The difference between acid and alkaline is that both are two opposite ends of the pH scale which is a measure of the acidity or basicity (alkalinity) of a solution. In chemistry, there is a lot of talk about acids and alkalis. In this article, learn how they are distinguished from each other.
What’s the Difference Between Acid And Alkaline?
The basic and main difference between acidic and alkaline is that acidic has a low pH below 7, while alkaline has a high pH above 7.
What is Acid?
An acid is a substance that has a pH less than 7. This means that it is a substance that has a greater amount of hydrogen ions (H+) in its composition. Acids can be very corrosive and dangerous to health in high concentrations. For example, sulfuric acid is a very strong acid that can cause skin burns.
4 Examples of Acid:
the following are four examples of acid:
- Hydrochloric acid – HCl
- Sulfuric acid – H2SO4
- Acetic Acid – CH3COOH
- Citric acid – C6H8O7
What is Alkaline?
Unlike acids, a substance is alkaline when its pH is greater than 7. This indicates that it has a greater amount of hydroxyl ions (OH-) in the composition. Alkaline substances are known for their alkalizing and disinfecting properties. Most often, they are used to clean surfaces and eliminate bacteria.
4 Examples of Alkali:
The Four examples of alkaline are below:
- Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) – NaOH
- Baking soda – NaHCO3
- Potassium hydroxide – KOH
- Calcium hydroxide (lime) – Ca(OH)2
- Magnesium hydroxide – Mg(OH)2
Acid Vs Alkaline – The Key Points Discussion
Acid and alkaline differnce is that acid is a chemical substance that has blow pH of 7 while on the other hand alkaline is a chemical substance that has a high pH that is above pH 7. An acidic solution is composed of H+ ions, while the alkaline solution is composed of OH- ions. The acid has a bitter taste. While the taste of the alkaline solution is bitter. The character of acid is sticky, while the character of the alkaline is slippery.
The acid is often used as an electrolyte in batteries, to remove rust from metals, to make fertilizers, and to process minerals; In contrast, alkalis are primarily used in cleaning as laundry detergent, dishwasher detergent, and stain remover. Some common examples of acid include sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, etc. while examples of alkali include sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide.
Differences Between Acid And Alkaline In Table
| Acid | Alkaline |
| An acid is a chemical species that donates a proton. | An alkaline is any substance that accepts a proton. |
| pH | |
| Lower than pH 7 | Higher than pH 7 |
| Force | |
| Rest on the concentration of hydronium ions. | Depends on the concentration of hydroxide ions |
| Ions present | |
| Composed of H+ ions | Composed of OH- ions. |
| Taste | |
| bitter taste | Bitter in taste |
| Texture | |
| Clingy | Slippery |
| Neutralization | |
| Neutralized by bases | Neutralized by acids |
| Phenolphthalein | |
| remains colorless | change to pink |
| Examples | |
| Sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and acetic acid, etc. | Sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and magnesium hydroxide. |
As explained above, the main difference between acidic and alkaline is the pH. While acids have a pH less than 7, alkalines have a pH greater than 7.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, Knowing when to use one or the other can make a difference in different situations in everyday life, such as home cleaning, agriculture and the food industry. In addition, acids are corrosive and hazardous to health at high concentrations, while alkalines are known for their disinfecting and alkalizing properties.
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