In this I/GCSE Chemistry blog post, we will be learning the differences between acids and bases, and ways we can test out the substances' pH.
All substances are divided into three categories:
- Acidic
- Alkaline
- Neutral
How can this be measured?
- We usually do this by measuring the pH of the substance.
What is the pH?
- Simply a measure of the Hydrogen ion concentration in a substance.
We measure pH using the pH scale.
- pH 1-6 substances are usually acidic
- pH 7 substances are usually neutral
- pH 7-14 substances are usually alkaline
Universal Indicator
This is a substance that changes color when it is added to another substance. What color it changes to depends on the pH of the substance.
Litmus Paper
This is an indicator also used to test for acidity, neutrality or alkalinity in a substance. We use something called litmus paper to test for this. If we want to test for acidity
We use Blue Litmus Paper If we want to test for alkalinity
We use Red Litmus Paper
The following results are:
- Acids: Turn blue litmus paper red.
- Alkalines/Bases: Turn red litmus paper blue.
- Neutral: No color change
That is all for learning about acids and bases!
References:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/PH_Scale.svg/254px-PH_Scale.svg.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2c/Universal_indicator_paper.jpg/278px-Universal_indicator_paper.jpg