Acid And Bases Essay, Research Paper

Conclusion:

Acids appear in products people use every day. To start, an acid is a compound that releases hydrogen ions in water. In order to find out if a substance is an acid, one must test it with litmus paper and a pH scale. On the pH scale acids measure from 1 to 6, pH1 being the most acidic (the highest concentration of hydrogen ions). One example of an everyday product that is an acid is lemon juice which is used for cooking. Lemon juice has a pH of 1, this means that lemon juice has the highest concentration of hydrogen ions there can be and it releases a great amount of hydrogen ions in water. Another example of an acidic product that people consume is coffee. Coffee has a pH of 6, contrary to lemon juice coffee has the least amount of hydrogen ions required to be an acid and it releases a low amount of hydrogen ions in water. In conclusion, acidic products are used and consumed in peoples every day lives.

Bases also appear in products that people use their daily lives. To begin, a base is a compound, which contain hydroxide ions. To find out if a substance is a base one must test it with litmus paper and a pH scale. Bases show up as 8 through 14 on the pH scale, pH8 being the lowest concentration of hydroxide ions. Drain opener is a product that people use in their every day lives. Drain opener has a pH of 14 which means it has the highest concentration of hydroxide ions a base can have. Another product that is a base and is used in every day life is Rolaids. Rolaids have a pH of 8, the lowest concentration of hydroxide ions a base can have to be considered a base. To clarify, the pH of 7, since it has not been listed above, is neutral. It is not considered a base or an acid. In summation, products that are considered bases are used frequently in people lives.