
- Acids are represented by bright reds. Less acidic solutions are orange or yellow.
- Neutral solutions are gray to green.
- Basic or alkaline solutions are blues and purples.
What is an indicator used to detect an acid or base?
Acid-Base Indicator Definition. An acid-base indicator is either a weak acid or weak base that exhibits a color change as the concentration of hydrogen (H+) or hydroxide (OH-) ions changes in an aqueous solution. Acid-base indicators are most often used in a titration to identify the endpoint of an acid-base reaction.
How are indicators used to identify acids and bases?
- Bases/alkalis neutralize acids.
- Acids and bases/alkalis are colourless.
- A suitable indicator like phenolphthalein change colour to pink, when all the acid has been neutralized by the bases/alkalis.
- Phenolphthalein change colour from pink, to colourless when all the bases/alkalis has been neutralized by the acid.
What are some common indicators for bases and acids?
- Start by dipping the red litmus paper into all three solutions.
- The solution which turns the red litmus paper into blue will be the basic solution .
- The red litmus paper has now turned blue.
- Dip the newly formed blue litmus paper into the remaining two solutions.
- We know blue litmus turns red in an acidic solution.
What is an example of an acid base indicator?
- The phthaleins and sulphophthaleins (eg; Phenolphthalein)
- Azo indicators (eg; Methyl orange)
- Triphenylmethane indicators (eg; Malachite green)

What is the most common indicator for testing acids and bases in the laboratory?
Litmus is the most common indicator for testing acids and bases in the laboratory. (1) Acids turn blue litmus to red. (2) Bases turn red litmus to blue. (a) If a drop of the given solution turns blue litmus paper to red, then the given solution will be acidic in nature (or it will be an acid).
What is an indicator?
An indicator is a ‘dye’ that changes colour when it is put into an acid or a base. An indicator gives different colours in acid and base. A substance which contains an acid is said to be acidic whereas the substance which contains a base is said to be basic.
What is the name of the substance that reacts with a base to form a salt and water?
A substance which reacts with a base to form a salt (and water) is called an acid. Acids have sour taste. Acids turn blue litmus to red. Some of the examples of acids are : Acetic acid, Citric acid, Hydrochloric acid, Sulphuric acid and Nitric acid. Acids are of two types : Organic acids and Mineral acids.
What is sulphuric acid used for?
Sulphuric acid is used in making storage batteries for cars, buses, trucks and inverters. Nitric acid is used by goldsmiths for cleaning gold and silver ornaments. Concentrated mineral acids are very dangerous. These acids can burn our hands and clothes. These acids should be handled with great care.
What is the substance that neutralizes acids?
The substances (such as baking soda) which are bitter in taste and feel soapy to touch are known as bases. When bases are added to acids, they neutralise (or cancel) the effect of acids. A substance which can neutralise an acid to form a salt (and water) is called a base. Some of the examples of bases are:
What is the damage of acid rain?
Acid rain causes damage to aquatic animals (like fish), trees, crop plants, metal structures and stone buildings and monuments. (1) Acid rain makes the water of lakes, ponds and rivers too acidic due to which fish and other aquatic animals get killed. (2) Acid rain eats up the leaves of the trees gradually.
What happens when you lose leaves in acid rain?
By losing leaves, the trees die. Acid rain also damages crop plants in the fields. (3) Acid rain damages the metal structures like steel bridges, etc, when it falls on them. (4) Acid rain damages the surfaces of buildings and monuments made of stone.
What is an Acid?
The exact definition of an acid changes slightly depending on which theory is used. As a rule of thumb, an acid refers to anything with a pH reading that is lower than 7.
What is a Base?
Bases, in the simplest sense, refer to substances with a higher pH level than 7.
Differences Between an Acid and a Base
The pH scale can be used to determine whether a substance is acidic or basic based on the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the solution.
How are Acids and Bases similar?
Despite having mostly contrasting properties, acids and bases are the same in some aspects.
Synthetic Indicators
Indicators which are synthesized and created by chemical processes. Some of the commonly used Synthetic indicators are:
Olfactory Indicators
Those Substances whose smell changes in acidic or basic solutions are called Olfactory Indicators.
What is acid base indicator?
Definition. Acid Base Indicator: Acid base indicators are chemical substances that can give a color change in a reaction medium as a response to a change in pH. Universal Indicator: Universal indicator is a type of pH indicator that gives its color changes for a wide variety of pH values ranging from 0 to 14.
What is the difference between acid base and universal indicator?
The main difference between acid base indicator and universal indicator is that acid base indicators show color changes at a certain pH range whereas universal indicators show color changes at a wide variety of pH values ranging from 0 to 14.
What indicator shows different colors at different pH values?
Acid Base Indicator: Acid base indicators have an acidic color and a basic color at acidic and basic pH values respectively. Universal Indicator: Universal indicators show different colors at different pH values.
What is the term for the chemical compound that causes a color change in response to the pH of the medium?
The substances that cause a color change in response to the pH of the medium are called acid-base indicators because these substances are used to identify the termination of an acid-base reaction. Indicators show different colors at different pH values. The term universal indicator is used to name a chemical compound that can act as an indicator ...
What is chemical indicator?
A chemical indicator is a substance that can show a change of a measurable parameter in response to a change in the solution. The change should be observable such as a color change, temperature change, precipitate formation, etc. The substances that cause a color change in response to the pH of the medium are called acid-base indicators because these substances are used to identify the termination of an acid-base reaction. Indicators show different colors at different pH values. The term universal indicator is used to name a chemical compound that can act as an indicator for a wide range of pH values. The main difference between acid base indicator and universal indicator is that acid base indicators show color changes at a certain pH range whereas universal indicators show color changes at a wide variety of pH values ranging from 0 to 14.
What is the most common universal indicator?
There are many universal indicators available, but the most common universal indicator is a mixture of following pH indicators. Thymol blue.
What happens to the equilibrium if the pH is low?
If the pH of the medium is low, the equilibrium moves to the right forming more protons. Then the color of the medium is the basic color of the indicator. But the color change is given in a certain pH range.

What Is An acid?
What Is A Base?
- Bases, in the simplest sense, refer to substances with a higher pH level than 7. People who have eaten soap as children can attest to bases tasting bitter. They can also be slippery when handled. A base will cause a strip of litmus paper to become blue, while methyl orange would turn yellow. Phenolphthalein added to a base in water will cause the solution to turn bright pink. A base will “…
Differences Between An Acid and A Base
- pH level
The pH scale can be used to determine whether a substance is acidic or basicbased on the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) in the solution. Any substance with a pH under 7 is considered an acid. Likewise, anything with a pH over 7 is a base. Substances whose pH is 7 its… - Dissociation in Aqueous Solutions
Acids and bases both break up – or dissociate – in an aqueous solution. An acid added to water will dissociate into their respective anions, as well as hydrogen ions (H+). However, these ions will almost instantaneously react with water molecules (H2O) to produce hydronium ions (H3O+). A …
How Are Acids and Bases similar?
- Despite having mostly contrasting properties, acids and bases are the same in some aspects. They are both able to react with water and dissociate into ions, which also means many acids and bases are at least slightly soluble in aqueous solutions. By dissolving into ions, acids and bases in water are also good conductors of electricity. Both substances also react with metals, although …
Conclusion
- Acids and bases oppose each other in many ways. Their foremost difference stems from their pH level – acids have a pH less than 7.0, while bases have a pH over 7.0. Bases decrease the H+ concentration in aqueous solutions, while acids increase it by adding hydrogen ions. Indicators help in distinguishing acids and bases. An acidic solution turns re...