Mnemonics: Acids, Bases and Salts | Science Class 10 PDF Download

1. Nature of Acids

Mnemonic: Acid SHIP

• S – Sour taste (acids have a characteristic sour taste, e.g., citric acid in lemons).
• H – H⁺ donor (acids release hydrogen ions in solution, per the Arrhenius definition).
• I – Indicator change (acids turn blue litmus red and affect other pH indicators).
• P – pH (pH below 7).

2. Nature of Bases 

Mnemonic: Base BASH

• B – Bitter taste (bases have a characteristic bitter taste, e.g., in baking soda solutions).

• A – Alkaline pH (bases increase pH in aqueous solutions, typically above 7).

• S – Slippery feel (bases feel slippery or soapy, e.g., soap solutions).

• H – Hydroxide or H⁺ acceptor (bases often release OH⁻ ions in water or accept H⁺, per Arrhenius or Brønsted-Lowry definitions).

3. Types of Acids and Examples

Mnemonic: Strong HNS" vs "Weak COLA

Strong HNS (Strong acids- all inorganic acids)

• Strong  – Strong Acid
  
• H – Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
• N – Nitric acid (HNO₃)
• S – Sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄)

Weak COLA (Weak acids- all organic acids)

• Weak – Weak Acid
• ​C – Citric acid
• O – Oxalic acid
• L – Lactic acid
• A – Acetic acid

4. Indicators Mnemonic 

Mnemonic: Let Me Paint On Van

• L – Litmus (red/blue)

• M – Methyl orange

• P – Phenolphthalein

• O – Onion (olfactory indicator)

• V – Vanilla/clove (olfactory indicators)

5. Neutralization Reaction

Mnemonic: Neutral Nation: Acid Meets Base = Salt + Splash

Sour acids and soapy bases combine to give salt and water. It’s a classic neutralization reaction, used in antacids and stings.

6. Types of Salts formed by Neutralization Reaction

Mnemonic: Same Strength Neutralizes othewise  Strong Wins Always

•  Same Strength Neutralizes
  Strong Acid + Strong Base = Neutral Salt

• Strong Wins Always
  Strong Acid + Weak = Acidic Salt 
  Strong Base + Weak Acid = Basic Salt 

7. Acid-Metal Reactions

Mnemonic: Acids Melt Metals, Spark Hydrogen
Acids react with metals like Zn to form salt and release hydrogen gas, which sparks with a pop when tested with a flame.

• Acids Melt: Acids react with metals.

• Metals: Like Zn, produce salt (e.g., ZnCl₂).

• Spark Hydrogen: Release H₂ gas (pops with flame).

8. Acid-Carbonate Reactions

Mnemonic: Carbonates Acidify, Spit CO₂

Carbonates react with acids to form salt, water, and carbon dioxide, which turns lime water milky, confirming the presence of CO₂.

• Carbonates: Metal carbonates/hydrogencarbonates.

• Acidify: React with acids to form salt.

• Spit CO₂: Produce CO₂ (milky lime water test) and water.

9. Common Salt Derivatives – "Sweet Boys Bake Warm Cakes"

Mnemonic: Sweet Boys Bake Warm Sweets (from NaCl) 

Easy recall of 3 key derivatives of common salt (NaCl).

• S – Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)
  

• B – Bleaching powder
  

• B – Baking soda
  

• W– Washing soda

10. Testing for Gases – “Pop for H₂, Milk for CO₂”

Mnemonic: Pop for H₂, Milk for CO₂

• Pop sound – Hydrogen test with burning candle
  

• Milkiness – CO₂ test using limewater turning milky

11. Chlor-Alkali Process

Mnemonic: Salty Water Gives Cool Hot Soda 

• S – Salty = Salt water (Sodium chloride solution a.k.a brine)

• W – Water = Electrolysis of brine + water

• G – Gives = Produces

• C – Cool = Chlorine gas at Anode

• H – Hot = Hydrogen gas at Cathode

• S – Soda = Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) remains in solution

12. Uses of Bleaching Powder 

Mnemonic: Bright Clothes, Clean Water, Strong Reactions

• B – Bright Clothes → Used for bleaching cotton & linen (textile industry)

• C – Clean Water → Disinfectant for drinking water

• S – Strong Reactions → Acts as an oxidizing agent in industries

13. Uses of Baking Soda 

Mnemonic:  Rise, Relief, Rescue or RRR
Summarizes the 3 main uses of baking soda.

• R - Rise → Used in baking to produce CO₂ that helps cakes/bread rise

• R - Relief → Acts as an antacid to give relief from acidity

• R - Rescue → Used in fire extinguishers to help rescue by releasing CO₂

14. Uses of Washing Soda 

Mnemonic: Glass Soaps Cleans Hardness

• G → Used in the glass industry

• S → Used in soap and paper industries

• C → Acts as a cleaning agent for household use

• H → Removes permanent hardness of water

15. Plaster of Paris

Mnemonic: Gypsum Halves Water, Forms Plaster

• Gypsum: CaSO₄· 2H₂O.

• Halves Water: Heated to 100°C, looses water to forms CaSO₄·½H₂O.

• Forms Plaster: Used in casts, sculpting.