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Reactions of acids key terms
Study Reactions of acids with curriculum-aligned Key Terms resources, practice links, and exam-focused support.
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key terms
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Reactions of acids
Key terms
Acid
A substance that donates hydrogen ions (H+) in aqueous solution. In Reactions of acids with metals, this term helps explain state that acids react with some metals to produce salts and hydrogen for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
Salt
A compound formed when an acid reacts with a base, typically consisting of a positive ion from the base and a negative ion from the acid.
hydrochloric acid
A strong, colourless acid with the formula HCl that dissociates completely in water to give H⁺ and Cl⁻ ions.
metal salt
An ionic compound formed when a metal reacts with an acid, consisting of the metal cation and the anion derived from the acid (e.g., Na⁺Cl⁻ from NaCl).
Sulfuric acid
A strong diprotic acid (H₂SO₄) that reacts with metals to produce a metal sulfate salt and hydrogen gas.
Metal sulfate salt
The ionic compound formed when a metal reacts with sulfuric acid, consisting of the metal cation and the sulfate anion (SO₄²⁻).
Nitric acid
A strong acid that reacts with metals to produce salts and hydrogen gas. In Reactions of acids with metals, this term helps explain predict the salt produced when nitric acid reacts with a metal for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
Salt
A compound formed when an acid reacts with a metal, base, or carbonate, consisting of a positive ion from the metal and a negative ion from the acid.
Acid
A substance that donates hydrogen ions (H+) in aqueous solution. In Reactions of acids with metals, this term helps explain write word equations for reactions between acids and metals for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
Metal
An element that typically forms positive ions and can react with acids to produce salts and hydrogen.
acid-metal reaction
A chemical reaction where an acid reacts with a metal to produce a salt and hydrogen gas.
balanced symbol equation
An equation that shows the reactants and products of a chemical reaction with their correct stoichiometric coefficients.
hydrogen gas test
A method to identify hydrogen gas by bringing a lighted splint near the gas, which produces a 'pop' sound.
lighted splint
A small stick of wood or paper that is ignited and used to test for the presence of hydrogen gas.
reactivity series
A list of metals arranged in order of decreasing reactivity, used to predict how metals will react with acids.
dilute acid
An acid that has been mixed with water, resulting in a lower concentration of hydrogen ions.
neutralisation
The reaction between an acid and a base or alkali to produce salt and water. In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain describe neutralisation as the reaction between an acid and a base or alkali for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
alkali
A base that dissolves in water, producing hydroxide ions (OH-). In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain describe neutralisation as the reaction between an acid and a base or alkali for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
acid
A substance that donates hydrogen ions (H⁺) in aqueous solution. In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain state that acids react with alkalis to produce salts and water for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
alkali
A base that donates hydroxide ions (OH⁻) in aqueous solution. In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain state that acids react with alkalis to produce salts and water for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
Neutralisation
The reaction between an acid and a base or alkali to produce salt and water. In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain state that acids react with bases to produce salts and water for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
Salt
A compound formed when an acid reacts with a base, consisting of a positive ion from the base and a negative ion from the acid.
Neutralisation
The reaction between an acid and a base or alkali to produce salt and water. In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain state that acids react with carbonates to produce salts, water and carbon dioxide for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
Carbonate Reaction
The reaction of an acid with a carbonate that produces salt, water, and carbon dioxide.
Salt
A compound formed when an acid reacts with a base, alkali or carbonate, consisting of the conjugate base of the acid and the cation of the base.
Conjugate Base
The species remaining after an acid has donated a proton (H⁺); it combines with the cation of the reacting base to form the salt.
neutralisation
The reaction between an acid and a base or alkali to produce salt and water. In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain write word equations for acid-base, acid-alkali and acid-carbonate reactions for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
word equation
A representation of a chemical reaction using the names of the reactants and products.
neutralisation
The reaction between an acid and a base or alkali to produce salt and water. In Neutralisation of acids and salt production, this term helps explain write balanced symbol equations for neutralisation reactions when formulae are supplied for AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 Unit 4.4.
balanced symbol equation
A representation of a chemical reaction that shows the correct proportions of reactants and products using chemical symbols.
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