What are the chemical properties of an acid?

What are the chemical properties of an acid?

Chemical properties of acids:

1. Acids react with reactive metals.
   
   • Acid + metal → salt + hydrogen
   • Copper and silver do not react with dilute acid.
     
2. Acids react with bases.
   
   • Acid + base → salt + water
     
3. Acids react with carbonates.
   
   
   • Acid + carbonate → salt + water + carbon dioxide
     

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To study the chemical reactions of acids experiment

Aim: To study the chemical reactions of acids.
Materials: 2 mol dm^-3 hydrochloric acid, 2 mol dm^-3 ethanoic acid, magnesium, copper(II) carbonate, iron(III) oxide, limewater, wooden splint and filter paper.
Apparatus: Test tubes, delivery tube, spatula, test tube holder, Bunsen burner, stopper, evaporating dish and filter funnel.
Safety measure: Acids are corrosive. Wear safety glasses.

A. Reactions of acids with bases

Procedure:

1. About 5 cm³ of dilute hydrochloric acid is poured into a test tube.
2. The acid is warmed using a gentle flame.
3. Iron(III) oxide powder is added bit by bit with stirring to the hot acid.
4. Any change that occurs is observed and recorded.
5. The unreacted iron(III) oxide is removed by filtration.
6. The filtrate is evaporated in an evaporating dish until one-third of the original volume remains.
7. The hot solution is allowed to cool for crystals to form.
8. The crystals formed are removed by filtration and dried by pressing the crystals between sheets of filter paper.
9. The features of the crystals are noted and recorded.
10. Steps 1 to 9 are repeated using dilute ethanoic acid to replace dilute hydrochloric acid.

Observations:

Discussion:

1. Iron(III) oxide is an example of a base.
2. It reacts with acids to form salts and water.
   
3. The crystals are iron(III) chloride and iron(III) ethanoate.
4. Iron(III) salts dissolve in water to produce brown solutions.

B. Reactions of acids with metals

Procedure:

1. About 5 cm³ of dilute hydrochloric acid is poured into a test tube.
2. One spatulaful of magnesium powder is added to the acid.
3. A lighted wooden splint is brought to the mouth of the test tube to ignite the gas liberated.
4. All observations are recorded.
5. The unreacted magnesium is filtered out.
6. The filtrate is evaporated until one-third of the original volume remains.
7. The hot solution is allowed to cool for crystals to form.
8. The crystals formed are removed by filtration and dried by pressing the crystals between sheets of filter paper.
9. The features of the crystals are noted and recorded.
10. Steps 1 to 9 are repeated using dilute ethanoic acid to replace dilute hydrochloric acid.

Observations:

Discussion:

1. Magnesium is a reactive metal.
2. Reactive metals react with acids to form salts and hydrogen. Unreactive metals such as copper and silver do not react with dilute acids.
   
3. The hydrogen gas liberated can be identified using a lighted wooden splint. Hydrogen gas burns with a ‘pop’ sound.
4. The white crystals are magnesium chloride and magnesium ethanoate. They dissolve in water to form colourless solutions.

C. Reactions of acids with metal carbonates

Procedure:

1. About 5 cm³ of dilute hydrochloric acid is poured into a test tube.
2. One spatulaful of copper(II) carbonate powder is added to the acid.
3. The test tube is quickly closed with a stopper fitted with a delivery tube dipped into limewater.
4. Any change that occurs is recorded.
5. The unreacted copper(II) carbonate is filtered out.
6. The filtrate is evaporated until one-third of the original volume remains.
7. The hot solution is allowed to cool for crystals to form.
8. The crystals formed are removed by filtration and dried by pressing the crystals between sheets of filter paper.
9. The features of the crystals are noted and recorded.
10. Steps 1 to 9 are repeated using dilute ethanoic acid to replace dilute hydrochloric acid.

Observation:

Discussion:

1. Copper(II) carbonate is a metal carbonate.
2. It reacts with acids to form salts, water and carbon dioxide.
   
3. Copper(II) salts crystallise as blue crystals and dissolve in water to produce blue solutions.
4. When carbon dioxide gas is bubbled into limewater, a white precipitate of calcium carbonate is formed. The white precipitate causes the limewater to turn milky.

Conclusion:

1. An acid reacts with a base to produce a salt and water.
2. An acid reacts with a reactive metal to produce a salt and hydrogen gas.
3. An acid reacts with a metal carbonate to produce a salt, water and carbon dioxide gas.

Chemical properties of alkalis

1. Alkalis react with acids.
   
   • Alkali + acid → salt + water
   • Alkali neutralises acids.
     
2. Alkalis react with metal ions.
   
   • Alkali + metal ion → metal hydroxide
   • Most metal hydroxides are insoluble in water and are precipitated.
   • Transition metal ions form coloured precipitates.