Acids and bases can be identified using litmus paper tests. Acids turn litmus paper red and bases turn litmus paper blue. Common acids include lemon juice and vinegar, while common bases include sodium hydroxide, bicarbonate of soda, and toothpaste. Acids and bases have a variety of uses, such as toothpaste neutralizing acids in the mouth to prevent tooth decay and bicarbonate of soda neutralizing bee stings.
Acids and bases can be identified using litmus paper tests. Acids turn litmus paper red and bases turn litmus paper blue. Common acids include lemon juice and vinegar, while common bases include sodium hydroxide, bicarbonate of soda, and toothpaste. Acids and bases have a variety of uses, such as toothpaste neutralizing acids in the mouth to prevent tooth decay and bicarbonate of soda neutralizing bee stings.
Acids and bases can be identified using litmus paper tests. Acids turn litmus paper red and bases turn litmus paper blue. Common acids include lemon juice and vinegar, while common bases include sodium hydroxide, bicarbonate of soda, and toothpaste. Acids and bases have a variety of uses, such as toothpaste neutralizing acids in the mouth to prevent tooth decay and bicarbonate of soda neutralizing bee stings.
Acids and bases can be identified using litmus paper tests. Acids turn litmus paper red and bases turn litmus paper blue. Common acids include lemon juice and vinegar, while common bases include sodium hydroxide, bicarbonate of soda, and toothpaste. Acids and bases have a variety of uses, such as toothpaste neutralizing acids in the mouth to prevent tooth decay and bicarbonate of soda neutralizing bee stings.
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ACIDS AND BASES
Acid
- a substance that turns blue litmus paper red
- has a sour taste - soluble in water and form an acidic solution - very corrosive - examples, hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid, nitric acid, citric acid
Bases
- a substance that reacts with an acid to give a neutral solution
- turns red litmus paper blue - react with acids and remove the sour taste - some bases dissolve in water to form an alkaline solution - bases that dissolve in water are called alkalis - examples sodium hydroxide, ammonia, sodium carbonate Neutral substances
- substances that are neither acidic nor basic
- have no effect on litmus paper
Litmus paper test for acids and bases
- a litmus paper changes between red and blue
- a blue litmus paper turns red in the presence of an acid - a red litmus paper turns blue in the presence of a base
Experiment : to investigate the effect of acids and bases on litmus paper
Method
Dip a litmus paper in a solution of the following substances and record
observations Results
Substance Red litmus paper Blue litmus paper Type of substance
Sodium hydroxide Turns blue No effect alkali
Lemon juice No effect Turns red acid
Colgate Turns blue No effect alkali
Bicarbonate of Turns blue No effect alkali
soda Tap water No effect No effect neutral
Handy andy Turns blue No effect alkali
Vinegar No effect Turns red acid
Properties of acids and bases
Acids and bases can be strong or weak
Strong acids and bases are very corrosive and dangerous e. sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide These cause serious burns In the labs, we use dilute acids dissolved in water Weak acids are for example citric acid found in citrus fruits, acetic acid in vinegar and these are not dangerous Weak bases are for example the bases found in toothpaste, bicarbonate of soda and detergents
Uses of acids and bases
i. Acids formed in the mouth by bacteria cause tooth decay. The
alkali in toothpaste removes the acids preventing tooth decay ii. Our stomachs contain hydrochloric acid needed for digestion of food. A person with excess acid in the stomach takes anti acids which contain an alkali that removes the excess acids iii. The acid in a bee sting can be neutralised by bicarbonate of soda iv. The alkaline sting of a wasp can be neutralised using vinegar
