IV.

Acids and Bases

Properties of Acids and Bases

Acids Bases
pH<7.0 pH>7.0
taste sour taste bitter
react with metals to produce hydrogen gas feel slippery
pH paper turns red/orange pH paper turns blue/green
phenolphthalein → colourless phenolphthalein → pink
bromothymol blue → yellow bromothymol blue → blue
cabbage juice → pink cabbage juice → blue

pH and pOH
pH (“power of hydrogen”) is a measure of the acidity of a solution: the lower the pH, the more acidic the solution is and the
higher the pH, the more basic the solution is
pOH is a measure of the basicity (ar alkalinity) of a solution: the lower the pOH, the more basic the solution is and the higher
the pOH, the more acidic the solution is
pH or pOH = 7.0 indicates a neutral solution
The pH Scale

Arrhenius Concept
Acid: substance that will dissociate to give H+ ions
Base: substance that will dissociate to give OH- ions
The Ahhrenius concept provides a good description of strong acids and bases

Strength of Acids and Bases

The strength of acids and bases is a measure of the degree of ionization; a strong acid or base will completely dissociate in water.

Strong Acids:
HCl → H+ + Cl- hydrochloric acid HNO3 → H+ + NO3- nitric acid
HBr → H+ +Br- hydrobromic acid HIO4 → H+ + IO4- periodic acid
HI → H+ + I- hydroiodic acid H2SO4 → H+ + HSO4- sulphuric acid
HClO4 → H+ + ClO4- perchloric acid HClO3 → H+ + ClO3- chloric acid

Strong Bases:
LiOH → Li+ + OH- lithium hydroxide Ba(OH)2 → Ba2+ + 2OH- barium hydroxide
NaOH → Na+ + OH- sodium hydroxide Sr(OH)2 → Sr2+ + 2OH- strontium hydroxide
KOH → K+ + OH- potassium hydroxide Ca(OH)2 → Ca2+ + 2OH- calcium hydroxide
RbOH → Rb+ + OH- rubidium hydroxide (note: other group II elements are insoluble in water)
CsOH → Cs+ + OH- cesium hydroxide

Calculations for Strong Acids and Bases

pH = -log[H+] pOH = -log[OH-]

[H+] = 10-pH [OH-] = 10-pOH

pH + pOH =14.00
1.0x10-14 = [H+] [OH-]
pH, pOH, and Significant Figures
For pH and pOH, only the digits after the decimal place are significant.
(ie, pH= 10.20 has two significant digits since there are two numbers after the decimal place; pOH = 1.384 has three significant
digits since there are three numbers after the decimal place)

ex. A solution has an [H+] of 0.040 M, calculate the pH.

ex. A solution has an [OH-] of 6.5x10-5 M, calculate the pOH

ex. acid rain has a pH of 4.80, calculate the [H+].

ex. ammonia has a pOH of 3.78, calculate the [OH-]

ex. calculate the [H+], pH, pOH, and [OH-] of 0.0020 M HCl

ex. calculate the [OH-], pOH, pH, and [H+] of 0.010 M Sr(OH)2

The Ahhrenius Concept does not adequately describe some compounds that exhibit acidic or basic properties, so a more general
definition is required.

Bronsted-Lowry Model
Acid: a proton (H+) donor
Base: a proton (H+) acceptor

Acid/Base Equilibria
A weak acid or base is one that does not completely dissociate in water; instead it forms an equilibrium with water.

Acids
ex. HA (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + A- (aq)
acid base conjugate conjugate
acid base

note: the proton is donated by the acid (HA) and accepted by the base (H2O)
The conjugate acid of water is the hydronium ion (H3O+) which has one additional proton and the conjugate base of HA is A-
which has one less proton.

The equilibrium expression for this reaction can be written as follows:

[ H 3O + ][ A− ]
Ka = Where Ka is the acid dissociation constant.
[ HA]

Bases
ex. B (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + BH+ (aq)
base acid conjugate conjugate
base acid

note: the proton is accepted by the base (B) and donated by the acid (H2O)
The conjugate base of water is the hydroxide ion (OH-) which has one less proton and the conjugate acid of B is BH+ which has
one additional proton.

The equilibrium expression for this reaction can be written as follows:

[OH − ][ BH + ]
Kb = Where Kb is the base dissociation constant.
[ B]
Ka values for Common Acids. The higher the Ka value, the stronger the acid.
Acid Formula Ka
iodic acid HIO3 0.17
oxalic acid H2C2O4 5.9x10-2
sulphurous acid H2SO3 1.5x10-2
hydrogen sulphate ion HSO4- 1.2x10-2
chlorous acid HClO2 1.2x10-2
phosphoric acid H3PO4 7.5x10-3
hydrofluoric acid HF 7.2x10-4
nitrous acid HNO2 4.0x10-4
hydrogen oxalate ion HC2O4- 6.1x10-5
acetic acid HC2H3O2 (or CH3COOH) 1.8x10-5
carbonic acid H2CO3 4.3x10-7
hydrogen sulphite ion HSO3- 1.0x10-7
hydrosulphuric acid H2S 1.0x10-7
dihydrogen phosphate ion H2PO4- 6.2x10-8
hypochlorous acid HOCl 3.5x10-8
hypobromous acid HOBr 2.0x10-9
hydrocyanic acid HCN 6.2x10-10
boric acid H3BO3 5.8x10-10
ammonium ion NH4+ 5.6x10-10
hydrogen carbonate ion HCO3- 5.6x10-11
hydrogen phosphate ion HPO42- 4.8x10-13
hydrogen sulphide ion HS- 1.3x10-13

Kb values for Common Bases. The higher the Kb value, the stronger the base.
Base Formula/ Conjugate Acid Kb
diethylamine (C2H5)2NH/ (C2H5)2NH2+ 1.3x10-3
ethylamine C2H5NH2/ C2H5NH3+ 5.6x10-4
methylamine CH3NH2/ CH3NH3+ 4.4x10-4
triethylamine (C2H5)3N/ (C2H5)3NH+ 4.0x10-4
ammonia NH3/ NH4+ 1.8x10-5
hydrazine H2NNH2 (or N2H4)/ H2NNH3+ 3.0x10-6
hydroxylamine HONH2/ HONH3+ 1.1x10-8
pyridine C5H5N/ C5H5NH+ 1.7x10-9
aniline C6H5NH2/ C6H5NH3+ 3.8x10-10

ex. HF (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + F- (aq) [ H 3O + ][ F − ]

acid base conjugate conjugate Ka =
acid base [ HF ]

ex. NH3 (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + NH4+ (aq) [OH − ][ NH 4 + ]
base acid conjugate conjugate Kb =
base acid [ NH 3 ]

ex. Write a Ka/Kb expression for the following acid/base equilibria. Identify the conjugate acid-base pairs.

(1) HC2H3O2 (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + C2H3O2- (aq)

(2) CH3NH2 (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + CH3NH3+ (aq)

ex. Complete the following acid-base equilibria. Identify the conjugate acid-base pairs and write a Ka/Kb expression.

(1) HOBr (aq) + H2O (l) U

(2) H2NNH2 (aq) + H2O (l) U

Hydrated Metal Ions
Certain metal ions (particularly transition metal ions and aluminum) when in solution will form hydrated complexes that may act
as acid.

ex. When Al3+ is in solution, it forms [Al(H2O)6]3+, the acid equilibrium for this complex is as follows: (Ka = 1.4x10-5)

[Al(H2O)6]3+ (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + [Al(H2O)5OH]2+ (aq)

ex. When Fe3+ is in solution, it forms [Fe(H2O)6]3+. What is the acid equilibrium for this complex? (Ka = 6.0x10-3)

[Fe(H2O)6]3+ (aq) + H2O (l) U

Calculations for Weak Acids and Bases

The equilibrium concentration of the hydronium ion or hydroxide ion must be determined using an ICE box.

ex. Determine the pH and pOH of 1.0 M solution of HF (Ka = 7.2x10-4).

ex. Determine the pOH and pH of a 1.0 M solution of NH3 (Kb = 1.8x10-5).

ex. The pH of a 0.650 M solution of citric acid (H3C6H5O7) is 1.63. Determine Ka.

ex. The pOH of a 0.020 M solution of toluidine (CH3C6H4NH2) is 5.35. Determine Kb.
Percent Dissociation (also called percent ionization)
The percent dissociation of a compound is a measure of the degree of dissociation.
The percent dissociation can be calculated according to the following equation:

amount dissociated
Percent dissociation = x 100% amount dissociated = “x”
initial concentration

ex. Calculate the percent dissociation for a 0.22 M solution of C2H5NH2 (Kb = 5.6x10-4)

ex. A 0.100 M solution of lactic acid (HC3H5O3) is 3.7% dissociated at equilibrium. Calculate the Ka value for lactic acid.

Amphoteric Compounds
amphoteric: a compound that can act as either an acid or a base.

ex. Water is amphoteric: H2O (l) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + OH- (aq)

note: the autoionization of water produces both a hydronium ion and a hydroxide ion so the resulting solution is neutral.
The equilibrium expression for this reaction is as follows:
K w = [ H 3O + ][OH − ] , where Kw = 1.0x10-14 (Kw is called the dissociation constant of water)

other amphoteric substances include: the hydrogen sulphate ion (HSO4-), the hydrogen sulphite ion (HSO3-), the dihydrogen
phosphate ion (H2PO4-), the hydrogen phosphate ion (HPO42-), the hydrogen sulphide ion (HS-) etc.

Relationship between Ka and Kb

For a weak acid, if the Ka value is known, then the Kb value of its conjugate base can be calculated. For a weak base, if the Kb
value is known, then the Ka value for its conjugate acid can be calculated. This relationship is described according to the
following equation:

K w = K a × Kb Kw = 1.0x10-14, Ka is the acid dissociation constant, and Kb is the base dissociation constant

Strength of a conjugate acid or base

The stronger the acid, the weaker its conjugate base and the stronger the base, the weaker its conjugate acid.

ex. Which of the following substances is a stronger acid, HF or HCN? Which of the following substances is a stronger base, F-
or CN-?
HF has Ka = 7.2x10-4 and HCN has Ka = 6.2x10-10. Since Ka for HF is greater than Ka for HCN, HF is a stronger acid than HCN.
F- has Kb = 1.0x10-14/7.2x10-4 = 1.4x10-11 and CN- has Kb = 1.0x10-14/6.2x10-10 = 1.6x10-5. Since Kb for CN- is greater than Kb
for F-, CN- is a stronger base than F-.

ex. Which of the following substances is a stronger base, NH3 or C5H5N? Which of the following substances is a stronger acid,
NH4+ or C5H5NH+?

NH3 has Kb = 1.8x10-5 and C5H5N has Kb = 1.7x10-9. Since Kb for NH3 is greater than Kb for C5H5N, NH3 is a stronger base
than C5H5N.
NH4+ has Ka = 5.6x10-10 (given on Ka table) and C5H5NH+ has Ka = 1.0x10-14/1.7x10-9 = 5.9x10-9. Since Ka for C5H5NH+ is
greater than Ka for NH4+, C5H5NH+ is a stronger acid than NH4+.
Comparing Equilibria for Amphoteric compounds
ex. the hydrogen carbonate ion, HCO3- can act as an acid (donating a proton) or a base (accepting a proton)

as an acid: HCO3- (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + CO32- (aq) Ka = 5.6x10-11
K w 1.0 x10−14
as a base: HCO3- (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + H2CO3 (aq) Kb = = −7
= 2.3x10−8
K a 4.3x10
Since Kb>Ka, a solution containing hydrogen carbonate would have a basic pH.

Acid Base Reactions

Weak acids can react with weak bases and result in an acid/base equilibrium.

Consider the following reactions and identify the conjugate acid-base pairs.

(1) NH3 (aq) + H2S (aq) U HS- (aq) + NH4+ (aq)

Calculating K for an acid-base reaction:

Consider the compounds acting as acids for the reaction:

H2S (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + HS- (aq) Ka = 1.0x10-7
NH4 (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O (aq) + NH3 (aq)
+ +
Ka = 5.6x10-10

Note, if the second equilibrium is reversed (and the reciprocal of the equilibrium constant is taken), the two equilibria can add up
to give the overall equilibrium (and the K for the equilibrium can be obtained by multiplying K for each of the reactions)

H2S (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + HS- (aq) Ka = 1.0x10-7

H3O+ (aq) + NH3 (aq) U NH4+ (aq) + H2O (l) K = 1/5.6x10-10 = 1.8x109
__________________________________________________________

NH3 (aq) + H2S (aq) U HS- (aq) + NH4+ (aq) K =1.0x10-7 x 1.8x109 = 1.8x102

(note: H3O+ (aq) and H2O (l) are cancelled when the equilibria are added)
An important result is that K>1. This is significant since H2S is a stronger acid than NH4+, therefore the equilibrium position is
driven to the right, favouring the products.

This same result could be derived by considering the compounds that act as bases in the reaction:
NH3 (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + NH4+ (aq) Kb = 1.8x10-5
HS (aq) + H2O (l) U OH (aq) + H2S (aq)
- -
Kb = 1.0x10-14/1.0x10-7 = 1.0x10-7

Note, if the second equilibrium is reversed (and the reciprocal of the equilibrium constant is taken), the two equilibria can add up
to give the overall equilibrium (and the K for the equilibrium can be obtained by multiplying K for each of the reactions)

NH3 (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + NH4+ (aq) Kb = 1.8x10-5

OH- (aq) + H2S (aq) U HS- (aq) + H2O (l) K = 1/1.0x10-7 = 1.0x107
______________________________________________________

NH3 (aq) + H2S (aq) U HS- (aq) + NH4+ (aq) K =1.8x10-5 x 1.0x107 = 1.8x102 (as determined above)

(note: OH- (aq) and H2O (l) are cancelled when the equilibria are added)
(2) HOCl (aq) + C6H5NH2 (aq) U OCl - (aq) + C6H5NH3+ (aq)

HOCl (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + OCl - (aq) Ka =3.5x10-8

C6H5NH3+ (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + C6H5NH2 (aq) Ka = 1.0x10-14/3.8x10-10 = 2.6x10-5

HOCl (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + OCl - (aq) Ka =3.5x10-8

C6H5NH2 (aq) + H3O+ (aq) U C6H5NH3+ (aq) + H2O (l) K = 1/2.6x10-5 = 3.8x104
_______________________________________________________________________

HOCl (aq) + C6H5NH2 (aq) U OCl - (aq) + C6H5NH3+ (aq) K = 3.5x10-8 x 3.8x104 = 1.3x10-3

An important result is that K<1. This is significant since C6H5NH3+ is a stronger acid than HOCl, therefore the equilibrium
position is driven to the left, favouring the reactants.

(again, the K value could also be calculated by considering the compounds acting as bases)

Mixtures of Acids
In general, only the strongest acid will significantly contribute to the concentration of hydronium ions.

ex. Calculate the pH of a mixture containing 0.50 M HCl and 0.50 M HF.
Since HCl is a strong acid and HF is a weak acid, the HF will not significantly contribute to the H+ concentration, so the pH can
be calculated from the HCl concentration.

ex. Calculate the pH of a mixture containing 0.10 M HNO2 (Ka = 4.0x10-4) and 0.10 M HCN (Ka = 6.2x10-10)
Since Ka for HNO2 >> than Ka for HCN, only the HNO2 will significantly contribute to [H3O+]. An ICE table can then be used
to determine pH.

Mixtures of Bases
In general, only the strongest base will significantly contribute to the concentration of hydroxide ions.
ex. Calculate the pOH of a mixture containing 0.20 M Sr(OH)2 and 0.20 M NH3.
Since Sr(OH)2 is a strong base and NH3 is a weak base, the NH3 will not significantly contribute to the OH- concentration, so the
pOH can be calculated from the Sr(OH)2 concentration.

ex. Calculate the pOH of a mixture containing 0.50 M C6H5NH2 (Kb = 3.8x10-10) and 0.50 M NH3 (Kb = 1.8x10-5)
Since Kb for NH3 >> than Kb for C6H5NH2, only the NH3 will significantly contribute to [OH-]. An ICE table can then be used
to determine pOH.

Solutions of Acids or Bases Containing a Common Ion of the Conjugate base/acid

An ICE table can be used to determine pH/pOH, where the initial concentration of the conjugate ion will not be zero.

ex. A solution contains 1.0 M HF and 1.0 M NaF, Calculate the pH of the resulting solution. (How does this pH compare to a
1.0 M solution of HF?)

ex. A solution contains 1.0 M NH3 and 1.0 M NH4Cl, Calculate the pH of the resulting solution. (How does this pH compare to
a 1.0 M solution of NH3?)
Number of Acidic Protons
monoprotic acids: have only one acidic hydrogen atoms (ex. HCl and HC2H3O2)
diprotic acids: have two acidic hydrogen atoms (ex. H2SO4 and H2C2O4)
polyprotic acids: have three or more acidic hydrogen atoms (ex. H3PO4)

ex. Successive ionization of carbonic acid.

H2CO3 + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + HCO3- (aq) Ka1 = 4.3x10-7
HCO3- + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + CO32- (aq) Ka2 = 5.6x10-11
_______________________________________________________

H2CO3 + 2H2O (l) U 2H3O+ (aq) + CO32- (aq) K = Ka1 x Ka2 = 4.3x10-7 x 5.6x10-11 = 2.4x10-17

For a diprotic acid, Ka1>Ka2. (The first proton is more easily lost than the second proton.)

Acid-Base Properties of Salts

The cation or anion of a salt may hydrolyze (react with water) and produce an acidic or basic solution.

Cations
Cations found in strong bases will not hydrolyze.
Cations that are the conjugate acids of weak bases will hydrolyze to produce acidic solutions.

Anions
Anions found in strong acids will not hydrolyze.
Anions that are the conjugate bases of weak acids will hydrolyze to produce basic solutions.

ex. Determine if the pH of the following solutions will be acidic, basic, or neutral.
(1) NaCl
NaOH is a strong base so Na+ will not hydrolyze
HCl is a strong acid so Cl- will not hydrolyze
Since neither the cation or anion hydrolyze, the solution will be neutral

(2) NaNO2
NaOH is a strong base so Na+ will not hydrolyze
NO2- is the conjugate base of the weak acid HNO2, so NO2- will hydrolyze:
NO2- (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + HNO2 (aq)
The resulting hydrolysis reaction produces hydroxide ions so the solution is basic.

(3) NH4Cl
HCl is a strong acid so Cl- will not hydrolyze
NH4+ is the conjugate acid of the weak base NH3, so NH4+ will hydrolyze:
NH4+ (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + NH3 (aq)
The resulting hydrolysis reaction produces hydronium ions so the solution is acidic.

(4) NH4NO2
NO2- is the conjugate base of the weak acid HNO2, so NO2- will hydrolyze:
NO2- (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + HNO2 (aq)

NH4+ is the conjugate acid of the weak base NH3, so NH4+ will hydrolyze:
NH4+ (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + NH3 (aq)

Since both ions hydrolyze, the Ka and Kb values for the resulting equilibria must be compared.

HNO2 has Ka = 4.0x10-4, therefore, NO2- has Kb = 2.5x10-11

NH4+ has a Ka = 5.6x10-10

Since Ka > Kb, the hydrolysis of NH4+ will favour the products more than the hydrolysis of NO2-, as a result there will be more
hydronium ions than hydroxide ions and the solution will be acidic.
Calculations for Salts
ex. Calculate the pH and pOH of a 0.20 M solution of NaF.
NaOH is a strong base so Na+ will not hydrolyze
F- is the conjugate base of the weak acid HF, so F- will hydrolyze:
F- (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + HF (aq) Kb = Kw/Ka = 1.0x10-14/7.2x10-4 = 1.4x10-11

ex. Calculate the pH and pOH of a 0.015 M solution of NH4Br.

HBr is a strong acid so Br- will not hydrolyze
NH4+ is the conjugate acid of the weak base NH3, so NH4+ will hydrolyze:
NH4+ (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + NH3 (aq) Ka = 5.6x10-10

ex. Calculate the pH and pOH of a 0.120 M solution of NH4NO2.

NO2- is the conjugate base of the weak acid HNO2, so NO2- will hydrolyze:
NO2- (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + HNO2 (aq) Kb = 2.5x10-11

NH4+ is the conjugate acid of the weak base NH3, so NH4+ will hydrolyze:
NH4+ (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + NH3 (aq) Ka = 5.6x10-10
Buffers
buffer: is a solution that resists changes in pH.
A buffer contains a weak acid and a salt of its conjugate base (ie. HC2H3O2 and NaC2H3O2)
HC2H3O2 (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + C2H3O2- (aq)

OR a weak base and a salt of its conjugate acid (ie. NH3 and NH4Cl).

NH3 (aq) + H2O (l) U OH- (aq) + NH4+ (aq)

Buffer Calculations
Buffer calculations are based on calculations for solutions with a common ion.

ex. A solution contains 0.50 M HC2H3O2 and 0.50 M NaC2H3O2. Calculate the pH of the solution.

Determine the resulting pH if 0.010 mol of NaOH are added to 1.0 L of this buffer.

Determine the resulting pH if 0.010 mol of HCl are added to 1.0 L of this buffer.

ex. A solution contains 0.25 M NH3 and 0.25 M NH4Cl . Calculate the pH of the solution.

Determine the resulting pH if 0.010 mol of HCl are added to 1.0 L of this buffer.

Determine the resulting pH if 0.010 mol of NaOH are added to 1.0 L of this buffer.
The Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation
Determining the pH of any solution containing a weak acid and its conjugate base can be simplified using the following
equation:

⎛ [ A− ] ⎞
pH = pK a + log ⎜ ⎟ where: pKa = -log Ka
⎝ [ HA] ⎠

Determining the pOH of any solution containing a weak base and its conjugate acid can be simplified using the following
equation:

⎛ [ BH + ] ⎞
pOH = pKb + log ⎜ ⎟ where: pKb = -log Kb
⎝ [ B ] ⎠

Preparing Buffers

ex. Calculate the pH of a buffer made by adding 0.50 g of sodium fluoride to 200 mL of 0.10 M hydrofluoric acid. Assume the
volume of the solution remains constant.

ex. Determine the mass of methylammonium chloride (CH3NH3Cl) that should be added to 300 mL of 0.20 M methylamine
(CH3NH2) in order to make a buffer with a pH of 11.40. Assume the volume of the solution remains constant.
Titrations
titration: an analytical procedure in which the concentration of a known solution is used to determine the concentration of an
unknown solution (used for acids and bases, oxidation and reduction, and solubility, etc)

Acid Base Titrations

Acid base titrations involve neutralization reactions (recall, acids and bases react to form salt and water)
For an experiment, determine the volume of a solution with known concentration that is required to titrate (exactly react with) a
given volume of solution with an unknown concentration.
The solution with known concentration is called the titrant. The solution with the unknown concentration is called the analyte.
Usually several “trials” are performed and the average volume is used for calculations
Chemical indicators (ie. phenolphthalein or bromothymol blue) can be used to monitor when the reaction is complete and has
reached its equivalence point.

Neutralizations Reactions
To determine the net ionic equation for a neutralization reaction, the spectator ions must be decided. Only strong acids, strong
bases, and soluble salts will dissociate completely to form ions. Weak acids, weak bases, and insoluble salts will not
significantly dissociate.

ex. Write the net ion equation for the following neutralization reactions.

(1) HBr + KOH →

(2) HF + NaOH →

(3) HNO3 + NH3 →

(4) H2SO4 + LiOH →

Titration Calculations

ex. What is the volume of 0.50 M HCl required to titrate 150.0 mL of 0.25 M NH3?

ex. What is the concentration if 50.00 mL of HF requires 25.00 mL of 0.10 M NaOH to titrate?
Titration Curve Calculations

Strong Acid/ Strong Base

ex. A 0.100 M solution of NaOH is used to titrate 100.0 mL of a 0.100 M HCl solution.

Determine the pH at the following intervals in the experiment.

(1) No NaOH has been added pH = (5) 100.0 mL of NaOH has been added pH =

(2) 25.00 mL of NaOH has been added pH = (6) 125.0 mL of NaOH has been added pH =

(7) 150.00 mL of NaOH has been added pH = 12.30

(3) 50.00 mL of NaOH has been added pH = 1.48
(8) 175.0 mL of NaOH has been added pH = 12.43
(4) 75.00 mL of NaOH has been added pH = 1.85
(9) 200.0 mL of NaOH has been added. pH = 12.52

Strong Acid Strong Base Titration

14
13
12
11
10
9
8
pH

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200
Volume NaOH added (mL)
Strong Acid/Weak Base
ex. A 0.100 M solution of HCl is used to titrate 100.0 mL of a 0.100 M NH3 solution.

Determine the pH at the following intervals in the experiment.

(1) No HCl has been added pH = (5) 100.0 mL of HCl has been added pH =

(2) 25.00 mL of HCl has been added pH = (6) 125.0 mL of HCl has been added pH =

(7) 150.00 mL of HCl has been added pH = 1.70

(3) 50.00 mL of HCl has been added pH = 9.26
(8) 175.0 mL of HCl has been added pH = 1.56
(4) 75.00 mL of HCl has been added pH = 8.77
(9) 200.0 mL of HCl has been added. pH = 1.30

Strong Acid We ak Base Titration

14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
pH

6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200
Volume HCl added (mL)
Summary of Titration Curves
nearing the Change in pH At the
Initial Final
Titration equivalence around equivalence Titration Curve
pH pH
point equivalence point point

Strong Acid
very extreme pH very
added to steady decrease pH = 7
high change low
Strong Base

Strong Base
very extreme pH very
added to steady increase pH = 7
low change high
Strong Acid

Strong Acid more gradual

medium more moderate very
added to decrease pH<7
high pH change low
Weak Base (buffer region)

Strong Base more gradual

medium more moderate very
added to increase pH>7
low pH change high
Weak Acid (buffer region)

Acid/Base Indicators
The equivalence point in an acid base titration is monitored using an acid base indicator. An indicator is a weak acid that
changes colour depending on whether it is in its acidic form or its basic form.

ex. Hind (aq) + H2O (l) U H3O+ (aq) + Ind- (aq)

acidic form basic form

The point in a titration at which the indicator changes colour is called the endpoint. Every indicator changes colour at a specific
pH value called its pKa value. An indicator is selected for a given titration because its pKa value is close to the pH at the
equivalence point.
ex. Bromothymol blue is yellow in its acidic form and blue in its basic form. Bromthymol blue has a pKa value of 7.0 and would
be useful for a titration with an equivalence point around 7 (ie. a strong acid and a strong base)
ex. Phenolphthalein is colourless in its acidic form and bright pink in its basic form. Phenolphthalein has a pKa value of 9.3
would be useful for a titration with an equivalence point around 9 (ie. a weak acid and a strong base)
ex. Methyl red is yellow in its acidic fomr and red in its basic form. Methyl red has a pKa value of 5.1 and would be useful for a
titration with an equivalence point around 5 (ie. a strong acid and a weak base)
Diprotic Titration

If a strong base is titrated with a weak diprotic acid, there will be two equivalence points as shown in the following titration
curve.

Lewis Acid Base Model

The Lewis acid base model provides the most general description of an acid or base.
Lewis Acid: electron acceptor
Lewis Base: electron donator

Some common Lewis Acid-Base reactions:

(1) Boron compounds (such as BH3 and BF3) with group five element compounds (usually nitrogen or phosphorus, such as NH3
or PH3)
ex. BF3 + NH3 → BF3NH3

The electrons are accepted by the lewis acid, BF3 and donated by the lewis base, NH3.

(Generally, the boron compound acts like the lewis acid and the group five element compound acts like the lewis base._

(2) metallic oxide + water → base

ex. BaO + H2O → Ba(OH)2
The metallic oxide is acting like a lewis base and water is acting like a lewis acid.

(3) non-metallic oxide + water → acid

ex. CO2 + H2O → H2CO3
The non-metallic oxide is acting like a lewis acid and water is acting like a lewis base.

(4) metallic oxide + non-metallic oxide → salt

ex. BaO + CO2 → BaCO3
The metallic oxide is acting like a lewis base and the non-metallic oxide is acting like a lewis acid

(5) formation of a complex ion.

ex. Al3+ + 6Cl- → [AlCl6]3- ex. Cu2+ + 4NH3 → [Cu(NH3)4]2+
The metals are acting like lewis acids and the ligands are acting like lewis bases
 A comparison of the Acids Bases
three Acid-Base Models
Arrhenius Definition: Dissociate to produce H+ ions Dissociate to produce OH- ions
Example: HCl NaOH
Bronsted- Definition: proton donor proton acceptor
Lowry Example: HC2H3O2 NH3
Lewis Definition: electron acceptor electron donor
Example: non-metallic oxide metallic oxide