with a metal ? Illustrate with an example. How
will you test for the presence of this gas ?
Answer:
(i) Hydrogen (H2) gas is liberated when an acid reacts with a metal.
(ii) Illustration : Set up the apparatus as shown in the given figure. Take some zinc granules in
the test tube. Add about 5 mL dilute hydrochloric acid slowly. Soon the reaction between zinc
and hydrochloric acid starts and hydrogen gas is evolved.

(iii) Test for H2 gas :

H2 gas is not soluble in water. When passed through soap solution, it gets trapped into bubbles.
Bring a burning candle near the soap bubble filled with gas. The soap bubble bursts and
hydrogen gas burns with a pop sound.
4. Why do HCl, HNO3, etc show acidic characters in aqueous solutions while solutions of compounds
like alcohol and glucose do not show acidic character ?
Answer:
H+ ions in aqueous solution are responsible for acidic character. HCl, HNO3, etc. give H+ ions in
water while alcohol and glucose do not give H+ ion in water. Therefore, alcohol and glucose do not
show acidic character.
5. Why does an aqueous solution of an acid conduct electricity ?
Answer:
 The aqueous solution of an acid conducts electricity due to the presence of charged particles
called ions in it.
6. Why does dry HCl gas not change the colour of the dry litmus paper ?
Answer:
Dry HCl gas does not give H+ ions and therefore does not change the colour of dry litmus paper.
7. While diluting an acid, why is it recommended that the acid should be added to water and not
water to the acid ?
Answer:
While diluting an acid it is recommended that the acid should be added to water and not water to
the acid because if water is added to concentrated acid to dilute it, then a large amount of heat is
evolved at once. This heat changes some of the water to steam explosively which can splash the
acid on one’s face or clothes and cause acid burns.
8. How is the concentration of hydroxide ions (OH–) affected when excess base is dissolved in a
solution of sodium hydroxide ?
Answer:
The concentration of hydroxide ions will increase when excess base is dissolved in a solution of
sodium hydroxide, but it happens to a limited extent only after which the concentration becomes
almost constant.
9. How is the concentration of hydronium ions (H3O+) affected when a solution of an acid is diluted?
Answer:
When a given amount of an acid is added to water, there is a fixed number of hydronium ions per
volume of the solution. On dilution, the number of hydronium ions per volume decreases and
concentration decreases
10. What are strong and weak acids? In the following list of acids, separate strong acids from weak
acids. Hydrochloric acid, citric acid, acetic acid, nitric acid, formic acid, sulphuric acid. Answer:
Acids that get completely ionised in an aqueous solution are called strong acids, whereas acids
that do not get utterly ionised in an aqueous solution are called weak acids. Hydrochloric acid,
nitric acid, and sulphuric acid are examples of strong acids, while citric acid, acetic acid, and
formic acid are examples of weak acids.
11. You have two solutions A and B. The pH of solution A is 6 and pH of solution B is 8. Which
solution has more hydrogen ion concentration? Which of this is acidic and which one is basic ?
Answer:
A pH value of less than 7 indicates an acidic solution, while greater than 7 indicates a basic
solution. Since solution A has more hydrogen ion concentration, solution A is acidic and solution B
is basic.
12. What effect does the concentration of H+ (aq) ions have on the nature of the solution ?
Answer:
More the concentration of H+ ions, higher the acidic nature of the solution.
13. Do basic solutions also have H+ (aq) ions ? If yes, then why are these basic ?
Answer:
Basic solutions have H+ (aq) ions. But these are far less in number than OH– ions that is
responsible for their basic nature.
14. Under what soil condition do you think a farmer would treat the soil of his fields with quick lime
(calcium oxide) or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) or chalk (calcium carbonate) ?
Answer:
If the soil is too acidic (having low pH) then it is treated with materials like quick lime (calcium
oxide) or slaked lime (calcium hydroxide) or chalk (calcium carbonate).
15. What is the common name of the compound CaOCl2 ?
Answer:
Bleaching powder.
16. Name the substance which on treatment with chlorine yields bleaching powder.
Answer:
Calcium hydroxide is the substance that on treatment with chlorine yields bleaching powder.
Slaked lime Ca (OH)2.
17. Name the sodium compound which is used for softening hard water.
Answer:
Sodium carbonate.
18. What will happen if a solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate is heated. Give the equation of the
reaction involved ?
Answer:
Solution of sodium hydrogen carbonate on heating gives sodium carbonate and carbon dioxide
gas is evolved.

19. Write an equation to show the reaction between plaster of Paris and water.
Answer:

Plaster of Paris has a very remarkable property of setting into a hard mass on wetting with water.
So, when water is added to plaster of Paris, it sets into a hard mass in about half an hour. The
setting of plaster of Paris is due to the hydration crystals of gypsum, which set to form a hard, solid
mass.
20. A solution turns red litmus blue, its pH is likely to be
(a) 1
(b) 4
(c) 5
(d) 10
Answer:
(d) 10
21. A solution reacts with crushed-egg shells to give a gas that turns lime water milky. The solution
contains
(a) NaCl
(b) HCl
(c) LiCl
(d) KCl
Answer:
(b) HCl
22. 10 mL of a solution of NaOH is found to be completely neutralised by 8 mL of a given solution of
HC1. If we take 20 mL of the same solution of NaOH, the amount of HC1 solution (the same
solution as before) required to neutralise it will be
(a) 4 mL
(b) 8 mL
(c) 12 mL
(d) 16 mL
Answer:
(d) 16 mL
23. Which one of the following types of medicines is used for treating indigestion?
(a) Antibiotic
(b) Analgesic
 (c) Antacid
(d) Antiseptic
Answer:
(c) Antacid
24. Write word equations and then balanced equations for the reaction taking place when
(a) dilute sulphuric acid reacts with zinc granules
(b) dilute hydrochloric acid reacts with magnesium ribbon
(c) dilute sulphuric acid reacts with aluminium powder
(d) dilute hydrochloric acid reacts with iron filing
Answer:
(a) Zinc + dilute sulphuric acid → Zinc sulphate + Hydrogen
Zn (s) + H2SO4 (aq) → ZnSO4 (aq) + H2 (g)
(b) Magnesium ribbon + dil. Hydrochloric acid → Magnesium chloride + Hydrogen
Mg (s) + 2 HCl (aq) → MgCl2 (aq) + H2 (g)

(c) Aluminium powder + dil. Sulphuric acid →Aluminium sulphate + Hydrogen

2Al (s) + 3H2SO4 (aq) → Al2 (SO4)3 (aq) + 3H2 (g)

(d) Iron filings + Dilute hydrochloric acid → Ferric chloride + Hydrogen

2Fe (s) + 6HCl (aq) → 2FeCl3 (aq) + 3H2 (g)

25. Compounds such as alcohol and glucose also contain hydrogen but are not categorised as acids.
Describe an activity to prove it.
Answer:
Though compounds like alcohol and glucose contain hydrogen but they do not ionise in the
solution to produce H+ ions on passing current through them.
(i) Take solutions of alcohols and glucose.
(ii) Fix two nails on a cork, and place the cork in 100 mL beaker.
(iii) Connect the nails to the two terminals of a 6 volt battery through a bulb and a switch, as shown
in the given Figure.

(iv) Now pour alcohol in the beaker and switch on the current.
(v) The bulb does not glow.
(vi) Repeat the experiment with glucose. The bulb does not glow in this case also.
(vii) This means no ions or H+ ions are present in the solution.
This shows that alcohols and glucose are not acids.
26. Why does distilled water not conduct electricity, whereas rainwater does ?
Answer:
Distilled water does not conduct electricity because it does not contain any ionic compound (like
acids, bases or salts) dissolved in it.
 Rainwater, while falling to the earth through the atmosphere, dissolves an acidic gas carbon
dioxide from the air and forms carbonic acid (H2CO3). Carbonic acid provides hydrogen ions,
H+ (aq) and carbonate ions, CO3(aq)2- to rainwater. Hence, due to the presence of carbonic acid
which provides ions to rainwater, the rainwater conducts electricity.
27. Why do acids not show acidic behaviour in the absence of water ?
Answer:
The acidic behaviour of acids is due to the presence of hydrogen ions, [H + (aq) ions], in them. The
acid produces hydrogen ions only in the presence of water. So in the absence of water, an acid
will not form hydrogen ions and hence will not show its acidic behaviour.
28. Five solutions A, B, C, D and E when tested with universal indicator showed pH as 4, 1, 11, 7 and
9 respectively. Which solution is
(a) Neutral
(b) Strongly alkaline
(c) Strongly acidic
(d) Weakly acidic
(e) Weakly alkaline
Arrange the pH in increasing order of hydrogen ion concentration.
Answer:
(a) D
(b) C
(c) B
(d) A
(e) E
Increasing order of hydrogen ion concentration
11 < 9 < 7 < 4 < 1
i. e., C < E < D < A < B
29. Equal lengths of magnesium ribbons are taken in test tubes A and B. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is
added to test tube A, while acetic acid (CH3COOH) is added to test tube B. In which test tube will
the fizzing occur more vigorously and why?
Answer:
Fizzing will occur more vigorously in test tube A. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a strong acid whereas
acetic acid (CH3COOH) is a weak acid. Being strong acid, the hydrochloric acid solution contains
a much greater amount of hydrogen ions in it due to which the fizzing will occur more vigorously in
test tube A (containing hydrochloric acid). The fizzing is due to the evolution of hydrogen gas
which is formed by the action of acid on the magnesium metal of magnesium ribbon
30. Fresh milk has a pH of 6. How do you think the pH will change as it turns into curd ? Explain your
answer.
Answer:
pH of milk falls below 6 as it turns into curd due to the formation of lactic acid during this process.
Lactic acid present in it reduces its pH value.
31. A milkman adds a very small amount of baking soda to fresh milk.
(a) Why does he shift the pH of the fresh milk from 6 to slightly alkaline?
(b) Why does this milk take a long time to set as curd?
Answer:
(a) Milk is made slightly alkaline so that it may not get sour easily due to the formation of lactic
acid in it.
(b) The alkaline milk takes a longer time to set into curd because the lactic acid being formed has
to first neutralise the alkali present in it.
32. Plaster of Paris should be stored in a moisture proof container. Explain why?
Answer:
Plaster of Paris should be stored in a moisture proof container because the presence of moisture
 can cause slow setting of plaster of Paris by bringing about its hydration. This will make the plaster
of Paris useless after sometime.
33. What is a neutralisation reaction ? Give two examples.
Answer:
The reaction between an acid and a base to form salt and water is called a neutralisation reaction.
Examples:

34. Give two important uses of washing soda and baking soda.
Answer:
Uses of washing soda :
(i) Washing soda is used in glass, soap and paper industries.
(ii) It is used for removing permanent hardness of water.
Uses of baking soda :
(i) Baking soda is used as an antacid in medicines to remove acidity of the stomach.
(ii) Baking soda is used for making baking powder (used in making cakes, bread, etc.).

35. Why do acids not show acidic behaviour in the absence of water?
Solution:
The acidic behaviour of acid is due to the presence of hydrogen ions. The acids will not show its
acidic behaviour in the absence of water, this is because the acids produce hydrogen ions only in
the presence of water.

36. Five solutions A, B, C, D and E when tested with universal indicator showed pH as 4, 1, 11, 7 and
9 respectively. Which solution is?
(i) Neutral?
(ii) Strongly alkaline?
(iii) Strongly acidic?
(iv) Weakly acidic?
(v) Weakly alkaline? Arrange the pH in increasing order of hydrogen-ion concentration.
Solution:
37. Equal lengths of magnesium ribbons are taken in test tubes A and B. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is
added to test-tube A while acetic acid (CH3COOH) is added to test-tube B. In which test-tube will
fizzing occur more vigorously and why?
Solution:
Acetic acid (CH3COOH) is a weak acid whereas hydrochloric acid (HCl) is a strong acid. Fizzing
occurs in the test tube due to the evolution of hydrogen gas by the action of acid on magnesium
ribbon. Since hydrochloric acid is a strong acid a large amount of hydrogen gas is liberated in the
test tube A. So fizzing occurs more vigorously in test tube A .

38. Fresh milk has a pH of 6. How do you think the pH will change as it turns into curd? Explain.
Solution:
The pH will change to below 6, as lactic acid is formed when milk turns into curd.

39. Plaster of Paris should be stored in a moisture-proof container. Why?

Solution:
The presence of moisture can affect the slow setting of plaster of Paris by bringing about its
hydration. This will make the plaster of Paris useless after some time.

40. What is a neutralization reaction? Give two examples.

Solution:
The reaction of an acid and a base, giving rise to the corresponding salt and water is called
neutralization reaction.
Examples:
NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H2O
Mg(OH)2 + H2CO3 → MgCO3 + 2H2O

41. Give two important uses of washing soda and baking soda.
Solution:
Washing soda
1. It is often used as an electrolyte.
2. Domestically it is used as a water softener during laundry.
Baking soda
1. It is used to test garden soil for acidity. If it develops bubbles, the soil is too acidic.
2. Washing a car with it can remove dead bug bodies without damaging the paint.

42. Equal pieces of zinc granules are dropped in four test tubes. Following substances are poured in
all the four test tubes. The reaction will be vigorous with [CCE 2014]
(a) CH3COOH
(b) HCl
(c) sodium bicarbonate solution
(d) lemon juice
Answer:
(b) Strong adds like HCl react vigorously with active metals like Zn and form metal salt and evolve
H2 gas.
43. Which of the following statements shows the property of an acid? [CCE 2014]
(a) It turns blue litmus to red
(b) It is sour in taste
(c) It has no effect on red litmus
(d) All of the above
Answer:
(d) An acid turns blue litmus red. Thus, it has no effect on red litmus and acids are sour in taste.

44. A drop of a liquid sample was put on the pH paper. It was observed that the colour of the pH paper
turned blue. The liquid sample is [CCE 2014]
(a) lemon juice
(b) sodium bicarbonate solution
(c) distilled water
(d) hydrochloric acid
Answer:
(b) The liquid sample is of sodium bicarbonate (NaHC3) solution. It is a basic solution. And we
know that a basic solution turns pH paper blue.

45. Question 4.
Two solutions X and Y were found to have pH value of 4 and 10 respectively. The inference that
can be drawn is [CCE 2014]
(a) X is a base and Y is an acid
(b) Both X and Y are acidic solutions
(c) X is an acid and Yis a base
(d) Both X and Y are bases
Answer:
(c) Any solution having pH > 7 will be a base while the solution having pH < 7 will surely be an
acid. Hence, it can be concluded that X is an acid (pH=4, i.e. < 7) and Yis a base (pH =10, i.e. >
7).

46. A student was asked to collect apparatus from lab store, for doing experiment of pH of given
sample. Identify the article which he is not supposed to pick.
(a) pH paper
(b) Dropper
(c) Litmus paper
(d) Petri dish
Answer:
(d) Petri dish is not required for doing experiment of pH.

47. Which one of the following would you need to identify the gas that evolve when you heat NaOH
solution with zinc metal?
(a) Red litmus solution
(b) Blue litmus solution
(c) A burning splinter / matchstick
(d) Lime water

Answer: (c) When a base like NaOH is treated with any active metal like Zn, it produces H2 gas.
And the presence of the hydrogen gas can be tested by bringing a burning splinter/ matchstick
near the gas produced. The gas will burn with a pop sound confirming the presence of hydrogen
gas.
48. A solution has pH value of 5. On adding 10 mL of NaCl to it, what will be the pH of the new
solution?
(a) More than 5
(b) Less than 5
(c) Only seven
(d) No change in pH
Answer:
(d) As NaCl is a neutral solution due to its complete ionization in H2O and has pH = 7. Thus, it will
not affect the pH of the solution. Hence, the pH of the solution will remain unaffected.

49. A salt is dissolved in water. The pH of this salt solution was found to be 7 by measuring the pH
with a universal indicator paper. The salt is most likely to be
(a) Na2CO3
(b) KCl
(c) NH4Cl
(d) CH3COONa
Answer:
(b) Salts which are completely ionisable in water are said to be neutral salts and their pH is equal
to 7. Among the given salts, only KCl is completely ionisable in the following manner: KCl (aq) →
K+ + Cl
Hence, the pH of KCl will be 7.

50. A student performed an experiment using zinc granules and sodium carbonate with sodium
hydroxide and hydrochloric acid under different
conditions as shown below.

In which set up, no gas is evolved?

(a) I
(b) II
(c) III
(d) IV
Answer:
(d) Gas will not evolve in the case of IV set up as NaOH does not react with sodium carbonate.

51. A student performed an experiment using zinc granules and sodium carbonate with sodium
hydroxide and hydrochloric acid under different
conditions as shown below.
 In which set up, no gas is evolved?
(a) I
(b) II
(c) III
(d) IV
Answer:
(d) Gas will not evolve in the case of IV set up as NaOH does not react with sodium carbonate.

52. Four set ups as given below are arranged to identify the gas evolved when dilute hydrochloric acid
was added to zinc granules. Which is the most appropriate set up?

(a) I
(b) II
(c) IV
(d) III
Answer:
(c) The gas evolved can be tested as shown in IV set up because to evolve H 2 gas delivery tube,
should not dip in the acid.

53. Four students I, II, III and IV were asked to examine the changes for blue and red litmus
paper strips with dil. HCl (Solution A) and dil. NaOH (Solutions). The following observations
were reported by the 4 students. The sign …………. indicates no colour change. [CCE 2015 ]

Litmus A B Litmus A B
 I Blue — red Blue red —

II Red — blue Red — blue

III Blue red red Blue blue blue

IV Red blue blue Red red red

The correct observation would be of student

(a) I
(b) II
(c) III
(d) IV
Answer:
(c) The correct observation is taken by student III because HCl (solution A) is an acid which turns
blue litmus red and dil. NaOH (solution B) is a base which turns red litmus blue.

54. A sample of soil is mixed with water and allowed to settle. The clear supernatant solution turns
the pH paper yellowish orange. Which of the following would change the colour of this pH paper to
greenish blue? [NCERT Exemplar]
(a) Lemon juice
(b) Vinegar
(c) Common salt
(d) An antacid
Answer:
(d) As pH paper turns greenish blue for weakly basic compound and antacids contain weak base
like Mg(OH)2. So, an antacid would change the colour of this pH paper to greenish blue. Other
options (a) and (b) contain acids and option (c) is a neutral salt.