AQA GCSE Chemistry

Acids, alkalis & neutralisation

AQA GCSE Chemistry revision on Acids, alkalis & neutralisation. Aligned to the AQA GCSE Chemistry 8462 specification. This bank has 27 practice questions on this topic.

Sample questions (3 of 27)

  1. Question 1

    On the pH scale, a strong acid has a pH of...

    • A) 7
    • B) 10
    • C) 14
    • D) 1
    Show answer

    Answer: 1

    pH scale: 0-6 acidic (lower = stronger), 7 neutral (pure water), 8-14 alkaline (higher = stronger). The scale is LOGARITHMIC - pH 1 is 10x more acidic than pH 2, and 100x more acidic than pH 3. Strong acids fully ionise in water (HCl, H2SO4, HNO3); weak acids only partially ionise (vinegar, citric acid).

  2. Question 2

    When acid meets alkali, the products are...

    • A) Acid + more alkali
    • B) Salt + water
    • C) Hydrogen + oxygen
    • D) Two acids
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    Answer: Salt + water

    General equation: acid + alkali -> salt + water. Example: HCl + NaOH -> NaCl + H2O. The 'salt' depends on the acid + alkali: HCl gives chlorides, H2SO4 gives sulfates, HNO3 gives nitrates. Useful in: treating indigestion (alkali tablets neutralise stomach acid), treating acidic soil with lime, treating bee stings (alkaline) with vinegar.

  3. Question 3

    A solution turns universal indicator GREEN. The pH is approximately...

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    Answer: 7

    Universal indicator colours: red (1-3, strong acid), orange/yellow (4-5, weak acid), green (6-7-8, neutral), blue (9-11, weak alkali), purple (12-14, strong alkali). Lab use: add a few drops to a solution, compare with the colour chart. Limitations: subjective, doesn't work well in coloured solutions. Lab analysis uses a pH meter for accuracy.

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24 more questions on Acids, alkalis & neutralisation — plus mistakes tracking and spaced repetition across the whole Chemistry spec.