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Acids and Bases Experiment Student Handout

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84 views1 page

Acids and Bases Experiment Student Handout

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v4lepereira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Acids and Bases Experiment Student Handout

Did you know every time you eat your favorite meal, clean a surface, or bake delicious
cookies, you are encountering acids and bases? Acids and bases are determined by
measuring pH in a substance using chemistry. A pH scale measures how acidic or
basic a substance is. The pH measurement scale ranges from 0 to 14. Using the pH
scale, pH number 7 is neutral. Any number less than 7 indicates an acid. The lower the
pH number is, the stronger the acid. Any number greater than 7 indicates a base. The
higher the pH number is, the stronger the base.

You will be performing three pH tests on each substance utilizing paper indicators,
including neutral litmus, base litmus, acid litmus, and pH tests. Indicators consist of
special chemicals that show whether a given substance is an acid, a base, or neutral.
When there is a reaction between a substance and the indicator, it is an example of
a chemical change. A chemical change is when a chemical reaction occurs, and a new
substance is created. These chemically changed indicators typically form a new
chemical with a different color. The litmus paper test turns blue in a base and red in an
acid in the litmus paper test. In the pH paper test, the pH paper turns a different color
depending on its pH value from 0 to 14 and measures the percent of hydrogen present.
Litmus paper can only be used to indicate the presence of a base or acid. The pH paper
can also tell you how strong the base or acid is.

Neutral Base Acid pH Paper


Litmus Test Litmus Test Litmus Test Test

Acid Red Red Red 0-6

Base Blue Blue Blue 8-14

Neutral Purple Blue Red 7

Directions:
1. Look at the 9 substances in the cups at your lab station. Each cup is labeled with
the appropriate substance name and listed in the table below. Predict and make
a hypothesis if you think the substance is an acid, base, or neutral and record on
the table.
2. Dip the paper from the neutral litmus test into the first substance. Determine if the
substance is an acid, base, or neutral substance. Record your result on the table.
Using a new strip for each substance, repeat this process on all 9 substances.

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