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Are acidity and alkalinity conserved quantities?


ScienceNostalgia101

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Looking at various chemical reactions, I used to see parallels in acidity and alkalinity to the energy concept. Acids and bases neutralize; sort of temperatures contrasting. Acids react with metals to form neutral hydrogen and salt; but those metals would if electrolyzed would've become alkaline, so it almost looks like the "alkalinity" equivalent of latent energy. And of course, if you burn plants, the ashes are alkaline, but the gases could be reacted with water to form acids. A divergence between alkalinity and acidity, if you will.

 

But then I found this.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLHfN7GvAyI#t=2m11s

 

This person forms a strong acid; hydrochloric acid; by reacting together two substances for which neither of them are strong acids. The other product of this reaction is not a strong base, so it's not a "divergent" reaction either. Is there some sort of "latent" alkalinity contained here? If so, could something like this be used to reverse the effects of acid rain by, let's say, reacting together substances that aren't strong bases to form a strong base, with the other product not being a strong acid, therefore increasing the pH of the bodies of water?

Edited by ScienceNostalgia101
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