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Acid-Base Solutions

Acid-Base Solutions Screenshot Download 2,114 kB
Version: 1.02 (change log)
How do strong and weak acids differ? Use lab tools on your computer to find out! Dip the paper or the probe into solution to measure the pH, or put in the electrodes to measure the conductivity. Then see how concentration and strength affect pH. Can a weak acid solution have the same pH as a strong acid solution?

See Below

Teaching Resources

Main Topics

  • Acids
  • Bases
  • Solutions
  • Equilibrium

Sample Learning Goals

  • Given acids or bases at the same concentration, demonstrate understanding of acid and base strength by: 1. Relating the strength of an acid or base to the extent to which it dissociates in water 2. Identifying all of the molecules and ions that are present in a given acid or base solution. 3.Comparing the relative concentrations of molecules and ions in weak versus strong acid (or base) solutions. 4.Describing the similarities and differences between strong acids and weak acids or strong bases and weak bases.
  • Demonstrate understanding of solution concentration by: 1. Describing the similarities and differences between concentrated and dilute solutions. 2. Comparing the concentrations of all molecules and ions in concentrated versus dilute solutions of a particular acid or base.
  • Use both the strength of the acid or base and the concentration of its solution in order to:1. Describe in words and pictures (graphs or molecular drawings) what it means if you have a: Concentrated solution of a weak acid (or base) or Concentrated solution of a strong acid (or base) or other combinations. 2. Investigate different combinations of strength/concentrations that result in same pH values.
  • Describe how common tools (pH meter, conductivity, pH paper) help identify whether a solution is an acid or base and strong or weak and concentrated or dilute.

Tips for Teachers

The teacher's guide (pdf) contains tips created by the PhET team.

Teaching Ideas

Title Authors Level Type Updated
Acid Concentration and Strength Investigation This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Julia Chamberlain, Susan Hendrickson HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Other		 3/28/13
Acid-Base Macro Particulate Symbolic This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Ted Clark UG-Intro
HS		 HW
Other		 3/28/13
Using PhET in High School Chemistry- all my activities in pdf This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro		 HW
Lab
CQs
Demo		 7/20/13
Acid Base Solutions - Concentration and Strength This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
HS		 CQs
Lab
HW		 7/4/13
Strong and Weak Acids This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Kelly Lancaster, Laurie Langdon UG-Intro
HS		 HW
CQs
Lab		 12/29/10
Concept Questions for Chemistry using PhET This contribution was designed by PhET. This contribution has received a Gold Star because it is a high quality inquiry-based activity that follows the PhET design guidelines (PDF) and teachers have found it useful. Trish Loeblein UG-Intro
MS
HS		 CQs 7/9/13
Acid-Base Discovery (ICP/Physical Science Level) S. Mitchell HS Lab 11/19/10
Intro to Strong and Weak Acids and Bases Chris Bires MS
HS		 Lab 5/17/11
산-염기 용액 SIM 사용지침서 이화국(Wha Kuk Lee) UG-Intro
HS		 Lab
Demo		 5/17/13

You can submit your own ideas and activities.

Translated Versions:

Language Language (Translated) Simulation Title
Albanian shqipe Tretësirat acido-bazike Run Now
Arabic العربية محاليل حمض-قاعدة Run Now
Basque Basque Azido-base Soluzioak Run Now
Bosnian Bosnian KISELO-BAZNI RASTVORI Run Now
Brazilian Portuguese português (Brasil) Soluções ácido-base Run Now
Chinese - Simplified 中文 (中国) Acid-Base Solutions 酸碱溶液 Run Now
Chinese - Traditional 中文 (台灣) Acid-Base Solutions 酸鹼溶液 Run Now
Danish Dansk Syre-Base opløsninger Run Now
Dutch Nederlands Zuur-Base oplossingen Run Now
Estonian Eesti Happe-aluse lahused Run Now
Finnish suomi Happo-emäs-liuokset Run Now
French français Solutions Acido-basiques Run Now
Galician Gallegan Disolucións Ácido-Base Run Now
Georgian Georgian მჟავა და ტუტე ხსნარები Run Now
German Deutsch Säure-Base Lösungen Run Now
Greek Ελληνικά Διαλύματα Οξέων-Βάσεων Run Now
Hebrew עברית תמיסות חומצה-בסיס Run Now
Hungarian magyar Sav-bázis oldatok Run Now
Indonesian Bahasa Indonesia Larutan Asam-Basa Run Now
Italian italiano Soluzioni acido-base Run Now
Japanese 日本語 酸・塩基の水溶液と電離 Run Now
Kazakh Kazakh басындағы танымдыр Run Now
Khmer Khmer សូលុយស្យុង​អាស៊ីត-បាស Run Now
Korean 한국어 산-염기 용액 Run Now
Lao Lao ສານລະລາຍກົດ-ເບດສ Run Now
Macedonian македонски КИСЕЛО-БАЗНИ РАСТВОРИ Run Now
Marathi Marathi आम्ल-आम्लारी द्रावण Run Now
Norwegian Bokmal Norwegian Bokmål Syre/base-løsning Run Now
Persian Persian محلول اسيد و باز Run Now
Polish polski Kwasowość i zasadowość roztworów Run Now
Portuguese português Solução ácido-base Run Now
Romanian română Soluții acido-bazice Run Now
Russian русский Кислотно-щелочные растворы Run Now
Serbian Српски КИСЕЛО-БАЗНИ РАСТВОРИ Run Now
Slovenian Slovenščina Kisle in bazične raztopine Run Now
Spanish español Soluciones Ácido-Base Run Now
Spanish (Peru) español (Perú) Soluciones de Ácido-Base Run Now
Swedish svenska Syra-Bas-lösningar Run Now
Tamil Tamil அமிலக்கார கரைசல்கள் Run Now
Thai ไทย สารละลายกรด-เบส Run Now
Turkish Türkçe Asit-Baz Çözeltisi Run Now
Turkmen Turkmen Kislota-aşgar erginleri Run Now
Vietnamese Tiếng Việt Dung dịch Acid-Base Run Now

Software Requirements

Windows Macintosh Linux
Microsoft Windows
XP/Vista/7
Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later 		OS 10.5 or later
Sun Java 1.5.0_19 or later 		Sun Java 1.5.0_15 or later

Credits

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Kelly Lancaster (lead)
  • Chris Malley (developer)
  • Patricia Loeblein
  • Robert Parson
  • Kathy Perkins
  • Piccolo2D
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