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9701 A Level Chemistry/ Topic 25 Equilibria (A Level)/ 6 interactive simulations/ drag to rotate 3D scenes

Acid-base equilibria, made interactive

Six simulations covering Topic 25: the ionic product of water and the pH of strong acids and bases; weak acids, Ka and pKa with the pH worked out from the approximation and the quadratic; buffer solutions with the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation and the effect of adding acid or base; titration curves for the four acid-base combinations with methyl orange and phenolphthalein; the solubility product and the common ion effect in 3D; and partition coefficients between two solvents.

1. Water, Kw and strong acids and bases 2D · 25.1

Water ionises very slightly, and the product of the two ion concentrations is a constant. That one fact links [H⁺], [OH⁻] and pH for every aqueous solution. Pick an acid or a base, change its concentration, and watch the two ions trade places on a logarithmic scale.

Solution

CONCENTRATION
[H⁺] / mol dm−3
[OH⁻] / mol dm−3
pH
pOH
EQUATION
Exam point: pH = −log[H⁺]; Kw = [H⁺][OH⁻] = 1.00 × 10−14 mol² dm−6 at 298 K. Check whether the acid or base is monobasic or dibasic before you start.

2. Weak acids and Ka 2D · 25.1

A weak acid is only partly dissociated, so its pH cannot be read straight from its concentration. The equilibrium constant Ka does the job. Choose an acid, change the concentration, and see how many molecules actually give up a proton.

Weak acid

CONCENTRATION
Ka / mol dm−3
pKa
pH (approximation)
pH (quadratic)
DISSOCIATED
EQUILIBRIUM
Exam point: assume [H⁺] = [A⁻] and [HA] at equilibrium is the same as the starting concentration, so [H⁺] = √(Kac). State these two assumptions when you use the approximation.

3. Buffers in action 2D · 25.2

A buffer is a weak acid with its conjugate base, both present in quantity. Whatever acid or base you add finds something to react with, so the pH barely moves. Add the same dose to a buffer and to plain water and compare, then change the ratio to set the pH yourself.

Buffer

RATIO [A⁻] : [HA]
pH of buffer
pH of water
pKa
COMPOSITION
Exam point: pH = pKa + log([A⁻]/[HA]). Added H⁺ reacts with A⁻; added OH⁻ reacts with HA. Use moles after reaction, then the ratio. Each dose is 1.0 cm³ of 0.100 mol dm−3 acid or base into 100 cm³.

4. Titration curves and indicators 2D · 25.2

Add 0.100 mol dm−3 base to 25.0 cm³ of 0.100 mol dm−3 acid and plot the pH. The shape of the curve depends on whether each partner is strong or weak, and that decides which indicator can mark the equivalence point.

Acid in the flask

Base from the burette

Indicator

VOLUME ADDED
pH now
pH at equivalence
THIS INDICATOR
Exam point: choose an indicator whose colour-change range lies on the steep part of the curve. Methyl orange (3.1–4.4) suits strong acid with weak base; phenolphthalein (8.3–10.0) suits weak acid with strong base; either suits strong with strong.

5. Solubility product and common ions 3D · 25.3

A sparingly soluble salt sets up an equilibrium between the solid and its ions, and Ksp is its equilibrium constant. Dissolve the salt in a solution that already contains one of its ions and the solubility drops. Or mix two solutions and compare the ionic product with Ksp to see whether a precipitate forms.

drag to rotate · wheel to zoom

Salt

Mode

ADDED ION CONCENTRATION
Ksp EXPRESSION
SOLUBILITY IN WATER
SOLUBILITY WITH COMMON ION
IONIC PRODUCT
Exam point: a precipitate forms when the ionic product (using the concentrations after mixing) exceeds Ksp. Remember to dilute each concentration when the volumes are combined.

6. Partition coefficient 2D · 25.4

Shake a solute with two liquids that do not mix and it divides itself between them in a fixed ratio. Choose Kpc and the volume of solvent, see how much X is pulled out of the water, and then compare one large extraction with two smaller ones.

Extracting 1.00 g of X from 100 cm³ of water

Kpc = [X]org / [X]aq
VOLUME OF ORGANIC SOLVENT
IN ORGANIC LAYER (one shake)
LEFT IN WATER (one shake)
EXTRACTED, TWO HALF-SHAKES
Exam point: Kpc has no units when the concentrations are in the same units, and it applies only if X has the same molecular form in both solvents and the temperature is constant.
TheLucidSTEM · Cambridge International A Level Chemistry 9701 · Topic 25 Equilibria (A Level). Every scene runs in the browser; drag to rotate 3D scenes, wheel to zoom. Values are standard textbook data rounded for teaching.

About this lab: Acid-base equilibria

Six interactive simulations for Cambridge A Level Chemistry 9701 topic 25 Equilibria: the ionic product of water Kw and the pH of strong acids and bases, weak acids with Ka, pKa and the pH of 0.100 mol dm-3 ethanoic acid, buffers shown as the same dose of acid or base added to a buffer and to water, titration curves with methyl orange and phenolphthalein for strong and weak acids and bases, the solubility product Ksp with the common ion effect and precipitation shown with 3D ions, and the partition coefficient Kpc with one large extraction compared with two small ones.

Six simulations covering Topic 25: the ionic product of water and the pH of strong acids and bases; weak acids, Ka and pKa with the pH worked out from the approximation and the quadratic; buffer solutions with the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation and the effect of adding acid or base; titration curves for the four acid-base combinations with methyl orange and phenolphthalein; the solubility product and the common ion effect in 3D; and partition coefficients between two solvents.

Acid-base equilibria is a free, browser-based simulation for Cambridge International AS & A Level Chemistry 9701 (topic 25 Equilibria). The course is assessed in Paper 1 (Multiple Choice (AS)), Paper 2 (AS Structured), Paper 3 (Advanced Practical), Paper 4 (A Level Structured), Paper 5 (Planning, Analysis, Evaluation). Syllabus for examination in 2025-2027. There are 6 tabs, each a self-contained experiment with its own controls and live readings, and nothing to install: it runs on a laptop, tablet or classroom projector.

Syllabus coverage

Full syllabus map: A Level Chemistry 9701 topic 25.

How to use this simulation

  1. 1. Water, Kw and strong acids and bases. Water ionises very slightly, and the product of the two ion concentrations is a constant.
  2. 2. Weak acids and Ka. A weak acid is only partly dissociated, so its pH cannot be read straight from its concentration.
  3. 3. Buffers in action. A buffer is a weak acid with its conjugate base, both present in quantity.
  4. 4. Titration curves and indicators. Add 0.100 mol dm−3 base to 25.0 cm³ of 0.100 mol dm−3 acid and plot the pH.
  5. 5. Solubility product and common ions. A sparingly soluble salt sets up an equilibrium between the solid and its ions, and Ksp is its equilibrium constant.
  6. 6. Partition coefficient. Shake a solute with two liquids that do not mix and it divides itself between them in a fixed ratio.
  7. The buttons at the end of the tab strip give the scene the whole window (Full screen, Hide controls) and, on a dark stage, a projector-friendly palette (Light scene). Many scenes also have drag handles: drag them to change the set-up directly.

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