You will need to use the three rules for identifying acids, bases and salts that you wrote in section 2 of Identifying Acids, Bases and Salts. Write them in the space below.
Rule 1: Acids -
Rule 2: Bases -
Rule 3: Salts –
If you wish, you may compare your rules to the rules of the people in your group. You may revise your rules, if needed.
1. Using your rules, please predict the classifications of the following reactions.
Formula |
Classification | Formula | Classification |
| NaNO3 | Ba(OH)2 | ||
| Al(NO2)3 | H2SO4 | ||
| CaCl2 | H3PO4 | ||
| Na2SO4 | Mg(OH)2 | ||
| H2CO3 | NH4OH | ||
| NH4Cl | HBr | ||
| FeBr3 | HF | ||
| NaCl | Ca(OH)2 | ||
HC2H3O2 |
CuCl2 | ||
| HNO2 |
2. Add the above formulas to your spreadsheet and complete the all columns for each.
3. Filter the spreadsheet for acids by the cation H. Do all of the compounds you predicted to be acids appear? If so, your rule 1 works. If not, revise your rule and try again.
4. Filter for bases by the anion OH. Do all of the compounds you predicted to be bases appear? If so, your rule 2 works. If not, revise your rule and try again.
5. Filter next by the classification salt. To be a salt the cation should NOT be H and the anion should NOT be OH. Do all of your salts fit these criteria? If so, your rule 3 works. If not, revise your rule and try again.
6.Another way to evaluate the validity of your rules is to predict classification of compounds and then test their pHs using pH paper or a pH meter. In the lab, there are 5 solutions that are made from compounds in the list from this activity. Highlight these 5 in the above list, so you know what your predictions are. Now, following the same procedure from the activity 1 lab, test each solution with either pH paper or the pH meter. Do your predictions match the actual testing of your solutions? If not, do your rules need revising or do your lab techniques need to be improved? Explain.