Amy Scherbain

Testing for Acids and Bases (PART A)

Introduction
This activity will introduce the students to pH indicators and how they can be
used to determine whether a substance is an acid, a base, or neutral. Before hand
they will be introduced to two different types of indicators, paper and liquid.
Specifically they would use red and blue litmus paper, phenolphthalein, and
bromothymol blue. First they would start by determining the pH of !nown
samples using all of the indicators. Then will go on to investigate the pH of "
#blood$ sample.
Note% &art '. (t says that the three samples will be composed of blood plasma. (
would ma!e the blood plasma )one an acid, one a base, and one neutral* by
adding some gelatin to ma!e it thic!er and a little stic!y.
As part of the investigation the students are required to set+up their materials,
method and recording of results on their own.
Safety Considerations
There are not many safety considerations, e,cept that students must be careful when
dealing with acid and bases. -ost the substances used for this activity will not be very
strong, so they will not be very dangerous.
Curriculum Objectives
This activity can be used in the grade ./ science curriculum
S01% S2+2+/3 4,periment to classify acids and bases using their characteristic
properties. )(nclude pH, indicators, and reactivity with metals*
Teacer Se!uence
.. 5eview the properties of acids and bases specifically%
+ Acids are substances that form H
6
ions when dissolved in water.
+ Bases are substances the form 1H
+
ions when dissolved in water.
+ Substances with a low pH )78* have more H
6
ions and are classified as
acids
+ Substances with a higher pH )98* have more 1H
+
ions and are
classified as bases.
2. (ntroduce the concept of measuring pH
+ Sometimes !nowing the e,act pH is important and other times
determining whether a substance is an acid or base is more important.
+ There are many different ways to classify a substance based on its acidity
or al!alinity.
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Amy Scherbain
+ (ndicators are used to classify substances. (ndicators are organic
substances that change colours at certain pH values.
+ There are paper indicators )litmus paper* and liquid indicators
)phenolphthalein*
The following is how some paper indicators change colour in the presence of
acids and bases%
Blue litmus paper in A'(: turns 54:
Blue litmus paper in BAS4 or ;AT45 stays B0<4
5ed litmus paper in A'(: or ;AT45 stays 54:
5ed litmus paper in BAS4 turns B0<4
(n order to determine whether a substance is an acid or base you must use both red
and blue litmus paper. This is mainly to determine if the substance is neutral
because the paper will stay the same colour in both.
0iquid indicators also change colours in similar ways. Here are two liquid
indicators and how they change colour in acids or bases%
&henolphthalein )colourless* and BAS4 turns &(=>
Bromothymol blue )blue* and A'(: turns ?4001;
(n this investigation students will see how !nown acids and bases react with the
four indicators and then classify three un!nown solutions using a medical model.
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Amy Scherbain
Testing for Acids and Bases (PART B)
Introduction
The pH of a substance is used to determine the strength of an acid or a base.
Sometimes determining the e,act pH of a substance is not always relevant or
practical. (n most cases determining whether a substance is an acid or base is
more important. (ndicators are used to determine whether substances are
acids, bases, or neutral. (ndicators are substances that change colour at
certain pH values. There are a wide variety of pH indicators that include
liquid indicators )phenolphthalein* and paper strips )litmus paper*.
(n class we loo!ed at four different types of indicators. As a review this is
how they change colour in different substances.
Blue litmus paper 6 ACID turns RED
Blue litmus paper 6 BASE or NEUTRAL stays BLUE
5ed litmus paper 6 ACID or NEUTRAL stays RED
5ed litmus paper 6 BASE turns BLUE
&henolphthalein )colourless* 6 BASE turns PINK
Bromothymol blue )blue* 6 ACID turns YELLOW
"aterials
H'l =a1H @lucose Solution :roppers
H=1
"
=H
"
)ammonia* H
2
S1
A
Spot &lates
Blue B 5ed 0itmus &aper &henolphthalein B Bromothymol blue
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Amy Scherbain
Procedure
.. <sing a dropper, collect "+A drops of each of the chemical
substances on the side bench and place them in a separate depression
on your spot plate as shown in the diagram
.
Figure .. Spot plate with different chemical substances
2. To each chemical test whether it is an acid or a base by using both
blue and red litmus paper. 5ecord your results in Table ..
". =ow add .+2 drops of phenolphthalein to each chemical. 5ecord and
resulting colour changes in Table ..
A. :iscard of all the chemicals in the sin! and clean the spot plate. -a!e
sure it is completely dry. 5epeat step ..
C. =ow add .+2 drops of bromothymol blue to each chemical. 5ecord all
resulting colour changes in Table ..
. :etermine whether each chemical is an acid, base or neutral based on
your results.

A
#Cl $aCl $aO#
%lucose #
&
SO
'
$#
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Amy Scherbain
Results
Table .. 5esults of acid+base testing
'hemical 5ed
0itmus
Blue
0itmus
&henolphthalein Bromothymol
Blue
Acid,
Base, or
=eutralD
H'l
=a1H
=a'l
@lucose
H
2
S1
A
=H
"
Summary )uestions
..* ;hich of the chemicals are A'(:SD
2.* ;hich of the chemicals are BAS4SD
".* ;hich of the chemicals are =4<T5A0D
C
Amy Scherbain
Testing for Acids and Bases (PART C)
(ntroduction
As most of you !now blood is a very important part of the human body. (t is
the organ that circulates nutrients, o,ygen, and other molecules to all the
areas of the body. (f we did not have blood we would not survive. Because
blood is so important its pH must remain constant at all times. (f the pH
increases or decreases significantly a person can become very sic!. For this
reason there are many ways that your body ma!es sure that the pH stays
around 8.A at all times. Because 8.A is so close to 8 it is considered neutral.
(f the pH of the blood increases it is !nown as al!alosis and if it decreases it
is acidosis.
There are three components that ma!e up the blood. They are red blood
cells, white bloods cells, and blood plasma. The blood plasma is composed
of many different substances some of which contribute to the pH of blood.
(n this activity you will be given " different blood plasma samples. ):onEt
worry, they are not realFF*. ?ou will have to design an e,periment to
determine the healthy sample and the two that are from patients that are ill
)al!alosis and acidosis*.
The three samples that are provided are%
Sample A
Sample B
Sample '
?ou must thin! about what materials you will need, how you are going to
perform the e,periment, and how you will organiGe your data. ?ou will hand
in your method, observations and results, and the classification of each of
the samples. ?ou can complete all your wor! in the space provided.

Amy Scherbain
"aterials
Note% ?ou do not need to use all the indicators you have been shown in class.
However, if you donEt use all four you must indicate which one)s* you are not
using and why.
"etod (;hat are you steps that you will ta!e to determine the identity of
the " samplesD*
Observations )How are you going to record your dataD i.e. chart, table,
graph, etc.*
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Amy Scherbain
Results * Conclusion
+,tension )uestions
..* ;hy is it that you need to use both red and blue litmus paper when
testing for acids and basesD
2.* ;hy should more than one indicator be used when trying to determine
whether a substance is an acid, base, or neutralD ;hat problems may
result from using Hust . indicatorD
".* =ame 2 advantages that litmus paper has over liquid indicators.
A.* ;hat type of indicator would you use to determine the pH of an
opaque )non+clear, cloudy* substanceD 4,plain.
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