Acids, Bases and Salts

A milkman adds a very small amount of baking soda to fresh milk.
(a) Why does he shift the pH of the fresh milk from 6 to slightly alkaline?
(b) Why does this milk take a long time to set as curd?

(A) He changed the fresh milk’s pH from 6 to slightly alkaline to stop the production of lactic acid, which would otherwise cause the milk to turn sour. (b) Because the pH is initially neutralised by the lactic acid created here before it is reduced to set the milk into curd, this milk takes a …

A milkman adds a very small amount of baking soda to fresh milk.
(a) Why does he shift the pH of the fresh milk from 6 to slightly alkaline?
(b) Why does this milk take a long time to set as curd?
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Equal lengths of magnesium ribbons are taken in test tubes A and B. Hydrochloric acid (HCl) is added to test tube A, while acetic acid (CH3COOH) is added to test tube B. Amount and concentration taken for both the acids are the same. In which test tube will the fizzing occur more vigorously and why?

Acetic acid (CH3COOH) is weaker than HCl, HCl is a stronger acid. The production of hydrogen gas as a byproduct of the acid’s reaction with the magnesium ribbon causes fizzing. Since HCl is such a powerful acid, test tube A releases a lot of hydrogen gas. As a result, test tube A experiences increased fizzing.

Five solutions, A, B, C, D and E, when tested with a universal indicator, showed pH as 4, 1, 11, 7 and 9, respectively. Which solution is
(a) Neutral?
(b) Strongly alkaline?
(c) Strongly acidic?
(d) Weakly acidic?
(e) Weakly alkaline?

In increasing order of hydrogen ion concentration, pH 11(C) < pH 9(E) < pH 7 (D) < pH 4 (A) < pH 1 (B) PH = 11 – Strongly alkaline pH = 9 – Weakly alkaline PH = 7 – Neutral pH = 4 – Weakly acidic pH = 1 – Strongly acidic

Compounds such as alcohols and glucose also contain hydrogen but are not categorised as acids. Describe an activity to prove it.

As shown in the figure, put two nails into the wooden or rubber cork and set it on a beaker. Connect the iron nail to a wire that is connected to the switch, a bulb, and a 6-volt battery. Pour some alcohol or glucose on to plate, then dip your nails in it to soak …

Compounds such as alcohols and glucose also contain hydrogen but are not categorised as acids. Describe an activity to prove it. Read More »