British International School

MYP– Chemistry

Samir González, Santiago Macias,Juan Manuel Ortega, Edgardo Paez

Barranquilla – Colombia

September 2019

Lab Report: Indicators of Acids and Bases

Introduction:

Acids and bases are present everywhere in our daily life, when you are in the shower

and use soap your are using a base or even when you eat breakfast, lunch or dinner you eat

acids. Whenever you eat, you interact with acids since your body uses them to break down

the food that you ingest. While sitting in a chair, you have acids present digesting food. Our

body produces amino acids which are often known as the building blocks of proteins, they

play important roles in our body everyday. They are required in order to build hormones,

synthesize neurotransmitters and hormones in our body. By the other hand bases may be

found multiple times in our houses, when you look at paper, glass, detergent, toothpaste,

disinfectant, paint and other personal hygiene products.

In chemistry, multiple scientists have done different studies regarding this kind of

substances. All of this years through studies they have discovered multiple characteristics of

acids and bases. Bronsted-Lowry’s studies define acids as species that donates a proton. By

the other hand lewis defines acids as electron pair acceptors, this definition is flexible since it

includes Bronsted-Lowry’s acids and compounds that don’t donate protons. By the other

hand Bronsted-Lowry’s bases are defined as proton acceptors while Lewis states that in fact

they are electron pair donors. Lewis’s bases have high atomic energy and may be described
as hard or soft. Due to the multiple studies made, there have been discovered multiple ways

to identify if a substance is acidic or basic which will be seen in this lab report.

Defining the problem:

How do acids and bases affect indicators?

The chosen question is related to the topic due to the fact that the lab report is

studying the ph indicators and how is their reaction to acids and bases in order to determine a

substance acidity or basicity. This lab is focusing on the response of multiple indicators to the

same acid and base in order to analyze their response which relates to the question stated that

looks for the effect of acids and bases on multiple indicators.

Hypothesis:

This lab tests whether an indicator works to indicate the pH of two substances: Hydrochloric

Acid (HCl) and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH). Therefore, in this lab report the hypothesis

proposed is that certain pH indicators will work on acids and bases differently (changing

colour when working and remaining equal to the colour of the substance when not working).

Mainly, the pH indicators that oscillate between red and yellow will indicate a low pH value

(Acidic substance) and indicators that oscillate between purple and blue will indicate a high

pH value (Basic substance). The pH indicators will demonstrate successfully that HCl is an

acidic substance and that NaOH is a basic substance.

Procedure
 1. A table of results should be designed before performing the experiments to record

the results of systematics tests with each type of indicators and a few drops of HCl,

H₂O or NaOH.

2. To avoid waste, only use small amounts of the substances tested (5 drops per spot on

the plate). For the indicator only use a single drop of it per spot on the plate, and only

a small piece of indicator test paper.

3. After testing the acid and the base, with the different indicators, pour all the waste in

a beaker. Therefore, later it could be thrown down into a sink safely.

4. In addition, watch what happens when you pour a single drop of an indicator in a

basic solution and then add around 10 drops of an acidic substance in it and vice

versa. Record the results, what colors does it turn into? What is happening?

Materials

- Different acid and base indicators. For instance, the ones that will be used in this

case are Phenolphthalein, Bromothymol Blue, Methyl Orange, Universal Indicator,

Litmus Paper Blue, Litmus Paper Red, Sugar Beet Solution, Brewed Black Tea, and

Red Cabbage.

- One or more spotting tiles

- One Rinse bottle with water

- One beaker for waste

- One dropper bottle of an acidic solution (HCl)

- One dropper bottle of a basic solution (NaOH)

Raw Data
pH Indicator Test

(-) Colour Colour

pH Indicator Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

Phenoplatein Translucent Purple

Bromothymol Blue Orange Dark Blue

Methyl Orange Light Red Yellow

Universal Indicator Dark Red Dark Turquoise Blue

Blue Litmus Paper Orange Purple

Red Litmus Paper Red Blue

Sugar beet Solution Light Red Slightly Yellow

Black Tea Solution Light Orange Dark Yellow

Red Cabbage Solution Rose Green

Neutralization

Colour Colour

Number of Droplets applied Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)

1 Dark Red Dark Turquoise Blue

2 Dark Red Dark Turquoise Blue

3 Dark Red Dark Turquoise Blue

4 Red Dark Turquoise Blue

5 Rose Dark Turquoise Blue

6 Orange Blue

7 Orange Blue and Rose

8 Orange and Blue Rose

9 Green Rose
Patterns

While doing the experiment, different patterns were found that helped with the

conclusions and analysis of this laboratory. Firstly, it was found that when certain types of

indicators were tested with an acid which was HCL, the color changed depending on the

indicator. For instance, when tested with bromothymol blue, the color change was different

from the methyl orange and the other indicators. Moreover, the same happened with the base

which was NaOH, the color changed depending on the indicator. It was observed that the

indicators made the base have different colors.

Another example could be that the change of color from the black tea which was

different from the sugar beet solution and all the others. On the other hand, there were some

indicators which didn't make the acid change, such as phenolphthalein or the red litmus

paper. However, this only happened to the acid because all the results showed that there was

a change in the base plus indicator.

Finally, most indicators showed HCl as an acidic substance and NaOH as a basic

substance.

Evaluating the Hypothesis

By analyzing the results, and comparing them to the hypothesis established earlier, it

could be established that the hypothesis that was said before was accurate. This is because it

was established and predicted what happened in the experiment in a scientific manner. In

addition, it is true that if an acid or base is added to a natural indicator this will change its

colour or stay with its regular colour indicating whether the substance is an acid or a base and

that is what the hypothesis established affirms. On the other hand, the hypothesis could be

done better by the usage of scientific and sophisticated language that could be applied to it.
Furthermore, some terms in the chemistry language could be applied to demonstrate what

was expected or predicted for this experiment in a clearer way.

Evaluating the Method

Reliability of Method:

The consistency of the method was optimal, the indicators worked as expected, and

they were stored properly to make this a fair test. In addition, the acids and bases were in an

optimal state as well, enough to make the test possible. However, the droppers used,

sometimes these had already been used to test different substances which could have affected

the results. This would imply on buying more lab supplies to dedicate one to each substance,

since its known, these droppers have been used with other substances in prior tests.

Finally, the spot plates weren’t optimal. The lab group had decided that using spot

plates which are marked with a marker, might have affected the results due to possible

alcoholic residue left on the plate, affecting the results or the colour that might have come out

of the acid or base.

Validity of Method:

Since this lab its main objective wasn't finding an answer to a problem, but testing

different pH indicators, there were no variables involved. Nevertheless, next time proper

tools should have been used instead of judging the colour by using the naked eye. For

instance, pH probes, or colour softwares are able to identify the exact colour pigmentation,

making the colour judgement more efficient and reliable.

Suggesting Improvements
 When the lab was done, it was done in a small difference between time. In other

words, when the lab finished the class finished. Consequently, a very important suggestion

that could be done to this experiment, is to manage the time in an organized way so there will

be time to analyze data by doing the experiment. In addition, by managing time in a better

way the experiment could be done in a calm and patient way so the results would be more

accurate. Another suggestion could be that every group could have their own solutions of the

different pH indicators so the laboratory will be organized and the different groups wouldn't

have to run to get each indicator from the other group while they were testing that indicator.

So both sides the experiment could be a fail because while waiting it mentally rushes the

individual who is doing the experiment, and on the other side, the ones who are waiting are

wasting time from the experiment waiting for that indicator.

The final improvement that could be done is that the security done from us while

testing with base and acid could improve by doing the experiment of neutralization not only

in two of the plates of the spot plate, which means that the safety will improve by doing the

experiment in different plates or more than two so the results could be more exact and the

testers will not suffer any damage from the substances.

References

Helmenstine, A. M. (2019, May 06). What Is a Base in Chemistry? Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/definition-of-base-604382

OMEGA Engineering. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.omega.co.uk/prodinfo/pH-

meter.html

What is an acid?: Socratic. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://socratic.org/questions/what-is-an-

acid