EEB3 S3: Indicators, pH and Neutralisation 23-Sep-20

Indicators and the pH scale

Solutions can be acidic, alkaline or neutral:

 we get an acidic solution when an acid is dissolved in water

 we get an alkaline solution when an alkali is dissolved in water
 solutions that are neither acidic nor alkaline are neutral

Pure water is neutral, and so is petrol.

An indicator is a substance that changes colour when it is added to acidic

or alkaline solutions. You can prepare homemade indicators from red
cabbage or beetroot juice - these will help you see if a solution is acidic or
alkaline.

Litmus and universal indicator are two indicators that are commonly used
in the laboratory.

Litmus

Litmus indicator solution turns red in acidic solutions and blue in alkaline
solutions. It turns purple in neutral solutions.

Litmus paper is usually more reliable, and comes as red litmus paper and
blue litmus paper. The table shows the colour changes it can make.

Red litmus Blue litmus

Acidic solution Stays red Turns red

Neutral solution Stays red Stays blue

Alkaline solution Turns blue Stays blue

Notice how we say 'stays red'. This is better than saying 'nothing' or
'stayed the same', because it tells us the colour we actually see.

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 EEB3 S3: Indicators, pH and Neutralisation 23-Sep-20

Acid turns blue to red Base (alkali) turn red to blue

Universal indicator and the pH scale

Universal indicator is supplied as a solution or as universal indicator

paper. It is a mixture of several different indicators. Unlike litmus,
universal indicator can show us how strongly acidic or alkaline a solution
is, not just that the solution is acidic or alkaline. This is measured using
the pH scale, which runs from pH 0 to pH 14.

Universal indicator has many different colour changes, from red for
strongly acidic solutions to dark purple for strongly alkaline solutions. In
the middle, neutral pH 7 is indicated by green.

Colour chart of universal indicator colours at different pH values

When you use universal indicator paper, you get more accurate results if
you only put a small spot of the test solution on the paper, and then leave
the colour to develop for about 30 seconds before comparing it with the
colour chart.

These are the important points about the pH scale:

 neutral solutions are pH 7 exactly

 acidic solutions have pH values less than 7
 alkaline solutions have pH values more than 7
 the closer to pH 0 you go, the more strongly acidic a solution is
 the closer to pH 14 you go, the more strongly alkaline a solution is

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EEB3 S3: Indicators, pH and Neutralisation 23-Sep-20

Neutralisation
A chemical reaction happens if you mix together an acid and a base. The
reaction is called neutralisation. A neutral solution is made if you add just
the right amount of acid and base together. Neutralisation is an
exothermic (=gives out heat) reaction.

Metal oxides: Metal oxides act as bases. Here is the general word
equation for what happens in their neutralisation reactions with acids:

metal oxide + acid → a salt + water

The salt made depends on the metal oxide and the acid used. For
example, copper chloride is made if copper oxide and hydrochloric acid
are used:

copper oxide + hydrochloric acid → copper chloride + water

CuO + 2HCl → CuCl2 + H2O

Metal hydroxides

Metal hydroxides act as bases. Some of them dissolve in water, so they

form alkaline solutions. Here is the general word equation for what
happens in their neutralisation reactions with acids: metal hydroxide +
acid → a salt + water

As with metal oxides, the salt made depends on the metal hydroxide and
the acid used. For example, sodium sulfate is made if sodium hydroxide
and sulfuric acid are used:

sodium hydroxide + sulfuric acid → sodium sulfate + water

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 EEB3 S3: Indicators, pH and Neutralisation 23-Sep-20

2NaOH + H2SO4 → Na2SO4 + 2H2O

Notice that a salt plus water are always produced when metal oxides or
metal hydroxides react with acids.

Metal carbonates : Most carbonates are usually insoluble. They also

neutralise acids, making a salt and water, but this time we get carbon
dioxide gas too.

Here is the general word equation for what happens:

metal carbonate + acid → a salt + water + carbon dioxide

The reaction fizzes as bubbles of carbon dioxide are given off. This is easy
to remember because we see the word 'carbonate' in the chemical names.
For example, copper carbonate reacts with nitric acid:

copper carbonate + nitric acid → copper nitrate + water + carbon dioxide

CuCO3 + 2HNO3 → Cu(NO3)2 + H2O + CO2

Using neutralisation

Here are some ways neutralisation is used:

 Farmers use lime (calcium oxide) to neutralise acid soils.

 Your stomach contains hydrochloric acid, and too much of this causes
indigestion. Antacid tablets contain bases such as magnesium hydroxide
and magnesium carbonate to neutralise the extra acid.
 Bee stings are acidic. They can be neutralised using baking powder,
which contains sodium hydrogen carbonate.

Classifying materials
This is an example of a common experiment used to classify material
which should help you to understand how to work scientifically.

Aim of the experiment

To classify some mystery substances as acids or bases.

Method

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 EEB3 S3: Indicators, pH and Neutralisation 23-Sep-20

1. If the substance is a liquid, add three drops of universal indicator and

compare the colour to a colour chart.
2. If the substance is a solid, try to dissolve it in some water and then test
its pH.
3. Test to see what effect the substance has on the pH of an acid or
alkaline solution to see if it neutralises it.

Colour chart of universal indicator colours at different pH values

Risks

Acids and alkalis are irritants. If they get onto your skin, rinse them off.

Typical results

Substan Liqui pH of Soli Dissolv pH of Alkaline

Acid effect
ce d liquid d e solution effect

A Yes 7 No change No change

Neutralises
B No Yes Yes 3 No change
alkali

Neutralise
C No Yes No No change
s acid

Neutralises
D Yes 2 No change
alkali

E No Yes Yes 12 Neutralise No change

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 EEB3 S3: Indicators, pH and Neutralisation 23-Sep-20

Substan Liqui pH of Soli Dissolv pH of Alkaline

Acid effect
ce d liquid d e solution effect

s acid

Neutralise
F Yes 13 No change
s acid

What the results mean ?

Substance A is neutral and has no effect on acids or alkalis. B is a soluble

acid, so it could be a non-metal oxide. C is an insoluble base because it
neutralises an acid, so it might be a metal-oxide. D is an acid solution. E is
a soluble base, so it dissolves to make an alkali. F is also an alkali.

Evaluation

 Your measurements are accurate if they are close to their true value.
 Your measurements are precise if they are similar when completed
again.
 Your experiment is repeatable if you get precise measurements when it
is repeated.
 Your experiment is reproducible if others get precise measurements
when they repeat it.

Naming and making salts

Common table salt is sodium chloride, but it is just one example of many
compounds called salts. The name of a salt has two parts:

 the first part comes from the metal in the base used
 the second part comes from the acid that was used

Example : sodium chloride

How can we make sodium chloride? The first part of the name is 'sodium',
so we need a base containing sodium. We could use sodium hydroxide,

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EEB3 S3: Indicators, pH and Neutralisation 23-Sep-20

which is soluble and so forms an alkaline solution. The second part of the
name is 'chloride', so we need to use hydrochloric acid.

Here are the equations for the reaction:

sodium hydroxide + hydrochloric acid → sodium chloride + water

NaOH + HCl → NaCl + H2O

It can be difficult to add exactly the right amount of acid and alkali in a
neutralisation reaction so that your salt solution is precisely pH 7. You
can check the reaction mixture using universal indicator or a pH meter to
see when it becomes pH 7, but a little acid or alkali is often left over. So it
would not be safe to taste the sodium chloride solution produced.

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