🧪Acid vs Base🧪
Acids and bases sit at opposite ends of the pH scale, yet both are essential to chemistry and life. Knowing how each behaves helps you predict reactions and read litmus tests.
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🧪Acid
- ✓Donates H+ ions in water
- ✓pH below 7
- ✓Tastes sour, turns litmus red
- ✓Reacts with metals to release hydrogen
- ✓Examples: HCl, vinegar, citric acid
🧪Base
- ✓Accepts H+ or donates OH- ions
- ✓pH above 7
- ✓Feels slippery, turns litmus blue
- ✓Reacts with acids to form salt and water
- ✓Examples: NaOH, ammonia, baking soda
Verdict
Acids and bases are chemical opposites that neutralize each other. Use pH to classify them: below 7 is acidic, above 7 is basic, and exactly 7 is neutral.
Frequently asked
What happens when an acid meets a base?+
They undergo a neutralization reaction, producing a salt and water and moving the pH toward 7.
How do you test for an acid or base?+
Litmus paper is the simplest test: acids turn it red, bases turn it blue. A pH meter gives a precise number.
Is water an acid or a base?+
Pure water is neutral with a pH of 7; it can act as both a weak acid and a weak base, which is called amphoteric.
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