What are three tests to test whether a soultion is acidic or not?

Question

If I have a solution of some sort, what can I do to find out if it is acidic or not?

Also, why does water need to be added to the solution before testing?

Answer 1

I am assuming you are using household items as opposed to in a laboatory because if you were in a lab you could just use pH paper or a pH meter. Here are some household tests:

Add a few drops of cabbage juice. If it turns pink its an acid and if it turns greeen its a base.

Add baking soda to it. If it fizzes, its an acid.

Add it to cherry juice. Cherry juice is bright red in acidic solution but purple to blue in basic solution.

Answer 2

It depends on what you have on hand. Using baking soda and adding a bit of the solution will result in bubbles if it is an acid but nothing if it is a base. pH paper will give you the answer. Purple cabbage water will tell you if it is an acid or base. I can't remember what color for with right off hand but if you have Clorox at home this will tell you the color for an acid, just go from there.
I cannot think of anything else right now but if something comes up I'll let you know.

Answer 3

(1) Use a calibrated pH electrode to measure the pH. If it's less than 7 it's acidic.
(2) Use litmus paper which changes colour as a function of pH, check the colour it turns against the colour chart provided with the litmus paper to check the pH. If it's less than 7 it's acidic.
(3) Drop in a piece of chalk, if it bubbles (CO2) it's acidic.
(4) Drop a small piece of iron, given time, it will dissolve if it's acidic.

Answer 4

You can use solutions which change colour according to the pH (acidity) of a solution - which is what doctors do when they want to analyse urine, for example. You could also use "tornasole" paper, which cahges color, again, according to the level of acidity.
But the best you can do, is to use a pH-metre. It's an instrument which includes a probe sensitive to acidity, and one sensitive to temperature (as the pH changes with temperature). You can insert it into your solution, and it tells you the pH value. A pH lower than 7 means that the solution is acidic, higher than 7, it is not acidic (in fact, it's basic!)

see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH_meter

Answer 5

Test against pH paper to see if it turn blue litmus paper to red

Add some sodium bicoarbonate, if it gives off bubbles (due to CO2), the compound you had has acid functionality

most organic acid also has strong vinegar smell

Titrate against a base (like sodium hydroxide) using phenolphthalein as indicator...if solution becomes pink...you got acid.

:> peace
.

Answer 6

litmus paper is good for that, it changes colour depending on whether the solution is acid or alkali

Answer 7

1.Using litmus paper
2.Using the Universal Indicator.
3.By observing its reaction with different substances like metals, metal oxides and carbonates.

Answer 8

In lab you can use following three techniques

1) Test against pH paper to see if it turn blue litmus paper to red

2) Add some sodium bicoarbonate, if it gives off bubbles (due to CO2), the compound you had has acid functionality

3) most organic acid also has strong vinegar smell

4) Titrate against a base (like sodium hydroxide) using phenolphthalein as indicator...if solution becomes pink...you got acid.

Good luck.

Answer 9

deep a piece of chalk in it.if it starts bubling is acidic.

Answer 10

pH electrode
litmus paper or universal paper
various color indicators (e.g. phenolphthalein or methyl orange)