Acids, Bases and Salts

Contents & notes: what this topic covers

Under Acids, Bases and Salts, the JAMB Chemistry syllabus expects you to study:

• 8. Acids, Bases and Salts
• (a) General characteristics, properties and uses of acids, bases and salts.
• Acids/base indicators, basicity of acids;
• normal, acidic, basic and double salts.
• An acid defined as a substance whose aqueous solution furnishes H3O+ions or as a proton donor. Ethanoic, citric and tartaric acids as examples of naturally occurring organic acids, alums as examples of double salts, preparation of salts by neutralization, precipitation and action of acids on metals. Oxides and trioxocarbonate (IV) salts
• (b) Qualitative comparison of the conductance of molar solutions of strong and weak acids and bases, relationship between conductance and amount of ions present
• (c) pH and pOH scale;
• Simple calculations, (x) significance of pH value in everyday life, Buffer solution (xi (xi (xi
• (d) Acid/base titrations (xi (xv (xv
• (e) Hydrolysis of salts;
• Simple examples such as NH4Cl, AlCl3, Na2CO3 and CH3COONa

Study notes & guidance

Study Acids, Bases and Salts using a recommended Chemistry textbook that follows the JAMB syllabus. Work through the contents listed above one by one, make brief notes in your own words, and then practise as many questions on this topic as you can — in Chemistry, understanding and steady practice matter far more than memorising. Use the objectives below as a checklist: if you can do each one confidently, you have mastered this topic.

Objectives — candidates should be able to

After studying Acids, Bases and Salts, you should be able to:

1. (i) distinguish between the properties of acids and bases; (ii) identify the different types of acids and bases; (iii) determine the basicity of acids; (iv) differentiate between acidity and alkalinity using acid/base indicators; (v) identify the various methods of preparation of salts; (vi) classify different types of salts; (vii) relate degree of dissociation to strength of acids and bases; (viii) relate degree of dissociation to conductance; (ix) perform simple calculations on pH and pOH; enumerate the significance of pH in everyday life;
2. State applications of Buffer solution;
3. Identify the appropriate acid-base indicator;
4. Interpret graphical representation of titration curves;
5. Perform simple calculations based on the mole concept;
6. Balance equations for the hydrolysis of salts; and
7. Deduce the properties (acidic, basic, neutral) of the resultant solution.

These objectives are from the official JAMB syllabus. Use them as a checklist — if you can do each one confidently, you have mastered this topic.

Source: official JAMB UTME Chemistry syllabus (IBASS, jamb.gov.ng). Reproduced for study use. Last checked: 17 Sept 2026. Always confirm the current syllabus on the official portal.