What Is the Difference Between Acidic & Basic?
Acids and bases are all around us. Every liquid is either acidic, basic or somewhere in between. Pure water is the only liquid that is considered "neutral": it is neither acidic nor basic. All other substances can be measured by their pH, a scientific scale that indicates how acidic or basic they are. Highly acidic and highly basic substances can be very dangerous, but most acids and bases are relatively harmless.
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The pH Scale
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The pH scale is numbered from 0 to 14, with 0 being the highest possible acidity; 14 is the highest possible alkalinity (another word for basic). Any liquid with a pH between 0 and 7 is considered an acid; anything above 7 is a base. Liquids with a pH of exactly 7 are neutral. pH stands for "power of Hydrogen." It indicates a chemical reaction that happens when the liquid encounters pure water. In this situation, acids will react with the water by breaking into compounds and releasing extra hydrogen ions (atoms with a positive charge). Bases, on the other hand, will release hydroxide ions (atoms with a negative charge). pH indicates a negative logarithmic measurement of free-roaming hydrogen ions: a pH of 6, for example, indicates that there are 10 to the -6 power of hydrogen ions.
Characteristics of Acids
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Acids tend to taste sour. Lemon juice, for example, is an acidic liquid. Stronger acids react with metals, corroding them. Very strong acids are dangerous and can burn your skin. Battery acid is extremely strong, with a pH of 0. Other common acids include hydrochloric acid in the stomach (pH 1), vinegar (pH 2 to 3), orange juice (pH 3 to 4), black coffee (pH 5) and urine (pH 6).
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Characteristics of Bases
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Bases usually taste bitter and feel slippery. Just like acids, very strong bases can burn your skin. Weaker bases such as salt are part of our daily lives. Other common bases include seawater (pH 8), baking soda (pH 9), ammonia (pH 10 to 11), soapy water (pH 12), bleach (pH 13) and lye (pH 14).
Effects of Mixing Acids With Bases
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When acids and bases are mixed together, a strong chemical reaction occurs. The two will neutralize each other by trading ions. It's safe to mix acids and bases when they are in water, but if they're pure or very strong chemicals, they can create a lot of heat. Always take safety precautions when using a strong solution of any kind.
You may have seen baking soda and vinegar mixed together, which produces a bubbling, expanding foam. That foam is created by carbon dioxide and water, which is released as the two liquids neutralize each other. The reaction, while violent, is relatively safe and is often used in school science experiments.
Warning
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Because pH is a logarithmic scale, each number on the scale is 10 times as strong as the previous number. A liquid of pH 9, therefore, is 10 times as basic as a liquid of pH 8. Lemon juice has a pH of 2, while hydrochloric acid is pH 3; you can swallow lemon juice without trouble, but acid reflux (hydrochloric acid passing from the stomach into the throat) is a serious medical condition.
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