GCSE Chemistry

! Do bases always have to react with acids to make salt and water or can they make salt and hydrogen instead? For instance, I heard that some metal bases react with acids to form salt plus hydrogen. Would those metals simply not be considered bases or can bases form hydrogen as a product instead of water?

Reply 1

BankaiGintoki

Original post by VoiidDev

Depends on the base:. Base are proton acceptors.
For gcse, bases are metal oxides, metal carbonates, metal hydroxides, (ammonia, A Level)
Metal oxide + acid -> salt + water
Metal hydroxide + acid -> salt + water
Metal carbonate + acid -> salt + water + carbon dioxide
You are thinking of a metal and a acid. Metals on their own are not a base
Metal + acid -> salt + hydrogen

The definition of a salt is the H+ in the acid is replaced by the metal or ammonium ion.