Do First: the pH Scale

Last updated 11 months ago

3 questions

Acids are a type of chemical that can be found in many aspects of our daily lives.

What is it about acids that make some safe to eat and others dangerous? When we talk about acids we are going to be talking about hydrogen, not the gas but the __________. This is a hydrogen ion that has lost its one and only __________. All acids produce H+ ions when dissolved in __________. 

But it is how much H+ a specific acid produces that determines whether it can be safely __________. 

How do we conceptualize and measure H+ concentration? S.P.L Sorensen, a danish chemist pondered this question as he worked in commercial laboratories in Copenhagen. In 1909, he developed a method of quantifying acidity; what is now known as the __________. His scale works by converting the concentration of hydrogen (H+) ions in a solution to a value between__________. 

If a solution is acidic then it will always be below a __________ on the pH scale. The lower the number the higher the H+ concentration.

The pH scale is a logarithmic scale, which means that one unit difference on the scale (like from 1 to 2 or 2 to 3, etc) means a __________ in H+ concentration. 

What about the numbers above 7? Substances that fall between 8-14 are called __________. They are the chemical opposites of acids. The 7 on the scale represents a __________, which is what perfectly pure water is. Like acids, bases are chemicals that we encounter in our every day lives. Cleaning products; such as, ammonia, baking soda, and milk of magnesia. They are __________ and often slippery to the touch like soap. 

Even though bases are different than acids, they too can be strong or weak. A strong base can be just as __________ and corrosive as a strong acid. 

Chemically, the difference between acids and bases is that acids produce hydrogen ions (H+) and bases accept them. In water, __________.

When acids and bases react with one another, hydrogen ions (H+) will react with hydroxide ions (OH-) to make __________. This type of reaction is called a neutralization reaction.

Acids and bases are also very important in biochemistry. Many biological processes are sensitive to the pH of the surroundings so controlling the acidity of the body of crucial.

Some biological molecules like amino acids have dual personalities. They are amphoteric, meaning __________. Amino acids have a carboxylic acid group that can produce hydrogen ions and an amino group that can accept hydrogen ions. Acids and bases are all around us and can vary greatly in terms of their use and nature. But they all involve __________. 