Page 123 - Chemistry_Form_2

Chemistry
for Secondary Schools

Uses of acids and bases

Task 5.4
Explore reliable books, online, or home resources to identify three everyday
products containing acids and three containing bases.
FOR ONLINE READING ONLY
For each product or material you find:
1. Write the trade name, common name and chemical name of the product.

2. Identify the acid or base it contains (if known).
3. Describe its use or purpose in daily life.

Acids and bases have many uses in daily life. For instance, some plants grow well
in acidic soil, but others grow better in a neutral or alkaline soil. Farmers need
to know the pH of the soil because the soil can be too acidic causing inability of
plants to grow well and reduce the yields. Bases can be used by farmers to reduce
the acidity of the soil, and acids can be used to correct the pH for the basic soils.

Amino acids and some vitamins such as vitamin C are important for our health.
Sulfuric acid is used in car batteries. Citric acid is used in food preservation. Bases
such as sodium hypochlorite are used in bleaching to remove stains on clothes.
Ammonium hydroxide is used as a glass cleaner, and magnesium hydroxide is
used as a laxative to regulate bowel movements. Magnesium hydroxide is also
used as an antacid to relieve indigestion, sour stomach and heartburn. Tables 5.5
and 5.6 summarise the uses of some acids, and bases, respectively.

Table 5.5: Uses of some acids in daily life
Acids Uses

Hydrochloric acid (a) Cleaning metals before electroplating
(b) Household cleaning
(c) Leather processing
(d) Swimming pool maintenance

(e) Production of inorganic compounds such as chlorides
(f) Production of organic compounds, such as vinyl chloride
and dichloromethane during plastic manufacturing
(g) Manufacture of fertilisers, textiles, and rubber

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