THE SCIENCE LAB

Make & Do Activity Kit

Indicator eggs
By using red cabbage indicator you can test substances to find out which are acids and which are bases. By soaking hardboiled eggs in this sollution you can use the same method to paint and decorated them in different colours.

Time: 2+ hrs Difficulty: Hints: Observe what happens to the colour

of your eggs when they are left for a day.

only step: 1. Adultsred cabbageChop some leaves into small pieces and place in a saucepan. Pour water over the cabbage and boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. to cool a little 2. Allowitmixture warm. Strain until is very the leaves from the water into a large bowl. Pour the juice back into the pan. Compost the leaves.
a knife a cutting surface a strainer baking soda 1 juiced lemon 2 small dishes 1 large bowl 1 clean old teatowel

What you will need:

4 peeled hard boiled eggs a saucepan a large spoon 2 paint brushes or 2 cotton tips 1/4 of a red cabbage 1 litre of water

eggs 3. Add the peeled boiled water to the warm cabbage and allow it to soak for 20 minutes. They will turn blue. Allow the eggs to dry completely. teaspoon of baking 4. Mix 1and 1 teaspoon of soda water in a dish. Mix a teasoon of lemon juice with a teaspoon of water in another dish.

5. Painting with lemon will turn a pink colour and

indicates lemon is an acid. Painting with baking soda turns a green/blue colour indicating it is a base. dry. 6. Allow toedibleYour eggs are still but if you experiment with other substances we recommend that you do not eat them.
500 Harris St Ultimo Tel: 02 6217 0111 This work is licensed under the Creative PO Box Haymarket NSW 1238 This work is PO Box K346 K346 Haymarket NSW 1238 http://play.powerhousemuseum.com licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionCommons Attribution-NonCommercialAustralia Tel: 02 9217 0111 NonCommercial 3.0 Australia Licence (CC BY-NC 3.0 AU) Australia ShareAlike 2.5 License.

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THE SCIENCE LAB

Make & Do Activity Kit

Indicator eggs

Page 2

Recording your results: Acid, base or neutral:

Whats going on?
Substances can be either an acid, base or neutral. In order to test if something is an acid or a base we can use an indicator. An indicator will change in colour when it goes from acidic to basic conditions and can tell us the pH of different things. Red cabbage contains a natural pigment molecule called flavin which changes colour when it comes into contact with acids and bases. Egg whites are slightly basic. Lemon juice and vinegar are both acid so they will turn pinks or oranges. Baking soda turns a green/ blue colour indicating a base is present. Use these egg shapes to record the colour results that you get from each experiment. Label each with the name of the substance you used. The PH colour chart on the next page can be used to match your eggs colour. It will Indicate the amount of acid or base in your test substance. Record where the substances fits on the PH scale.

What else can I do:

Activity 1: Homemade litmus paper Try our instructions for making Homemade litmus paper and find things to test for acids and bases around the house such as soaps, lemonade and cream of tartar. There is a larger list of suggestions in the Homemade litmus paper instructions download. You can also use these substances to experiment on your egg but it is important to note they will no longer be edible. Activity 2 : Colourful artwork Litmus paper can be used to create coloured paper. You can make these into cards and wrapping paper. You will find instruction in the Homemade litmus paper activity.

500 Harris st. Ultimo Creative Commons Licence for is licensed under the Creative 500 Harris St Ultimo Tel: 02 6217 0111 This work use of this work PO PO K346K346 Haymarket NSW 1238 http://play.powerhousemuseum.com licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionBox Box Haymarket NSW 1238 Commons Attribution-NonCommercialThis work is Australia ShareAlike 2.5 License. Australia Tel: 02 9217 0111 NonCommercial 3.0 Australia Licence (CC BY-NC 3.0 AU) http://play.powerhousemuseum.com http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/au/

THE SCIENCE LAB

Make & Do Activity Kit

Indicator eggs

Page 3

500 Harris St Ultimo PO Box K346 Haymarket NSW 1238 Australia

Tel: 02 6217 0111 http://play.powerhousemuseum.com

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 2.5 License.