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Food Test Lab Report

Decent Essays

In this lab, solutions are mixed with an indicator (red cabbage juice), which can be able to identify whether it is an acid, base or neutral. Acids are aqueous solutions that contain H+ (hydrogen) ions. When identifying acids, they relatively have a sour taste, like the citric acid which is found in fruits. Some acids are safe to consume, however there are some acids like hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and others that cannot be eaten, as they are highly corrosive. Acids are also electrolytes which means they can conduct electricity. When it reacts with a base, it goes through a process of neutralization where salt and water are formed. On the pH scale, acids have a pH of lower than 7, with weak acids ranging from 1-3 and strong bases are 4-6. …show more content…

Bases are characterized by their bitter taste and slippery, like soap. Just like acids, bases are conductive, allowing electricity to pass through. Bases too can be eaten, but like acids, there are bases where it cannot be eaten as it is corrosive. If eaten, bases can create damage to your stomach. Some corrosive bases are lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and more. Bases have a pH scale greater than 7. Weak bases have a pH range of 8-10, where as the pH in strong bases are 11 and higher. Solutions that are neutral have a pH scale of 7, which means that it has an equal amount of hydrogen and hydroixide ions. It is not basic nor acidic, as it does not have any of properties that acids and bases are identified with. An example of a neutral is sugar and distilled water. To determine if a substance is acidic, basic or neutral, indicators are used. When added to a solution, indicators are substances that change colours to categorize the solution as either an acid, base or neutral. Some examples of indicators are phenolphthalein, litmus paper and the juice of red cabbage. Phenolpthalein is a clear, colourless substance, changing into pink

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