ACIDS AND BASES

INTRODUCTION
Acids and bases in our lives Acids and bases are two broad classes of compounds that have a great deal of importance in both chemistry and biochemistry. In industry, acids and bases are used in various reactions. Sulfuric acid, one of the most important industrial chemicals, is used to manufacture fertilizers for agriculture, to make man-made fibers, paints and dyes, and to purify petroleum products. The base sodium hydroxide (sometimes called caustic soda, or lye) is used for the production of fabrics, paper, and cleaning agents. Acids and bases are also common in our everyday lives. Acids have a sour taste, and many of the sourtasting foods with which we are familiar are acidic. Vinegar, for example, is diluted acetic acid (normal household vinegar is a 3% solution of acetic acid), and gives salad dressings and pickled vegetables their tart tastes. Other familiar foods with sour flavors get their tartness from acids: oranges and lemons contain citric acid, wine contains tartaric acid, and aspirin contains acetylsalicylic acid. While the tart taste of some acids can be a pleasant addition to many kinds of foods, bases have a bitter flavor, and therefore are not typically preferred for human consumption. However, many people have acquired tastes for caffeine and nicotine, both of which are alkaloids, a class of nitrogen-containing bases. Quinine, the ingredient that gives tonic water its bitter taste, is also an alkaloid. Antacids, including sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and calcium carbonate (Tums), are basic and work by neutralizing stomach acids to water and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas. Bases feel slippery because they are soapy in nature, which is why they are used in cleaners. Lye (sodium hydroxide), a strong base, can dissolve grease and protein, and is used in oven cleaners, products for unclogging drains, and in hair-removal lotions.
Acids are sour or tart: vinegar, lemon and orange juice, wine, aspirin.

Acids and bases are also essential for life. For example, without the strong acid present in our stomachs, we would not be able to digest food. More importantly, an organism needs to be able to control the level of acid within its cells for life

to be possible. The worlds oceans are able to sustain life in part bec ause the level of acid (or pH) of the water is kept constant through acidbase chemistry. In the same way, the pH of living cells is tightly regulated to allow cells to maintain their structural integrity, and for cellular processes to function.

Bases are bitter: coffee, cigarettes, tonic water, baking soda, antacid tablets, soap.

Brnsted-Lowry Acids and Bases In chemistry, the BrnstedLowry theory is an acid-base theory, proposed independently by Johannes Nicolaus Brnsted and Thomas Martin Lowry in 1923. In this system, Brnsted acids and Brnsted bases are defined, by which an acid is a molecule or ion that is able to lose, or "donate," a hydrogen cation (proton, H+), and a base is a species with the ability to gain, or "accept," a hydrogen cation (proton). A Brnsted-Lowry acid is a proton donor. A Brnsted-Lowry base is a proton acceptor. H+ = proton

Some molecules contain both hydrogen atoms and lone

pairs and thus, can act either as acids or bases, depending on the particular reaction. An example is the addictive pain reliever morphine.

Reactions of Brnsted-Lowry Acids and Bases A Brnsted-Lowry acid base reaction results in the transfer of a proton from an acid to a base. In an acid-base reaction, one bond is broken, and another one is formed. The electron pair of the base B: forms a new bond to the proton of the acid. The acid HA loses a proton, leaving the electron pair in the HA bond on A.

The movement of electrons in reactions can be illustrated using curved arrow notation. Because two electron pairs are involved in this reaction, two curved arrows are needed. Loss of a proton from an acid forms its conjugate base. Gain of a proton by a base forms its conjugate acid. A double reaction arrow is used between starting materials and products to indicate that the reaction can proceed in the forward and reverse directions. These are equilibrium arrows.

Examples:

Strengths of Brnsted Acids and Bases Follow Periodic Trends Acid/Base Strengths in Aqueous Solution Hydronium ion (H3O+) is the strongest acid in an aqueous solution: stronger acids react completely with water to give H3O+ Hydroxide ion (OH-) is the strongest possible base in an aqueous solution: stronger bases react completely with water to give OH The reaction of all stronger acids and bases in water to the same strength is termed leveling Acid-base reactions occur in favor of the weaker acid and base Conjugate Pairs Have Reciprocal Strengths The stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base The stronger the base, the weaker its conjugate acid Strong acids are ionized 100%: their anions are extraordinarily poor bases - most are neutral

H2O

HCN

NH4+

H2CO3

H3O+

Periodic Trends of Binary Acids (HnX) As we read left to right in a period, increasing electronegativity of X makes the HX bond more polar Acid strength increases with increasing polarity As we read top to bottom in a group, the acid strength increases due to increasing bond length of the HX bond due to increased radius of the anion, X

Anions of Oxoacids are Basic Oxygen atoms are electron withdrawing, thus the charge on an anion is located on the lone oxygens The more oxygen atoms there are that share the same charge, the less basic is the anion The weaker the base behavior of the anion, the greater the strength of the conjugate acid