FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Items of Basic Utility
Quiz about Items of Basic Utility

Items of "Basic" Utility Trivia Quiz


There is more chemistry around us (and within us) than you'd expect. In a bid to better appreciate this effervescent science, let's take a tour of ten basic - or maybe amphoteric - compounds we so often encounter. Best of luck and enjoy yourself!

A multiple-choice quiz by Trent500. Estimated time: 6 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Science Trivia
  6. »
  7. Chemistry
  8. »
  9. Acids and Bases

Author
Trent500
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
378,381
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
271
-
Question 1 of 10
1. Let's begin with the hydroxide of a light, silvery white metal; one that often reminds me of German lye rolls. With a colossal global demand, this basic compound finds vast use in petroleum drilling and in the removal of sulphurous impurities from sub grade crude oil. In solution form, it is employed for separating lignin from cellulose fibres in wood pulping for manufacturing paper. Vital to soap production, it is widely used as "caustic" in industries during cleaning processes. Which of the following compounds am I describing? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Next in line stands a crystalline, hygroscopic solid, the weakest among all alkali metal hydroxides. This fellow is a favourite in air purification systems in space capsules, where it is employed for absorbing carbon dioxide and accommodating more oxygen for breathing. Its light weight here is additionally an advantage in reducing the craft's launching weight. Identify this base, which is widely used in making greases, and as an electrolyte in electrical storage batteries. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Practically a household name today, this base finds utility in medical science as an antacid for curing heartburn and acid indigestion. This compound is used in fire extinguishers for controlling minor fires sparked by electricity and for removing paint and corrosion from the surfaces of metallic items. Its use in bakery for the leavening of bread lends it, among others, the name "bread soda." What is the compound in question? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Sulphuric acid, the 'Oil of Vitriol', is prepared industrially by the Contact Process. The amphoteric compound catalyses the high temperature oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide in this process. The most industrially important oxide of its parent metal, it is also useful as a catalyst in the preparation of oxalic acid, adipic acid and acrylic acid. What is this sparingly soluble, (generally) yellow solid? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. The next chemical specie is actually an aqueous solution of a basic gas. Its most popular use is as a cleaning agent - both singly and as a part of more complex cleansers, for removing grease from windows or ink spots from clothes. Its alkaline properties make it an effective antimicrobial agent and an acid regulator. The cosmetic industry often employs it for producing hair dyes and hair bleaching products. Which of the given compounds is this? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Available in the solid mineral form as brucite, this compound is mildly basic. It exhibits a milk like appearance when in the suspension form, which gives it a well known common name. In this suspended form, it is used in medical science as a laxative and an antacid. Which base is this, a highly significant component of structural materials used to build artificial coral reefs for the preservation of aquatic lifeforms? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Some bases are more suited for chemical analysis than others due to some unique chemical advantages. The compound under discussion is widely used in a qualitative test for verifying whether an organic compound is unsaturated. The property exploited here is its strong oxidising nature. Named after a German organic chemist, it is, chemically, cold and dilute alkaline potassium permanganate. By what name do we know this purplish pink reactant? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Next in sequence is a white, water soluble base which, due to its hygroscopic nature, is used as a mild drying agent for specific requirements. It was initially used to prepare "pearl ash," a leavening agent often used before baking powder came to the fore. It plays a major role in preparing certain types of glass and in helping to soften hard water. In our body processes, its helps maintain ionic equilibrium in sensory cells of the nervous system. Identify this base. Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Besides such entities, a number of biological bases operate inside our body, contributing to the body structure and to cellular metabolism in different ways. One category of biochemicals includes "nucleobases." These are nitrogenous bases attached to a sugar group and a phosphate group in nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA and RNA. Genes in the DNA strands decide an individual's hereditary traits. Which of the four given nucleobases is NOT found both in DNA and RNA? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Lime is a commercial chemical of widespread industrial use, notably as a crucial ingredient in manufacturing cement. This is the chemical that lent its name to "limelight", the popular form of theatrical lighting before electrical illumination developed. It is used as an instant source of energy, obtained through its hydration, and in the production of biodiesel. How "quickly" can you tell me the subject of the gossip? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Let's begin with the hydroxide of a light, silvery white metal; one that often reminds me of German lye rolls. With a colossal global demand, this basic compound finds vast use in petroleum drilling and in the removal of sulphurous impurities from sub grade crude oil. In solution form, it is employed for separating lignin from cellulose fibres in wood pulping for manufacturing paper. Vital to soap production, it is widely used as "caustic" in industries during cleaning processes. Which of the following compounds am I describing?

Answer: Sodium hydroxide

"Lye" and "caustic soda" are simply two of the common names that refer to sodium hydroxide. German lye rolls, named after this strong base, are given a glazing of sodium hydroxide to impart to the rolls a very characteristic crispness. The aluminium industry uses sodium hydroxide as a reagent for purifying impure bauxite.

It is highly reactive and is involved in vigorous reactions. Sodium hydroxide and water form an explosive reaction mixture - which is why the former is always preserved under kerosene. A paper manufacturing unit, apart from the use mentioned, may also use it to bleach the brown paper pulp produced later in the process.

In general, because of its strongly basic nature, it acts as an acid regulator to neutralise conditions of excessively acidic environments. This, however, also makes it dangerously corrosive - severe chemical burns may ensue if due care is not taken while handling the base.

NOTE: The word "amphoteric," wherever used, would refer to a substance that can exhibit either acidic or basic properties during chemical interactions.
2. Next in line stands a crystalline, hygroscopic solid, the weakest among all alkali metal hydroxides. This fellow is a favourite in air purification systems in space capsules, where it is employed for absorbing carbon dioxide and accommodating more oxygen for breathing. Its light weight here is additionally an advantage in reducing the craft's launching weight. Identify this base, which is widely used in making greases, and as an electrolyte in electrical storage batteries.

Answer: Lithium hydroxide

The parent metal of lithium hydroxide is lithium, the lightest metal naturally available. The process whereby air purification systems use lithium hydroxide is dubbed "carbon dioxide scrubbing." Even a small amount of the alkali (i.e., a water soluble base) can absorb a large volume of carbon dioxide.

Many widely useful greases, for example lithium stearate, can be prepared with its help. Since it is strongly alkaline, it is used in the coolant mixtures of some water reactors. This is done so that the coolant is rendered less acidic and corrosion in the reactor can be more effectively curbed.

NOTE: With reference to the question text, a "crystalline" substance may be defined as one in which the molecules constituting the substance display a definite geometric arrangement. Further, a "hygroscopic" substance is one which does absorb moisture from the atmosphere, but as opposed to a deliquescent substance, does not dissolve in the absorbed moisture.
3. Practically a household name today, this base finds utility in medical science as an antacid for curing heartburn and acid indigestion. This compound is used in fire extinguishers for controlling minor fires sparked by electricity and for removing paint and corrosion from the surfaces of metallic items. Its use in bakery for the leavening of bread lends it, among others, the name "bread soda." What is the compound in question?

Answer: Sodium hydrogencarbonate

Besides "bread soda", sodium hydrogencarbonate (more familiarly sodium bicarbonate) attaches to itself names such as "baking soda" (of course) and "bicarbonate of soda." As is characteristic of the bicarbonate family, sodium bicarbonate is a very mild base. It is generally manufactured via the Solvay process, from sodium chloride and calcium carbonate.

Of all the sodium bicarbonate produced worldwide, the major share is used in the form of animal feed additive and human food additive. Among other major applications, sodium bicarbonate is channelised for pharmaceutical use and a small amount is used in cosmetics. It shows an important presence in detergents, toothpaste and domestic cleaning agents.

Since it is so highly soluble in water, it is found in wide abundance in living beings as sodium and bicarbonate ions. Besides being a widely used additive, it is also to be found naturally in food.
4. Sulphuric acid, the 'Oil of Vitriol', is prepared industrially by the Contact Process. The amphoteric compound catalyses the high temperature oxidation of sulphur dioxide to sulphur trioxide in this process. The most industrially important oxide of its parent metal, it is also useful as a catalyst in the preparation of oxalic acid, adipic acid and acrylic acid. What is this sparingly soluble, (generally) yellow solid?

Answer: Vanadium pentoxide

Vanadium pentoxide generally shows yellow colouration in the solid form, though it is deep orange when freshly extracted as a precipitate. It has a large range of oxidation states, making it amphoteric in nature as well as a powerful oxidising agent. It is these numerous oxidation states that lend striking colours to its ionic compounds in acidic solutions.

The naming of its parent metal vanadium is thus very apt - vanadium is named after the Norse goddess Vanadis, a symbol of beauty and fertility. The larger chunk of vanadium pentoxide produced goes into the production of ferrovanadium - a universal hardener and strengthener besides being a corrosion resistant additive for steel.

NOTE: With reference to the question text, a "catalyst" is any chemical that enhances the speed of a reaction without participating in the reaction in any manner.
5. The next chemical specie is actually an aqueous solution of a basic gas. Its most popular use is as a cleaning agent - both singly and as a part of more complex cleansers, for removing grease from windows or ink spots from clothes. Its alkaline properties make it an effective antimicrobial agent and an acid regulator. The cosmetic industry often employs it for producing hair dyes and hair bleaching products. Which of the given compounds is this?

Answer: Ammonium hydroxide

Ammonium hydroxide may also be "aqueous ammonia", "ammonia water" or "ammoniacal liquor." Sometimes, popular parlance even uses ammonium hydroxide synonymously with "ammonia." The solution has a characteristically strong odour. Ammonium hydroxide, when concentrated, is hazardous to health and is capable of causing major burns.

In dilute solution form, however, it is used as a cleanser in domestic households, occurring in many product varieties. Though called ammonium hydroxide, there are actually very few molecules of the same present in the solution. The solution here consists mainly of ammonia and water molecules, along with smaller amounts of ammonium (NH4+) and hydroxyl (OH-) ions.

Identifying cations in qualitative analysis of compounds is another use that is especially suited to "liquor ammonia fortis."
6. Available in the solid mineral form as brucite, this compound is mildly basic. It exhibits a milk like appearance when in the suspension form, which gives it a well known common name. In this suspended form, it is used in medical science as a laxative and an antacid. Which base is this, a highly significant component of structural materials used to build artificial coral reefs for the preservation of aquatic lifeforms?

Answer: Magnesium hydroxide

Magnesium hydroxide is commonly used in medicine together with aluminium hydroxide to relieve heartburn and to cure acid indigestion through neutralisation. This suspension form of magnesium hydroxide is known in the common world as "Milk of Magnesia."

Magnesium hydroxide may be acquired as a precipitate by reacting a magnesium salt and any suitable hydroxide. Almost all of the compound prepared industrially, however, is prepared from sea water. Magnesium chloride occurs naturally in seawater and is reacted with lime. Magnesium hydroxide is hence precipitated out.

In view of the rapidly shrinking coral reef ecosystems, companies such as "Biorock" have formulated engineering materials that can build artificial reefs to help preserve these aquatic habitats. Magnesium hydroxide is a fundamental part of such products. Since solid brucite decomposes endothermically (i.e., by absorbing heat), it is helpful as a fire retardant.

NOTE: A precipitate is a solid formed when two chemical solutions interact through a reaction. The precipitate is characteristically insoluble in the given solution.
7. Some bases are more suited for chemical analysis than others due to some unique chemical advantages. The compound under discussion is widely used in a qualitative test for verifying whether an organic compound is unsaturated. The property exploited here is its strong oxidising nature. Named after a German organic chemist, it is, chemically, cold and dilute alkaline potassium permanganate. By what name do we know this purplish pink reactant?

Answer: Baeyer's reagent

Baeyer's reagent - named after the German chemist, Adolf von Baeyer - is used in organic chemistry to qualitatively check for unsaturation in a compound, for instance the presence of double or triple bonds. If reacted with a compound having unsaturated bonds, the reagent fades in colour from purplish pink to brown - as the brown solid manganese (IV) oxide precipitates out after the reaction.

The Baeyer's reagent test is also answered by aldehydes, formic acid and formic acid esters. Equivalently, bromine water may also check for unsaturated organic compounds. It is the especially high oxidising power of Baeyer's reagent that brings about the mentioned redox reaction - a reaction where reduction and oxidation occur in tandem.
8. Next in sequence is a white, water soluble base which, due to its hygroscopic nature, is used as a mild drying agent for specific requirements. It was initially used to prepare "pearl ash," a leavening agent often used before baking powder came to the fore. It plays a major role in preparing certain types of glass and in helping to soften hard water. In our body processes, its helps maintain ionic equilibrium in sensory cells of the nervous system. Identify this base.

Answer: Potassium carbonate

If sodium carbonate is to "soda ash", potassium carbonate is to "potash." The chief component of potash, it has, since historic times, been used to produce soap and glass products. Potassium fertilisers, used to enhance the growth of agricultural crops, are also obtained from the compound. It has a wide industrial scope beyond these as well.

It helps in reducing the acidity of the production environment when producing mead or wine. Since it can absorb moisture from the atmosphere, it is commonly used as a drying agent. Glass which is made using potash is particularly suited for glass colouring.

On a biological level, potassium carbonate helps regulate the level of potassium ions in the body, which aid in the conduction of nerve impulses. Besides, of course, it provides for a safe source of potassium, a nutrient which all living beings need, at least in trace amounts.
9. Besides such entities, a number of biological bases operate inside our body, contributing to the body structure and to cellular metabolism in different ways. One category of biochemicals includes "nucleobases." These are nitrogenous bases attached to a sugar group and a phosphate group in nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA and RNA. Genes in the DNA strands decide an individual's hereditary traits. Which of the four given nucleobases is NOT found both in DNA and RNA?

Answer: Thymine

DNA and RNA stand for deoxyribonucleic acid and ribonucleic acid respectively. These fall under a category of bio compounds called nucleic acids, which help in transmitting genetic characteristics from one generation to the next. Structure wise, these two compounds are double helixes, like a long coiled ladder. At each rung of the ladder, there is a pair of matching nucleobases.

There are overall five nucleobases - adenine, guanine, cytosine, thymine and uracil. Of these, cytosine always pairs with guanine. Adenine, however, may pair with thymine (in DNA) or with uracil (in RNA). Bases in every pair are glued together using hydrogen bonds.

Each nucleobase may be derived either from a pyrimidine molecule or a purine molecule. Cytosine, thymine and uracil are grouped as pyrimidines; while adenine and guanine are purines. Each nucleobase may have one or more side groups in its structure.
10. Lime is a commercial chemical of widespread industrial use, notably as a crucial ingredient in manufacturing cement. This is the chemical that lent its name to "limelight", the popular form of theatrical lighting before electrical illumination developed. It is used as an instant source of energy, obtained through its hydration, and in the production of biodiesel. How "quickly" can you tell me the subject of the gossip?

Answer: Calcium oxide

"Quicklime" is how you're supposed to address calcium oxide informally. "Lime" is, in essence, a broad name for an inorganic compound containing calcium. It is of such utility because of its low cost. It is produced in significantly large quantities per annum. A property which is widely exploited is quicklime's energetic reaction with water.

When quicklime reacts with water, enough energy is generated to set flammable materials on fire. It is hence a useful portable source of heat. This use had presumably extended into ancient warfare science too. A theory suggests that the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire used quicklime as part of its incendiary weapon, the "Greek fire." Greek fire is supposed to have continued burning even when floating on water. It is believed to have majorly contributed to many Byzantine military successes.

The petroleum industry uses the said reaction and the basic nature of quicklime to detect water in fuel storage containers. Heat calcium oxide to just over 2400 degrees Celsius, and you have "limelight" as you know it !
Source: Author Trent500

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor rossian before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us