Acids, bases, and salts are inorganic substances that break up or disassociate in solution or water to form charged particles or ions.

酸、鹼和鹽是無機物，它們在溶液或水中分解或解離，形成帶電粒子或離子。

The positive ions are called cations and the negatively charged ions are called anions.

帶正電的離子稱為陽離子，帶負電的離子稱為陰離子。

Before we look at acids, bases, and salts, let's take a look at water.

在瞭解酸、鹼和鹽之前，我們先來看看水。

A water molecule is made up of an oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms that are covalently bonded or share electrons with the oxygen atom.

水分子由一個氧原子和兩個氫原子組成，這兩個氫原子以共價鍵結合或與氧原子共用電子。

However, the electrons are not shared equally within the molecule as they have a higher probability of being found closer to the nucleus of the oxygen atom, giving that end a slightly negative charge.

不過，分子內的電子並不是均等共享的，因為電子更有可能靠近氧原子的原子核，從而使氧原子帶輕微的負電荷。

So the hydrogen atom's end of the molecule will have a slightly positive charge.

是以，分子中氫原子的一端會帶有輕微的正電荷。

These charge ends weakly attach the positive end of one water molecule to the negative end of an adjacent water molecule.

這些電荷端將一個水分子的正極與相鄰水分子的負極弱連接起來。

This attraction or bonding is called a hydrogen bond.

這種吸引力或結合稱為氫鍵。

Sometimes this attraction of a hydrogen atom of one water molecule to another molecule becomes so strong that it actually detaches from its original molecule and attaches to the other water molecule.

有時，一個水分子的氫原子對另一個水分子的吸引力變得如此之強，以至於它實際上脫離了原來的分子，附著在另一個水分子上。

So this yields a hydronium, or H3O positive ion, and a hydroxide, or OH negative ion.

這樣就產生了一個氫離子（或 H3O）正離子和一個氫氧根離子（或 OH）負離子。

Also, water molecules continually disassociate to form positive hydrogen ions and negative hydroxide ions.

此外，水分子不斷解離，形成正氫離子和負氫氧根離子。

This is a reversible reaction as noted by the formula H2O double arrow, or reversible reaction, positive hydrogen ion and negative hydroxide ion.

這是一個可逆反應，反應式為 H2O 雙箭頭，即可逆反應，氫離子為正，氫氧根離子為負。

The actual amount of these positive H3O or hydrogen ions in water is actually very, very small.

實際上，水中這些正 H3O 或氫離子的實際含量非常非常少。

To make things easier to understand, we will consider the positive H3O ion and the positive hydrogen ion as one and the same.

為了便於理解，我們將把正 H3O 離子和正氫離子視為同一個離子。

So, in pure water, the amount of positive hydrogen ions and negative OH ions is the same.

是以，在純水中，正氫離子和負 OH 離子的數量是相同的。

Now for acids.

現在是酸。

An acid is any substance that when added to an aqueous solution, or water, will release a hydrogen ion or increase the concentration of hydrogen ions.

酸是指加入水溶液或水中會釋放出氫離子或增加氫離子濃度的任何物質。

So, how strong an acid is depends on the amount of hydrogen ions produced.

是以，酸的強度取決於產生的氫離子的數量。

For instance, hydrochloric acid, or HCl, which is a hydrogen atom bonded to a chlorine atom, when added to a solution, or water, will disassociate or break down into negative chlorine ions and positive hydrogen ions.

例如，鹽酸（或 HCl）是由一個氫原子與一個氯原子結合而成的，當加入溶液或水中時，會解離或分解成負的氯離子和正的氫離子。

Hydrochloric acid is a strong acid as it completely disassociates in water.

鹽酸是一種強酸，因為它在水中完全解離。

Now for bases.

現在是底座。

Bases are essentially the opposites of acids in that they shift the hydrogen ion-hydroxide ion balance in favor of the negative hydroxide ion.

鹼基本上是酸的對立面，它們使氫離子和氫氧根離子的平衡向氫氧根負離子傾斜。

This can be done by increasing the number of hydroxide ions or decreasing the number of hydrogen ions.

這可以通過增加氫氧根離子的數量或減少氫離子的數量來實現。

For instance, sodium hydroxide, or NaOH, will break down or disassociate into positive Na ions and negative OH ions.

例如，氫氧化鈉（或 NaOH）會分解或解離為正 Na 離子和負 OH 離子。

So the balance is shifted in favor of the negative hydroxide ions, meaning sodium hydroxide is a base.

是以，天平向氫氧根負離子傾斜，這意味著氫氧化鈉是鹼。

Bases can also be strong or weak depending on how well they break apart.

鹼也有強鹼和弱鹼之分，這取決於它們的分解程度。

Sodium hydroxide is a strong base.

氫氧化鈉是一種強鹼。

This brings us next to the pH scale, which is basically an abbreviation for the phrase power of hydrogen.

這就引出了 pH 值，它基本上是 "氫的力量 "這一短語的縮寫。

So the pH scale measures the concentration of hydrogen ions of a solution, or it measures how acidic or basic a substance is.

是以，pH 標度測量的是溶液中氫離子的濃度，或者說它測量的是物質的酸鹼性。

As the amount of positive hydrogen ions increases, the pH goes down, and the solution becomes more acidic.

隨著正氫離子數量的增加，pH 值下降，溶液變得更酸。

As the amount of positive hydrogen ions decreases, the pH goes up, and the solution becomes more basic.

隨著正氫離子數量的減少，pH 值上升，溶液的鹼性增強。

On a pH scale, a pH of 7 means the solution is neutral, or the number of positive hydrogen ions equals the number of negative hydroxide or OH ions.

在 pH 標度上，pH 值為 7 意味著溶液呈中性，或者說正氫離子的數量等於負氫氧根離子或 OH 離子的數量。

A pH of less than 7 means the solution is more acidic or more hydrogen ions than hydroxide ions.

pH 值小於 7 意味著溶液酸性更強，或氫離子多於氫氧根離子。

And a pH of greater than 7 means the solution is more basic or more hydroxide ions than hydrogen ions.

pH 值大於 7 意味著溶液鹼性更強，或者說氫氧根離子比氫離子多。

On the scale, hydrochloric acid, which we mentioned earlier and is produced in the stomach, is at the most acidic end having a pH of 0.

在酸鹼度表中，我們前面提到的鹽酸是在胃中產生的，處於酸性最強的一端，pH 值為 0。

Vinegar has a pH of 3, coffee has a pH of 5, and pure water has a pH of 7, making it neutral.

醋的 pH 值為 3，咖啡的 pH 值為 5，純淨水的 pH 值為 7，呈中性。

On the opposite end, sodium hydroxide, which we mentioned earlier, is at the most basic or alkaline end having a pH of 14.

相反，我們前面提到的氫氧化鈉是鹼性最強的物質，pH 值為 14。

Ammonia has a pH of about 11, and baking soda has a pH of between 8 and 9.

氨的 pH 值約為 11，而小蘇打的 pH 值在 8 到 9 之間。

Now we can look at salts.

現在我們來看看鹽。

A salt is a chemical compound formed from the reaction of an acid with a base.

鹽是一種酸與鹼反應生成的化合物。

So hydrochloric acid, HCl, can interact with sodium hydroxide, NaOH, a base, and form sodium chloride, NaCl, and water, H2O.

是以，鹽酸（HCl）可以與鹼氫氧化鈉（NaOH）作用，生成氯化鈉（NaCl）和水（H2O）。

Salts break apart or disassociate in a solution of water to form positive and negative ions, which make them important for certain body functions.

鹽在水溶液中分解或解離，形成正離子和負離子，是以對人體的某些功能非常重要。

There are many different salts that are important in the body, such as sodium chloride, or NaCl, and potassium chloride, or KCl.

人體內有許多種重要的鹽，如氯化鈉（或 NaCl）和氯化鉀（或 KCl）。

These salts are often most effective as charged ions or atoms in solution, as the positively charged potassium ion and the positively charged sodium ion are required for muscle contraction.

由於肌肉收縮需要帶正電的鉀離子和帶正電的鈉離子，是以這些鹽在溶液中通常作為帶電離子或原子最為有效。

And that be the basics on acids, bases, salts, and pH level.

這就是酸、鹼、鹽和 pH 值的基本知識。

For more information, visit www.FEMA.gov

欲瞭解更多資訊，請訪問 www.FEMA.gov