pH, Acid Rain and Neutralization Info...

[smacker124]

Need some help with this assignment.

 

Basically what I need to know out of the following list of substances which one (judged by quantity required) can buffer the water (with pH of 7) (the liquid with acid already added, which of the following substances will make pH level go back to neutral?):

 

Baking Soda

Tums

Salt

Pure Sugar

Ammonia

Cream Corn Starch

Calcium Carbonate

Chalk

 

Basically in short english, which one of the substances listed above can make a liquid (water) with acid already in it return the pH level back to 7, with the least amount of the substance required?

 

What is acid? A base, a buffer, neutralization reaction.

I think I already understand, acid is a liquid with a pH lower then 7, a base is a liquid with pH level of above 7, a buffer is something that will reverse the effects of one chemical, and neutralization reaction is like adding a compound/substance to make the liquid return back to neutral, right?

 

Can someone also provide me links to sites that contain info about the following questions?

 

What is acid rain: where does it come from, how is it created, what damage can it do to a habitat or an ecosystem?

[T_FLeX]

Something acid is basically just a solution with a higher concentration of H+ ions than water. A base is a solution with a lower concentration of H+ ions. A buffer is a substance that either donates H+ ions or accepts them depending on the ion concentration in the solution.

 

A neutralization action is when 2 substances one acidic, one basic come together and turn the H+ of the acid and the OH- of the base into water, for example

 

HCL(hydrochloric acid)+Na(OH) (sodium hydroxide)-->H2O + NaCl

 

 

Sorry don't have any links.

[Sayonara]

Iirc, a base has an excess of HO-

 

The convention is to describe ions in terms of electrons moving, as protons aren't known for zipping around away from their parent atom.

 

Or did I make all of that up while sleeping?

[Skye]

Well you could descibe ion concentrations in terms of either H or OH. pH is the thing people use by convention, but pOH is equally valid, you just rearrange the equation.

 

Anyhoo acid rain begins with sulphur dioxide that is released into the atmosphere from certain types of industrial processes. The sulphur dioxide reacts with oxygen in the air to form sulphur trioxide, then the sulphur trioxide reacts with water in the air to form sulphuric acid.

[NavajoEverclear]

i watched this discovery channel special where they dumped a bunch of powder (i think it was calcium something) into a lake that had become lifeless because high acidity from industrial pollution (in a forrest in germany) and this stuff neutralized it and life began to return. That stuff is probably expensive right?

[Dave]

Well, if you're going to buy it in lake sized quantities, then yes.

 

Otherwise, probably not.

[YT2095]

Ammonia is the stronger base of all in your list at 9.25

[T_FLeX]

NavajoEverclear said in post #5 :

i watched this discovery channel special where they dumped a bunch of powder (i think it was calcium something) into a lake that had become lifeless because high acidity from industrial pollution (in a forrest in germany) and this stuff neutralized it and life began to return. That stuff is probably expensive right?

 

 

The powder was proably Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and is pretty cheap. Sodium carbonate is naturally found in lakes, so That would be my best guess.