05 Acids and Bases
5.1 Identification of acids and bases
Did you ever think why fruits have different tastes?
Figure 5.1 Different types of fruits
Fruits have different tastes because they contain different chemical
compounds. Fruits such as oranges, pineapples, lemon, tamarind and
flavours such as vinegar, lime, tomatoes are sour in taste. The reason for
this sour taste is containing acids in them.
Sodium bicarbonate is used as a treatment for bee sting. Milk of
magnesia tablets are taken for gastritis. Lime is added to reduce the
acidity of soil.
Sodium bicarbonate, milk of magnesia and lime contain chemical
compounds called bases. Bases can be used to reduce the problems
occurring due to acids. Bases have a soapy nature.
Water, alcohol, salt solution, kerosene do not show the properties of
acids or bases. They are called neutral substances.
Science | Acids and Bases 65
5.2 Acids and bases available in school
laboratory and home
The substances, we use at home as well as the chemicals we use in
the laboratory can be classified as acids, bases and neutral substances
according to their properties.
Let’s do Activity 5.1 to identify substances as acids, bases and neutral
substances.
Activity 5.1
You will need :-
Some shoe flowers, lime juice, vinegar,
soapy water, lime water, ash dissolved
water, common salt solution, water
Method :-
²² Boil the shoe flowers and prepare a
solution.
²² Put equal volumes (2 ml) of solutions Figure 5.2
given in the table below into separate test tubes.
²² Put two drops of shoe flower boiled water into each test tube and
shake well.
²² Record your observations in the Table 5.1.
Table 5.1
Solution Acid/base/neutral Colour given with shoe
flower solution
Lime juice acid
Vinegar acid
Soap water base
Lime water base
Ash dissolved water base
Common salt solution neutral
Water neutral
You will observe that acids give one colour while bases give another
colour with shoe flower solution.
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The solutions/things that give different colours with acids and bases are
known as indicators.
Litmus is such an indicator that can be found in the laboratory. There
are two types of litmus. They are red and blue.
Let’s do Activity 5.2 to identify acids, bases and neutral substances
using litmus.
Blue litmus Red litmus
Figure 5.3
Activity 5.2
Use red litmus and blue litmus instead of shoe flower water with the
solutions you used in activity 5.1. Record your observations in a table.
Compare your observations with the following colours'
Colour with neutral
Type of litmus Colour with acids Colour with bases
substances
Red litmus
Blue litmus
In the presence of,
²² acids, blue litmus turns into red and red litmus does not change the
colour.
²² bases, red litmus turns into blue and blue litmus does not change
the colour.
²² neutral substances, both blue and red litmus do not change the colour.
Science | Acids and Bases 67
You can prepare indicators by using some materials in the natural
environment. Given below are some of them.
²² Shoe flower boiled water
²² Extraction of “Girithilla” / “Seendukodi” flowers
²² Extraction of “Nil katarolu” / “Nela Kakkattan” flowers
²² Arecanut boiled water
²² Turmeric boiled water
²² Red cabbage boiled water
Let’s do Activity 5.3 by using some of the above indicators.
Activity 5.3
Prepare some of the above indicators. Add some drops of those
indicators to the solutions given in the following table and record
the colour you observe.
Table 5.2
Liquids/ Indicators prepared
Solutions
Turmeric boiled water
Lime juice
Vinegar
Lime water
Soap water
Shampoo
Soda water
Colourless soft drink
Common salt solution
Sugar solution
Glucose solution
Kerosene
Classify the liquids/solutions as acids, bases and neutral substances
depending on the colour change with the indicators.
Let’s do Assignment 5.1 to identify the acidic and basic substances in
the school laboratory.
68 Science | Acids and Bases
Assignment 5.1
With the help of your teacher observe the labels of the containers with
acids and bases. Collect the information given in the labels. Then
prepare a list of acids and bases that can be seen in the laboratory. Do
not touch any acid or base. If touched accidently wash yourself well
with cool water.
Some acids that are used frequently in the laboratory are given below.
Sulphuric Acid Nitric Acid Hydrochloric Acid
Figure 5.4 Some acids
Some strong bases that are used frequently in the laboratory are given
below.
Sodium Hydroxide Potassium Hydroxide
Figure 5.5 Some bases
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Apart from litmus the following indicators can be used to identify
acidic, basic and neutral substances in the laboratory.
1. pH papers
2. Phenolphthalein indicator
3. Methyl orange indicator
Table 5.3 shows the colour changes of the indicators with acids and
bases.
Table 5.3 Colour changes of the indicators with acids and bases
Indicator Nature of the Colour Colour
indicator with acidic with basic
substances substances
Blue litmus a kind of blue red blue ( no colour
coloured paper change)
strips
Red litmus a kind of red red ( no colour blue
coloured paper change)
strips
pH papers A kind of yellow Red, orange, Dark green,
coloured paper yellow blue, violet
strips
Phenolphthalein A kind of white colourless pink
powder. This
powder is dissolved
in ethanol or
surgical spirit.
The solution is
colourless.
Methyl orange A kind of yellow red yellow
powder. This
powder is dissolved
in water. The
solution is yellow in
colour.
70 Science | Acids and Bases
²² pH papers neutral
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
acids bases
Figure 5.6
Phenolphthalein powder
Phenolphthalein colour with colour with
solution acids bases
Figure 5.7
Methyl orange powder Methyl orange colour with colour with
solutions acids bases
Figure 5.8
Let’s do Activity 5.4 to identify acidic, basic and neutral substances
using pH papers.
Science | Acids and Bases 71
Activity 5.4
You will need :-
pH papers, the solutions used in Activity 5.3.
Method: -
²² Dip the pH papers in the solutions and compare the colours with
the given code. Arrange the solutions according to the consequent
numbers.
²² Acidic substances show in the range of 1-6 colours
²² Bases or basic substances show in the range of 8-14 colours
²² Neutral substances show the colour 7 of the pH paper
Activity 5.5
You will need :-
Dilute Hydrochloric acid, dilute sulphuric acid, dilute sodium chloride
solution, dilute calcium hydroxide solution
Method :-
Use pH papers, red litmus, blue litmus, phenolphthalein, methyl
orange indicators with above solutions to identify the acids and bases.
Get the help of your teacher.
Summary
²² We use acidic, basic and neutral substances regularly in our
day-to-day activities and also in the laboratory.
²² Identifying acidic and basic substances makes our day-to-day
activities easier.
²² Different kinds of indicators are used to identify acidic, basic and
neutral substances.
²² Lemon, vinegar, tamarind, gambodge are some of the acids that
can be found at home.
²² Sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid are some of the acids
that can be found in the laboratory.
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²² Soap, lime water, shampoo, ash are some of the basic substances
that we use at home.
²² Sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide are some of the basic
substances that can be found in the laboratory.
²² Sugar, common salt, kerosene, glucose are some neutral substances
that are used at home.
Exercise
²² Select the correct answer for the questions given below.
(01) Which answer contains only acidic substances?
1) lemon, soap,common salt
2) lime water, common salt, vinegar
3) vinegar, lemon, tamarind
4) Common salt, vinegar, lemon
(02) …………………..turns red litmus into blue.
1) Common salt solution 2) Lime water 3) Orange juice 4) Water
(03) An indicator that is used in the laboratory is
1) Sodium hydroxide 2) Methyl orange
3) Sulphuric acid 4) Calcium hydroxide
(04) What is the colour of pH papers that are used to identify the
acidic and basic substances?
1) Yellow 2) Blue 3) Red 4) Violet
(05) What is the solution that turns phenolphthalein into pink?
1) Dilute Sulphuric acid 2) Sodium hydroxide
3) Dilute Nitric acid 4) Soda water
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²² Three containers named as A, B and C contain an acidic, a basic
and a neutral solution. The following table shows the resulting
colours of red litmus and blue litmus when they are dipped in these
solutions.
Solution A Solution B Solution C
Blue litmus blue blue red
Red litmus red blue red
1) Which solution shows acidic properties?
2) Which solution shows basic properties?
3) Which solution shows neutral properties?
4) If one vessel contained water, what is the letter of the solution?
Chapter 05
Technical Terms
Acid - wï,h - Aª»®
Base - Niauh - Põµ®
Neutral substance - WÞiSk øjH - |k {ø»¨ £uõºzu[PÒ
Indicator - o¾Ylh - Põmi
Medium - udOHh - FhP®
74 Science | Acids and Bases
