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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
Unit 10 Common acids and alkalis
A Multiple-choice questions
1 Which of the following are the properties of alkalis?
(1) They taste sour.
(2) They are slippery.
(3) They can turn red litmus paper blue.
(4) They can be used to remove grease.
A (1) and (2) only
B (2) and (3) only
C (1), (3) and (4) only
D (2), (3) and (4) only
D
2 Which of the following is correct?
Acid Alkali
A Ammonia Sodium hydroxide
B Lemon juice Soap solution
C Nitric acid Vinegar
D Lime water Soft drink
B
3 What is the colour change if ammonia is dropped on a red litmus paper?
A Remains red
B From red to blue
C From red to orange
D From red to blue black
B
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
4 Which of the following is/are true for both acids and alkalis?
(1) They turn red litmus paper blue.
(2) They are corrosive.
(3) They can change the colour of universal indicator.
A (1) only
B (2) only
C (1) and (3) only
D (2) and (3) only
D
5 Which of the following is incorrect about the approximate pH value of the
object?
A Stomach juice, pH 2
B Lemon juice, pH 3
C Egg white, pH 11
D Sodium hydroxide, pH 13
C
6 Which of the following is not a property of acids?
A They taste sour.
B They react with some metals to give hydrogen gas.
C They change blue litmus paper red.
D They are slippery.
D
7 What gas will be given out in the following set-up?
delivery tube
dilute hydrochloric acid
lime water
marble chips
A Carbon dioxide B Hydrogen
C Nitrogen D Oxygen
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
*8 When an egg is put into vinegar, some bubbles appear on the surface of the egg
shell. What is the reason for this?
A The egg shell is composed of calcium. It reacts with vinegar to give
nitrogen.
B The egg shell is composed of iron. It reacts with vinegar to give hydrogen.
C The egg shell is composed of calcium carbonate. It reacts with vinegar to
give carbon dioxide.
D The egg shell is composed of sodium carbonate. It reacts with vinegar to
give oxygen.
C
9 What gases in the atmosphere make rainwater acidic?
(1) Carbon dioxide
(2) Nitrogen
(3) Nitrogen oxides
(4) Oxygen
(5) Sulphur dioxide
A (1), (3) and (5) only B (1), (2) and (4) only
C (2), (3) and (4) only D (1), (2), (4) and (5) only
A
10 Which of the following is not an example of neutralization?
A Taking antacid when having stomachache.
B Putting vinegar on a wound caused by a wasp sting.
C Mixing magnesium hydroxide and nitric acid.
D Placing a metal into hydrochloric acid.
D
11 What are the products of the reaction between magnesium hydroxide and nitric
acid?
A Nitric oxide and water
B Magnesium nitrate and water
C Nitrogen gas and magnesium
D Magnesium chloride and nitrogen dioxide
B
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
12 Which of the following are the safety measures in handling acids?
(1) Wear safety goggles.
(2) Add water to acid in the dilution of acid.
(3) Put on rubber gloves.
A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)
B
13 During neutralization,
(1) the pH of the mixture rises.
(2) heat is released.
(3) cloudy precipitates are formed.
(4) salt and water are formed.
A (1) and (3) only
B (1) and (4) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (2) and (4) only
D
14 A blue litmus paper did not change colour after it has been dipped in a solution.
This solution can be
(1) an acid.
(2) an alkali.
(3) chemically neutral
A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)
C
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
*15 A strong acid of pH 1 is mixed with an alkali of pH 10. Their concentration and
volume are the same. The resulting solution will be
A acidic.
B alkaline.
C neutral.
D unable to be classified as acidic, alkaline or neutral.
A
16 Which of the following are the applications of acids?
(1) Preserving food
(2) Neutralizing alkalis in certain food, e.g. noodle
(3) Softening meat
A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)
A
*17 What acid and alkali should be mixed to prepare potassium sulphate?
A Hydrochloric acid and potassium hydroxide
B Potassium nitrate and sulphuric acid
C Potassium carbonate and nitric acid
D Sulphuric acid and potassium hydroxide
D
18 Which of the following are the applications of alkalis?
(1) Neutralizing acid in the stomach
(2) Preserving food
(3) Softening meat
A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (3) only
C (2) and (3) only
D (1), (2) and (3)
B
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
19 Which food should not be cooked with a metal pot?
A Rice
B Potato and beef
C Fish
D Vinegar, ginger and pork
D
20 The following is a pH scale. Which letter indicates the pH of table salt?
2 A 6 B C D 10
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
B True or false questions
1 When an acid is added to lime stone, hydrogen gas will be given out.
F
2 Litmus solution can show the pH value of an acid or an alkali.
F
3 Zinc can react with dilute sodium hydroxide solution to give out
hydrogen gas.
F
*4 Rain water collected from area without any air pollution should be
neutral.
F
5 Acids can preserve food while alkalis cannot.
T
6 The acidity of an acid can be shown by its pH value.
T
*7 Soft drinks can turn blue litmus paper red.
T
8 Chlorine gas will be given out when hydrochloric acid is poured onto
marble chips.
F
9 Heat is being absorbed during neutralization.
F
10 If some acid is splashed on our body, we should wash the affected area
with alkali.
F
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
C Fill-in-the-blanks
1 We take antacid to ________________ the excess acid in our stomach.
neutralize
2 Lemon juice turns blue __________ solution red and its pH is less than _______.
litmus, 7
3 The higher the pH value of a substance, the more _____________ it is.
alkaline
4 Acids can react with metals and carbonates to give out _________________ gas
and ___________________ gas respectively.
hydrogen, carbon dioxide
5 Buildings and statues which are made of _________ can be corroded by acid
rain.
marble / sandstone / limestone
6 We may add a few drops of ____________________________to show the pH
value of a solution.
universal indicator
7 Many ________________ contain acids or alkalis for removing dirt and greases.
cleansing agents
8 Sodium hydroxide solution reacts with __________________________ to form
sodium chloride and water.
hydrochloric acid
9 We use the _______________ with a range of 0 to 14 to show the degree of
acidity or the degree of __________________ of a substance.
pH scale, alkalinity
10 Acids and alkalis are ______________. We should wear rubber gloves when
using them.
corrosive
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
D Short questions
1 Match the body parts in the left column with their corresponding pH values in
the right column.
(a) Blood (1) pH 2
(b) Intestinal juice (2) pH 5.5
(c) Skin (3) pH 7.4
(d) Stomach juice (4) pH 8.5
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
(a)(3), (b)(4), (c)(2), (d)(1)
2 What should we do if we spill some acids onto our body during an experiment?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
Wash the affected area under slow running water for at least 10 minutes. If the eyes
are hurt, wash them with water using an eye-wash bottle. Gently remove any
contaminated clothing while washing the affected area. Call for medical aid if the
accident is serious. Bring the sample of the acids or alkalis to hospital for reference.
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
*3 An egg shell contains calcium carbonate and it is hard. Suggest and explain how
you could make the egg shell soft.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
Put an egg in vinegar or dilute acid for two or three days. The acid will dissolve the
calcium carbonate of the shell and the shell will become soft.
*4 Connie is going to neutralize some dilute hydrochloric acid. She adds dilute
sodium hydroxide to the acid gradually until the mixture becomes alkaline.
Sketch a graph in the following diagram to show how the pH value of the
mixture changes with the volume of the sodium hydroxide added.
pH value
Volume of dilute sodium hydroxide added (cm3)
Answer:
pH value
13
1
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Volume of dilute sodium hydroxide added (cm3)
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
5 Explain why vinegar can be used to preserve food.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
Most micro-organisms cannot live in a low pH environment. Vinegar is an acid. It can
slow down the growth of micro-organisms and even kill them by providing an
environment of low pH. Hence, vinegar can preserve food.
6 Plants do not grow well in acidic soil. What should a farmer do if he wants to test
whether the soil of his field is acidic or not? How can he tackle the problem if he
finds that the soil is acidic?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
He can put some soil into a beaker and add water to it, then the pH of the water (the
same as the pH of the soil) can be measured by pH paper or pH meter. If the soil is
acidic, he can add lime.
7 List three safety precautions when handling acids or alkalis.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
Wear safety goggles.
Wear gloves and/or protective coats when necessary.
Do not use too much acids or alkalis.
Do not pour the wastes into the sink. Pour them into suitable waste bottles.
(any THREE or other reasonable answers)
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
*8 Briefly explain why some toothpaste is slightly alkaline.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
It is because acid is produced by the bacteria in our mouth and the acid is harmful to
our teeth. Therefore, some toothpaste is slightly alkaline to neutralize the acid.
9 Gary says, ‘We may control the problem of acid rain by saving electricity. ’
Comment on his statement.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
He is correct. It is because, in most cases, electricity is generated by burning fossil
fuels and that produces sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides. These gases form acid
rain when they dissolve in rainwater. Hence, if we save electricity, less fossil fuel will
be consumed, less acidic gas will be produced and we can control acid rain.
10 Give two food examples in which a natural alkali, lye (!"), is added.
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Answer:
Glutinous rice dumpling, noodle
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
E Long questions
*1 Dilute sodium hydroxide is added gradually to dilute hydrochloric acid until the
mixture becomes alkaline. The relationship between the pH value of the mixture
and the volume of sodium hydroxide added is shown in the figure below.
pH value
13
1
10
Volume of sodium hydroxide added (cm3)
a Write a word equation for the reaction between dilute sodium hydroxide and
dilute hydrochloric acid.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b What type of reaction is (a)?
_____________________________________________________________
c What is the volume of the dilute sodium hydroxide needed to complete the
reaction in (b)?
_____________________________________________________________
d In addition to the pH value of the mixture, which property of the mixture
also changes throughout the experiment?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Answer:
a Sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid sodium chloride + water
b Neutralization
c 10 cm3
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
2 Hydrochloric acid and sodium hydrogencarbonate (an alkali) are two juices
secreted from our digestive system.
a Which juice above is secreted from the stomach and from the small
intestine respectively?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b Write a word equation for the reaction between hydrochloric acid and
sodium hydrogencarbonate.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
c What is the term for the reaction in (b)?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Answer:
a Stomach: hydrochloric acid
Small intestine: sodium hydrogencarbonate
b Hydrochloric acid + sodium hydrogencarbonate sodium chloride + carbon
dioxide + water
c Neutralisation
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
*3 Some hydrochloric acid is added to some zinc strips in a test-tube. The test-tube
is connected to a syringe which collects the gas given out.
hydrochloric acid
zinc strips
a What gas will be collected by the syringe?
_____________________________________________________________
b Write a word equation for the reaction between the zinc strips and
hydrochloric acid.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
c How can you measure the rate of the above reaction?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
d State a method that can increase the rate of the above reaction.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Answer:
a Hydrogen
b Zinc + hydrochloric acid zinc chloride + hydrogen
c Measure the volume of gas collected in a certain period of time.
d Use zinc fillings instead of strips.
Use hydrochloric acid of higher concentration.
(any ONE)
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
4 The fumes from the burning of fossil fuels contain different acidic gases. The
following diagram shows a design to remove the acidic gases in the fumes.
treated fumes
gas pipe
untreated
gas bubbles
fumes
solution X
treatment tank
a Give three acidic gases in the fumes produced from the burning of fossil
fuels.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
b What is the importance of removing acidic gases from the fumes?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
c Suggest a chemical for solution X.
_____________________________________________________________
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
d A chemical reaction takes place in the treatment tank to remove acidic gases
from the fumes. What is the term for the reaction?
_____________________________________________________________
e Besides acidic gases, name one air pollutant in the fumes that may also be
removed by this method.
_____________________________________________________________
Answer:
a Carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
b These acidic gases will form acid rain when they dissolve in rainwater. And acid
rain is harmful to the environment. Removing the acidic gases from the fumes
can prevent acid rain and reduce environmental problems.
c Sodium hydroxide
(or any other alkali)
d Neutralization
e Carbon particles
dust particles
particulates
(any ONE or other reasonable answers)
*5 Acid rain is caused by the release of acidic gases, e.g. sulphur dioxide, into the
atmosphere. Acid rain damages forests and the map below shows the percentage
of forests damaged by acid rain in some provinces of a country.
A N
12% E
33%
C
24%
B
8% F
D 23%
17%
a Suggest the major source of sulphur dioxide.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
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Living Science (Second Edition) Supplementary Exercise Unit 10
b Give another acidic gas that can lead to the formation of acid rain.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
c Besides damaging forests, give two more harmful effects of acid rain.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
d In most of the time, south-westerly wind blows across these provinces, and
the areas of forests in these provinces are similar. Explain briefly why
province E has a rather high percentage of forest loss.
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Answer:
a The major source is burning of fossil fuels for energy.
b Nitrogen oxides.
c It can kill fish and other marine organisms.
It corrodes buildings, statues, etc. that made of marble or metals.
It is harmful to the health of people.
(any TWO or other reasonable answers)
d Since south-westerly wind blows across these provinces, the wind would carry
acidic gases in provinces B, C, D and F to province E. Also, province E could be
a major producer of acidic gases. Hence, the problem of acidic rain in province E
is serious and causes a high percentage of forest loss.
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