Concepts of Acids and Bases Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

Do not mix the two up!

Although it has been well-known for some time what acids and bases can do, and certain reactions have been associated with them before that, there was no concrete articulation of the phenomenon of acidity and basicity.
One of the earlier theories of acidity/basicity was the Arrhenius theory, according to which acids release hydrogen ions when dissolved in water while bases release hydroxide ions.

Another theory was the Lewis theory of acids and bases, according to which the classification of substances into acidic and basic was based on the acceptance and donation of pairs of electrons respectively.

Note that neither of the mentioned theories negates the others, though they have their respective pros and cons.

Answer: SO4 ^(2-)

The conjugate base of a Brønsted-Lowry acid is simply a proton deducted from the acid. Vice versa, the conjugate acid of a Brønsted-Lowry base is a proton added to the acid.

Eg:- H3O ^ (+) is the conjugate acid of H2O.

Answer: Amphiprotic

Water being considered an acid or a base instead of being a neutral substance may sound strange, but we are using Brønsted-Lowry theory here. Accordingly we classify acids and bases upon the transfer of protons (hydrogen ions).

An example of water acting as a Brønsted-Lowry acid would be:-
NH3 + H2O ⇄ NH4^(+) + OH^(-)

An example of water acting as a Brønsted-Lowry base would be:-
HCl + H2O ⇄ Cl^(-) + H3O^(+)

Answer: 14.00

1 * 10^-14 is the value of the ionization constant of water at STP - and the amount of hydrogen or hydroxide ions produced are the inverses of each other. The pH and pOH values are indefinite, but their sum is not.

Answer: False

Water, like other neutral substances, has both a pH and pOH of 7 at room temperature. The pH and pOH scales tell us the amount of hydrogen and hydroxide ion concentrations respectively. However, with increasing temperature, more of the concerned substance may disassociate into ions, hence the lower pH of water at 373 K.

This doesn't mean that water is acidic at this temperature as the pOH is also 6.14; the ratio of hydrogen and hydroxide ions is equal.

Answer: Hydrogen gas

A reaction between a carbonate and the acid creates a salt, carbon dioxide and water.

Hydrogen gas is produced when the acid reacts with metal.

It is possible to get magnesium chloride while reacting magnesium carbonate and hydrochloric acid, as per the following reaction:-

MgCO3 + 2HCl -> MgCl2 + CO2 + H2O

Answer: 16

The pH of the strong acid = -log (Concentration of Hydrogen ion) [base of log is 10]
= -log 10
= -1
The pOH of the strong base would similarly be -1.
Remember that pH + pOH of same substance at STP = 14
Then pH of the base = 14 - pOH = 14 - (-1) = 15
The difference is thus 15 - (-1) = 16

As we can see, the pH of an acid can go below 0 and that of a base can go above 14.

Answer: Slightly less than 7

pH= -log (Concentration of Hydrogen ions) [base of log is 10]

But pay further attention before mechanically applying this formula!

Acid being present at a very low concentration is not going to be a base which turns your litmus paper blue.

The concentration of hydrogen ions here is less than water (which has 10^ -7 moles per liter). Nitric Acid is, we can safely assume, in an aqueous solution. It is not going to lower the hydrogen ion concentration, but increase it slightly.

To find the pH in such cases, you need to first add the hydrogen ion concentrations of water and nitric acid:-
10^-8 + 10^-7 = 1.1 * 10^-7 moles per liter
We can now apply the formula, getting us a pH of about 6.96.

Answer: Electrolysis, and measurement of electric current

I would highly discourage trying the taste test with sulfuric acid for safety concerns. (You may lose the ability to do it again...).

Ethanoic acid, aka acetic acid, is a weak acid used in vinegar and sulfuric acid, also known as battery acid, is a strong acid. Strong acids completely disassociate in water while weak acids, only partially.

Provided they have the same concentration, it is the strong acid which is going to have more hydrogen ions - hence stronger conductivity. And hence, lower resistance and higher current when you use an ammeter. Both are acids, so both may turn your litmus paper red.

Since the acids themselves are present in equal volumes and concentrations, it follows that there is a similar amount of the uniprotic acids which are going to neutralise an equal amount of base.

Another possible method which would have been measurement of rates of reaction, the sulfuric acid reacting much more vigorously.

Answer: 5 to 6

Rain is naturally acidic due to the presence of carbon dioxide from respiration and combustion naturally taking place, which combines with rainwater to form carbonic acid, a weak acid.

Rainfall below pH 5.6 is said to be acid rain, when pollutants like the oxides of sulfur and nitrogen combine with water to form sulfurous, nitrous, sulfuric and nitric acids. The oxides come from the internal combustion engines of vehicles and fossil fuels in power generation plants.