ACID AND BASE

Testing the pH of Different Solutions

Group members :
Class :

AIM
The aim of this experiment is to acquire the skills needed to test and record the pH of different
solutions found in daily life using the natural indicator solution (red cabbage) and the
universal indicator. Additionally, students will learn how to determine whether the solution is
acidic, basic, or neutral using the litmus paper.

Using the pH level students have recorded, they will also need to identify whether the solution
is strongly acidic, weakly acidic, neutral, weakly basic, or strongly basic.

MATERIALS APPARATUS
- Red cabbage - Pestle & mortar
- Ethanol - Plastic pipettes
- Bleach - Beakers
- Coffee - Test tubes
- Soap solution - Test tube rack
- Milk - Knife
- Vinegar - Cutting board
- Tap water - Graduated cylinder
- Diluted sodium hydroxide (NaOH) - Labels

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS
Wear laboratory coat

METHODOLOGY:

A. MAKING INDICATOR SOLUTION

1. Cut up the red cabbage into smaller pieces using a knife and a cutting board.
2. Put the small pieces of red cabbage into the mortar and crush it using the pestle.
3. Use a graduated cylinder to pour ethanol little by little into the mortar as needed.
4. Crush the mixture of ethanol and red cabbage again until the color comes out.
5. Use another pipette to transfer some of the liquid from the mortar to a graduated cylinder.
B. TESTING THE PH OF DIFFERENT LIQUIDS USING RED CABBAGE SOLUTION
INDICATOR
1. Pour 3 ml of each type of liquid provided into each test tube.
2. Label each test tube according to the name of the liquid inside.
3. Add 3 ml of red cabbage indicator solution to each test tube.
4. Gently shake the test tube if needed.
5. Observe the color changes and use the red cabbage indicator chart below to help you fill in
Table B (Experiment Results).
Figure 1. Red Cabbage Indicator Chart

C. USING UNIVERSAL INDICATOR TO TEST PH LEVEL AND THE LITMUS PAPER TO

DETERMINE PROPERTY
1. Dip the universal indicator paper into the different types of liquids
2. Record the color and determine the pH using the chart below.
3. Dip the litmus paper into the different types of liquids.
4. Record the color as it will help you determine whether it is acidic, basic, or neutral.
*Litmus paper cannot help you determine the pH level, it can only help you identify whether
the liquid is acidic, basic, or neutral.
Figure 2. Universal Indicator Chart

Table 1. Litmus Indicator

Litmus color Type of substance

Red Acid

Blue Base

Purple Neutral
Table 2. Experiment Results

Liquid Color of Color of Universal pH Type of liquid:

indicator litmus indicator strong acid/weak
solution paper acid/neutral/weak
(red cabbage) base/strong base

Bleach

Coffee

Soap solution

Milk

Vinegar

Tap water

NaOH

QUESTIONS
1. Compare your indicator with litmus. Does your indicator turn the same color as litmus?
_____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Name two other plant materials (besides red cabbage) that you can use to make your own
indicator solution.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

3. Name other safety precautions you would need to follow to test pH of strong acids and
alkalis next time.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

4. Explain what is the difference between a base and alkali.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

5. Which of the liquids you tested is the strongest alkali and the strongest acid? Why do you
say so?
_____________________________________________________________________________________

6. Which type of pH indicator do you think is the most reliable and accurate? Why?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
NOTE TO PAK DWI (FOR TEACHERS ONLY)

Untuk bleach, coffee, red cabbage, milk, vinegar, nanti bagi tugas murid aja yang bawa
perkelompok bawa salah satu.

Materials needed:
- 0.1 M of NaOH -> 50 ml atau 100 ml
- Ethanol -> 125 ml

Equipments needed:
- 35 test tubes + 5 rak test tube (nanti per kelompok dapat 7 test tube 10 ml)
*Seandainya ngga cukup Mr kabarin aja test tube bisa diganti gelas plastik*
- 7 beaker for 7 different types of solutions 100 ml (bukan buat ditaruh di meja kelompok, buat
ditaruh di depan untuk solutions yg sharing satu kelas)
- 5 sets of pestle mortar
- 3 x 5 pipettes (15 total - jadi nanti per kelompok dapat 3 pipette di meja mrk, klo ngga cukup
2 pipette aja ngga papa berarti total 10)
- 7 x 2 pipettes (14 total - untuk di depan, bukan buat di meja kelompok, kalau ngga cukup
nggak harus 14 nggak papa, minim 7)
- 5 Graduated cylinder (25 ml - nanti buat ukur + taruh ethanolnya disini, perkelompok 1)
- Label sticker (per kelompok perlu 7 label)
- Litmus paper (blm tentu jadi)
- Universal indicators (50 strip, tapi bukan yang universal indicator yang per strip ada 4 kotak,
universal indicator yang satu warna aja biasanya)
- Sarung tangan? Buat pas handle dilute NaOH (tp gtw perlu ga ya)

Yang kayak dibawah ini (soalnya ini yg dipake materi grade 8 cambridge)

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