ACIDS
Curd, lemon juice, orange juice and vinegar taste sour. These substances taste sour because they contain acids. The chemical nature of such substances is acidic. The word acid comes from the Latin word acere which means sour. The acids in these substances are natural acids.
|
Name of acid |
Found in |
|
Acetic acid |
Vinegar |
|
Formic acid |
Ant’s sting |
|
Citric acid |
Citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, etc. |
|
Lactic acid |
Curd |
|
Oxalic acid |
Spinach |
|
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C) |
Amla, Citrus fruits |
|
Tartaric acid |
Tamarind, grapes, unripe mangoes, etc. |
|
All the acids mentioned above occur in nature |
|
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK
BASES
What about baking soda? Does it also taste sour? If not, what is its taste? Since it does not taste sour it means, that it has no acids in it. It is bitter in taste. If you rub its solution between fingers, it feels soapy. Generally, substances like these which are bitter in taste and feel soapy on touching are known as bases. The nature of such substances is said to be basic.
|
Name of base |
Found in |
|
Calcium hydroxide |
Lime water |
|
Ammonium hydroxide |
Window cleaner |
|
Sodium hydroxide/ Potassium hydroxide |
Soap |
|
Magnesium hydroxide |
Milk of magnesia |
Source: This topic is taken from NCERT TEXTBOOK