Acid Base Lab Activity

In this lab you will use five solutions:

Solution A: dilute sulfuric acid car battery acid
Solution B: dilute acetic acid vinegar
Solution C: ethanol used in gasohol
Solution D: dilute ammonium hydroxide Mr. Clean
Solution E: dilute sodium hydroxide lye

Part I: Litmus and pH PaperTest

Tear a piece of red litmus paper into 5 pieces and put it on a paper towel. Tear a piece of blue litmus paper into
5 pieces and put it on the same paper towel. Put one drop of each solution on both red and blue litmus paper.
Record any color changes. Do the same with pH paper. These papers inside the paper towel can all be
thrown in the waste basket.

Solution Red Litmus Color Change Blue Litmus color change pH paper color change
A Pink (none) Pink Crayon red
B Pink (none) Tongue Orange-yellow
C Violet-blue Pale blue Yellow-green
D Light blue Dark blue Forest green
E Darker marine blue Dark aqua Dark, dark blue

Part II: Indicator Tests (The indicators are universal indicator, phenol red, and bromothymol blue)
Use 5 drops of each solution on your white or clear reaction plate and add 2 drops of each indicator to each of
those 5 solutions. Test each solution with the indicators and construct your own data table. Be sure to rinse
the spot plates with DI water.

Solution Universal Bromothymol Phenol Red Methyl Red

Indicator Blue
A Pale red Yellow-orange Cloudy white Sugary pink
B Orange Yellow Cloudy white Red-orange
C Lime green Forest green Cloudy white Pale yellow
D Aquamarine Blue Pale/hot pink Highlighter
yellow
E Indigo Blue Hot pink Wasp yellow

Part III: Magnesium test for acids

Put 5 drops of solution A and five drops of solution B (separately) into your spot plates. Add a very small piece
of magnesium into each well. Observe your result and record below. Make sure you rinse all of the
UNREACTED MAGNESIUM into the waste beaker at your lab station.

Analysis
1) Draw conclusions about the range of pH you believe would be valid for each of the indicators you tested.
2) Which of the above tests do you believe is the best test for an acid, base or neutral substance? Support your
answer with data (consider this the conclusion of this lab)!