South Pasadena • Chemistry
Name
4 · Salts and Solutions
Period
4.3
NOTES
–
Date
PROPERTIES OF
SOLUTIONS
Operational Definition: The classification/grouping of a substance based on a test.
Theoretical Definition: The reason why a substance belongs in a particular group.
Acids and Bases
ACIDS
BASES
Operational Definition – Indicators
Litmus
Red
Blue
Phenolphthalein
Colorless
Pink
Universal
Indicator
Cabbage Juice
Red/Yellow
Green
Pink/Red
Blue/Purple
Purple
Green/Blue
Examples and Properties
Examples
Gastric acid − hydrochloric acid (HCl)
Battery acid – sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
Vinegar – acetic acid (HC2H3O2)
Citric acid (HC6H7O7)
Vitamin C – ascorbic acid (HC6H7O6)
Lye – sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
Milk of Magnesia – magnesium hydroxide
(Mg(OH)2)
Ammonia (NH3)
Baking Soda – sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)
Taste
Sour
Bitter
Reacts to
neutralize …
Bases
Acids
Theoretical Definitions
Arrhenius
Increases [H+]
Increases [OH−]
This is why acids start with H:
HCl, HNO3
This is why many bases are hydroxides:
NaOH, Ca(OH)2
Are H+ donors
BronstedLowry
This is pretty obvious since acids have H+ to
give away.
Are H+ acceptors
This is why NH3 and HCO3− are bases even
though they aren’t hydroxides.
NH3 + H2O  NH4+ + OH−
HCO3− + H2O  H2CO3 + OH−
Electrolytes
STRONG ELECTROLYTES
WEAK ELECTROLYTES
NON-ELECTROLYTES
Definitions
Operational
Definition
A substance that conducts
electricity well when dissolved in
water.
Theoretical
Definition
A substance that dissociates
completely into ions in an aqueous
solution.
Example: NaCl
NaCl (s)  Na+ (aq) + Cl− (aq)
A substance that conducts
A substance that does not conduct
electricity a little when dissolved
electricity when dissolved in
in water.
water.
A substance that dissociates a
little into ions in an aqueous
solution.
Example: HC2H3O2
HC2H3O2 (aq)  H+ (aq) + C2H3O2− (aq)
A substance that does not
dissociate into ions in an aqueous
solution.
Example: C12H22O11
C12H22O11 (s)  C12H22O11 (aq)
Picture
Particle
Representation
HA
Dissociation
Equation
Na+
Cl−
Cl−
Na+
−
Cl
Na+
Cl−
−
Cl
Na+
Na+
Cl−
Cl−
Na+
Na+
Cl−
Cl− Na+
Na+
Cl−
HA
HA
HA
HA HA HA
HA
HA
HA HA
HA
A– HA
HA
H+
HA
HA
HA
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
S
Insoluble Salts
((s) on Solubility Chart)
Ionic and
Covalent
Compounds
Soluble Salts
((aq) on Solubility Chart)
Acids
Strong Acids
HCl, HBr, HI, HNO3
H2SO4, HClO3
Weak Acids
(All other acids)
Examples: HF, HC2H3O2
Bases
Strong Bases
LiOH, NaOH, KOH, RbOH
CsOH, Ca(OH)2, Sr(OH)2,
Ba(OH)2
Weak Bases
(All other bases)
Polar Covalent Compounds
Practice writing dissociation equations:
Use → for strong electrolytes and  for weak electrolytes.