Acids and Bases in the Laboratory

Acids and bases are two fundamental categories of chemical substances that exhibit distinct properties and behaviours, which are easily observable in laboratory settings.

Acids

Taste sour (though tasting is not a safe practice in the lab).

Turn blue litmus paper red.

React with metals to produce hydrogen gas.

Examples: Hydrochloric acid (HCl), sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), and acetic acid (CH₃COOH).

Bases