Lesson Name or Number: ​3: Acids & Bases Lab

Name: _______________________ Subject: ​Science ​ Grade: ​10 ​ Date:

Estimated time required: 2 classes or one double-block class.

Rationale:
● Students will develop a deeper understanding of the properties of acids and bases.
● Students will practice safe laboratory procedures.
● Students will be able to work with chemical and paper indicators and develop the skills
needed to neutralize acid water.

Prescribed Learning Outcome(s):

● Core Competencies-Critical Thinking:
○ Question and investigate.
○ Analyze and critique.
● Planning and Conducting.
● To systematically and accurately collect and record data.
● Use knowledge of scientific concepts to draw conclusions that are consistent with
evidence.
● Ensure that safety and ethical guidelines are followed in their investigations.

Instructional Objective(s):
● Students will be able to safely conduct an exploration into the properties of acids and
bases.
● Students will be able to use a base to neutralize and acid.
● Students will be able to use chemical and paper indicators to determine pH.
● Students will be able to collect and analyze data.

Preparation:
Teacher Students

● Lab materials and supplies

organized into sets.
● Review basic lab safety guidelines
● Provide copies of lab handout.
Name: Date: Block:

● Refer to Lab ​5-1B: Properties of Acids and Bases​ (pp. 230) of your textbook for
additional information

Objective​:
● The objective of this lab is to be able to differentiate between acids and bases using a
variety of methods, including Litmus paper, touch, reactions to metals, and chemical
indicators.
● We will be able to see some of the properties of acids and bases, and determine acids
and bases from their chemical formulae. We will use the results from known acids and
bases to determine if unknown solutions are acidic, basic or neutral.

Materials:
● 1- 50 mL beaker
● 1 dimple plate (spot plate)
1 bottle each of: bromothymol blue, phenolphthalein, known acid, known base,
unknowns A-F
● 8 pieces of magnesium ribbon
● 1 strip each of: blue litmus paper and red litmus paper

Procedure:

Part A: Determining properties of a known acid and known base

1. Get all the materials stated above, and bring them to your desk.
2. Orient the dimple plate so that there are four dimples in a row across (as seen in ​Fig. 1
below).
3. In the first row, place three or four drops of the known acid (​Ac) ​ sample in each
depression.
4. In the second row, place three or four drops of the known base (​Ba​) sample in each
depression.
Fig.1 :
Dimple Plate Diagram

1. In the first sample of acid ​and b

​ ase, add two or three drops of phenolphthalein. Record
your observations in the data table provided (See ​Fig 2​).
2. In the second sample of acid ​and ​base, add two or three drops of bromothymol blue.
Record your observations in the data table provided.
Cut or rip your red litmus paper ​and​ blue litmus paper strips into 8 small pieces each.
3. In the third sample of acid ​and ​base, add a small piece of red litmus paper and a small
piece of blue litmus paper. Record your observations in the data table provided.
4. In the last sample of acid ​and​ base, add a small piece of magnesium ribbon. Record
your observations in the data table provided.

Fig. 2:
Adding Indicators

● Thoroughly wash and dry your dimple plate before proceeding with Part B.
Part B: Testing unknown solutions
1. Obtain a sample of unknowns A, B, C, D, E, and F.
2. Following the procedure you followed in Part A for known acids and bases, place 3 or 4
drops of unknown A into four wells of the dimple plate. In the first depression, add two or
three drops of phenolphthalein. In the second depression, add two or three drops of
bromothymol blue. In the third depression, add a small piece of red litmus paper and a
small piece of blue litmus paper. In the last depression, add a small piece of magnesium
ribbon. Record your observations in the data table provided.
3. Repeat Step 2 for unknowns B, C, D, E and F. Record your observations in the data
table provided.

Part C: Feel of an acid and base

1. Go up to the front of the class where the bin is that contains an open acid container and
an open base container.
2. Dip your fingers into the acid. Observe and record. Then ​wash your hands thoroughly.
3. Dip your fingers into the base. Observe and record. Then ​wash your hands
thoroughly.

Part D: Reaction of an Acid and Base

1. In a clean 50 mL beaker, pour about 10 mL of HCl and about 10 mL of NaOH into it. Add
about 30 mL of water and gently swirl. Observe the solution---record. Dip your fingers in
and record any observations in the space provided.
2. Drop your last pieces of blue and red litmus paper into the solution---record your
observations.
3. Wash your hands thoroughly.

● Once you have finished, make sure that you wash and dry your spot plate and beakers;
return your materials to where they should go; and wash down your lab bench. All paper
waste (litmus paper and paper towel) ​must​ go into the garbage.

Data and Observations:

● Record all observations from the lab in the space provided

Part A:

Indicator/ Test Observation in Acid Observation in Base

Red Litmus Paper

Blue Litmus Paper

Phenolphthalein

Bromothymol Blue

Magnesium (or metal)

Part B:

Test Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown Unknown

A B C D E F

Red Litmus
Paper

Blue Litmus
Paper

Phenolphthalein

Bromothymol
Blue
 Magnesium

Feel

Any other
Observations

Estimated pH

Part C:

Substance Texture

Acid

Base

Part D:
Observations:
Questions:

1. Explain how two types of litmus paper help you determine whether a solution is an acid
or a base.

2. List which of the unknowns were acids.

3. List which of the unknowns were bases.

4. Which, if any were neutral substances?

5. What do you know about the formulae of acids and bases---how do you tell from the
chemical formula whether the substance is an acid or base?

6. Based on the general formula of an acid, what type of gas do you think is released
when an acid is combined with a metal?

7. Predict whether the following compounds are acids or bases:

a. LiOH HBr Mg(OH)​2
 8. Are metals more likely to react with acids or bases (based on your observations)?

9. Would soap be an acid or a base? Why?

10. When an acid is added to a base, we say there is a ​neutralization​. What evidence was
there that neutralization had taken place (based on your observations in Part D of the
experiment)?

11. Write down all of the properties that you observed of acids and bases:

Acids: Bases:
Assessment and Evaluation:
● Completion of the lab handout and the assigned questions.

Materials and Resources: (including organizational and/or behavioural management strategies).

● Supplies listed in the handout:
○ Indicators, magnesium metal, dimple plates, labelled containers of the different
solutions.

Extensions:
● Students should have previously been introduced to the basic properties of acids and
bases: lecture, reading, or flipped class where a video was assigned.
○ Khan Academy: Acid-Base introduction:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vShCnTY1-T0&t=9s

Adaptations:
● Number of solutions tested and number of questions can be reduced or simplified.
● Students who finish quickly can explore the issue of ocean acidification at:
http://www.noaa.gov/resource-collections/ocean-acidification

Reflections (if necessary, continue on separate sheet):

● Blog post: Students choose 2 of the “I can” statements from the list of Core
Competencies that apply to their learning.