Title: pH Measurement and It’s Application

Objectives:

1. To prepare natural pH indicators from plants.

2. To determine the pH of household products using the natural pH indicator.
3. To perform acid-base reaction using household products.

Introduction:

pH is a measure of acidity or basicity of a solution. pH is defined as the negative

logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration, [H+].

pH = -log [H+]

The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. At 25 °C, a neutral solution has a pH of 7. An

acidic solution has a pH of less than 7 while a basic solution has a pH greater than 7.

There are two methods to determine pH in the laboratory. The first method

involves the use of indicators such as pH paper and the universal indicator. The second

method is using the pH meter. In this home-based experiment, a natural pH indicator

which can easily be prepared will be used to replace the indicators used in laboratory.

Acid-base indicators are weak organic acids that change colour depending on

the pH of a solution. Some plants contain highly coloured pigments that show colour

changes with changes in pH. Thus, this property makes them suitable to be used as

acid base indicators. Two examples of plants with this property are red cabbage and

butterfly pea flower (bunga telang).

In this experiment, extract from either one of these plants will be used as natural

pH indicator. The pH of some common household products will them be tested using

this indicator. This natural pH indicator is then further used to observe the change in

pH in a neutralisation reaction of acid and base from household products.

Procedure:

A: Preparation of natural pH indicator

1. Butterfly pea flowers were transferred into a bowl.

2. 500 ml water was boiled and poured into the bowl until it just covered the

butterfly pea flowers.

3. The mixture was stirs for two minutes until the water becomes intensely

coloured. The mixture was left to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes.

4. The butterfly pea flowers were filtered by using a strainer to collect the

coloured filtrate.

5. The natural pH indicator was ready to be used.

B: Testing the pH of household products

1. 1 teaspoon of the household products which are toothpaste, vinegar, laundry

detergent, shampoo, Febreze, dishwashing liquid and sodium bicarbonate

were placed into separate disposable transparent plastic cups.

2. 10 mL of water was added into each disposable transparent plastic cups and

was stir the mixture. Then 10 mL of natural pH indicator was added.

3. The colour of the solutions was observed and compared with the pH chart

provided and the pH range was determined. The observation was recorded.

4. Steps 1-3 were repeated using another two household products.

C: Acid-base reaction

1. ½ teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate was measured and poured into a

disposable transparent plastic cup. 15 mL of water was added and sir until the

sodium bicarbonate was dissolved.

2. 5 mL of natural indicator was added to the sodium bicarbonate solution. The

colour of the solution was compared to the pH chart provided and its pH was

determined.

3. 10 mL of vinegar was placed into another disposable transparent plastic cup

and 5 mL of the natural indicator was added. The colour of the solution was

compared to the pH chart provided and its pH was determined. The vinegar

solution was ready to be used.

4. Sodium bicarbonate solution was added slowly into the vinegar solution by

using a syringe until all sodium bicarbonate solution was completely used. The

pH for every 2 mL interval of sodium bicarbonate added was recorded by

referring to the pH chart provided.

 Results:

Testing the pH of household products.

Household products pH in natural indicator Acidic, Basic or Neutral

(Butterfly pea flower)

Toothpaste 8 Basic

Vinegar 4 Acidic

Laundry detergent 9 Basic

Shampoo 8 Basic

Sodium bicarbonate 10 Basic

Household odor 7 Neutral

(Febreze)
Dishwashing liquid 9 Basic

Acid-base reaction

Household products pH (butterfly pea flower)

Sodium bicarbonate 10
Vinegar 4

Volume of
sodium 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
bicarbonate
added (mL)
4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 7 7
pH
Discussion:

In this experiment, several household products were tested to determine the

pH value. To determine the pH value, a natural pH indicator was prepared using the

butterfly pea flower. The natural pH indicator was added with the household

products and compared with the pH chart that provided to determine the pH values

of each and every household product that used in this experiment.

A: Preparation of natural pH indicator

Butterfly pea flowers were transferred into a bowl. Some water boiled and was

poured into the bowl until it just covered the butterfly pea flowers. The mixture was

stirs for two minutes until the water becomes intensely coloured. The mixture was left

to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes to use as a natural pH indicator. The butterfly pea

flowers were filtered by using a strainer to collect the coloured filtrate. The natural pH

indicator was ready to be used.

B: Testing the pH of household products

1 teaspoon of all the household products which are toothpaste, vinegar, laundry

detergent, shampoo and sodium bicarbonate were placed into separate disposable

transparent plastic cups. 10 mL of water was added into each disposable transparent

plastic cups and was stir the mixture to dissolve all the households completely into the

water. Then 10 mL of natural pH indicator was added. The colour of the solutions was

observed and compared with the pH chart provided and the pH range was determined.

The observation was recorded. Vinegar was determined as an acid in this experiment

because the pH value is pH 4. Febreze was determined as neutral in this experiment

because its pH is pH 7. Toothpaste and shampoo were determined as basic as they

showed the pH value as pH 8. Detergent and dishwashing liquid were determined as

a basic solution as its pH value was pH 8. Sodium bicarbonate also determined as basic

as its pH value was pH 10.

C: Acid-base reaction

½ teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate was measured and poured into a disposable

transparent plastic cup. 15 mL of water was added and sir until the sodium bicarbonate

was dissolved. 5 mL of natural indicator was added to the sodium bicarbonate solution.

The colour of the solution was compared to the pH chart provided and its pH was

determined. 10 mL of vinegar was placed into another disposable transparent plastic

cup and 5 mL of the natural indicator was added. The colour of the solution was

compared to the pH chart provided and its pH was determined. The vinegar solution

was ready to be used. Sodium bicarbonate solution was added slowly into the vinegar

solution by using a syringe until all sodium bicarbonate solution was completely used.

The pH of the solution when all the sodium bicarbonate were used was pH 7.

Conclusion:

In this experiment, all the used household products were added tested to

determine the pH value. To determine the pH value, a natural pH indicator was used

which was prepared from butterfly pea flowers. Then, all the household products

were added with the natural pH indicator and the pH value of the household

products were determined.