Chemistry 30 Acids & Bases - What are Acids and Bases?

1.1 What are Acids & Bases?

It shouldn't be hard for you to name several common acids, but you might find that listing bases is just a little more difficult.

Here's a partial list of some common acids and bases, along with some chemical formulas:

Some Common Acids	Some Common Bases

hydrochloric acid, HCl (stomach acid is HCl)	sodium hydroxide, NaOH (lye or caustic soda)
sulfuric acid, H₂SO₄	potassium hydroxide, KOH (lye or caustic potash)
nitric acid, HNO₃	magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)₂ (milk of magnesia)
acetic acid, HC₂H₃O₂ (vinegar)	calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)₂ (slaked lime)
carbonic acid, H₂CO₃	ammonia, NH₃
formic acid, HCOOH
citric acid, C₆H₈O₇
acetylsalicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin C₆H₄(OCOCH₃)CO₂H

Acids and bases have characteristic properties. The table below highlights some of these key characteristics. You'll want to learn this list.

Key Characteristics of Acids	Key Characteristics of Bases

sour taste (e.g. lemons; grapefruit; vinegar; sour milk)	bitter taste
react with active metals such as zinc and magnesium to produce hydrogen gas	generally no noticeable reaction with active metals
form electrolytic solutions (conduct electricity) because they produce ions	form electrolytic solutions (conduct electricity) because they produce ions
cause certain dyes to change color; litmus paper turns red, for example	cause certain dyes to change color; litmus paper turns blue for example
	slippery feel (e.g. soapy feel)
neutralized by bases (neutralized means that the substance no longer has acidic, or basic, properties)	neutralized by acids

In the next section we will begin to examine what, exactly makes an acid an acid, and what makes a base act as a base. Take a look at the formulas given in the first table and take a guess.

Chemistry 30

Acids & Bases

Teacher Resources

Other Links

Key Concepts

1.1 What are Acids & Bases?