Acids , Bases , and

pH
Chapter 2
Concentration
 # of grams of solute
 # of Liters of solution
 Units is grams per Liter g/L
 The bigger the #, the more concentrated,
the smaller the #, the more dilute
Ruben dissolves 18 grams of sugar in a 2 liter
bottle of water. What is the concentration
of his sugar water?
 18 grams sugar/2 Liters of water=
 9 g/L
David dissolves 36 grams of sugar in a big 6
liter bottle of water. What is the
concentration of his sugar water?
 36 grams of sugar/6 Liters of water=
 6 g/L
Whose sugar water is more concentrated?
 Ruben’s is more concentrated

Acids and bases
A water molecule can react to form ions
What is an ion?
 An atom or molecule that has lost or gained an
e- and therefore is CHARGED (+ or -)
H2O  H+ + OH-
 Water Hydrogen ion Hydroxide ion
In pure water, this happens to every 1 water
molecule in 550 million
Water in NEUTRAL (no charge) because
 # of H+ (hydrogen) ions = # of OH-
(hydroxide) ions
 [H+] = [OH-]

 pH scale
 The scale we use to measure the # of H+ (hydrogen) ions in
water…we call this the “concentration” of H+ ions
 The scale goes from 0 to 14
 0 is VERY ACIDIC
 14 is VERY basic
 7 is NEUTRAL (water)
 Acids and bases are SOLUTIONS…they are compounds dissolved in
water
 Acid
 Any compound that releases/produces H+ ions in water
 INCREASE concentration of H+ ions in water
 pH value BELOW 7
 Strong acids range from 0 to 3
 Base
 Any compound that releases/produces OH- ions in water
 The OH- ions snatch up any available H+ ions already in the
water, therefore…
 DECREASES concentration of H+ ions in water
 pH value ABOVE 7
Buffers
pH of most cells in body is kept between 6.5
and 7.5
Enzymes can only function at these pH levels
What is an enzyme?
A protein that speeds up the rate of a reaction
in living things by lowering the activation E
Controlling pH is important in homeostasis
What is homeostasis?
 Maintaining a stable internal environment
Buffers help maintain a stable pH so cells can
function and the necessary chemical
reactions can take place
Buffers continued…
Buffer
A weak acid added to a strong base OR a
weak base added to a strong acid…
That help bring the pH of that strong acid/base
closer to seven
Prevents sharp changes in pH (that’s why we
use weak acids and bases as buffers)
Limestone is a weak base
Vinegar (acetic acid) is a weak acid
Heartburn…what do you do?

Acid Precipitation
Acid precipitation refers to rain, snow, or fog with
a pH lower than 5.6
Acid precipitation is caused mainly by the mixing of
different pollutants with water in the air
Acid precipitation can damage life in lakes and
streams
Effects of acid precipitation on soil chemistry are
contributing to the decline of some forests
sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx)
gases and their ions—sulfates and nitrates
react with the molecules of H2O to make acid
rain