pH

Question 1

State the differences between acids and bases

Answer 1

acids:

• tastes sour
• low pH(anywhere lower than 7)
• burning sensation

Bases:

• slippery feeling
• tastes bitter
• smooth feeling
• high pH(anywhere higher than 7)

Question 2

what’s the deal with litmus?

Answer 2

Made of plant compounds from lichen.
The disadvantages: does not tell us the exact pH of a substance.
-blue litmus paper turns red in acids, blue in bases, doesn’t change if neutral
- red litmus paper turns blue in bases, red in acids, doesn’t change in neutrals
- neutral litmus paper turns blue in bases, red in acids, and purple in neutrals.

Question 3

what’s the deal with pH? pH scale? Universal paper or pH paper?

Answer 3

pH is the power of Hydrogen(acidity is the number of positive hydrogen ions and basics are those that react with positive hydrogen ions). pH paper reacts to different pH levels with different colours. We can refer to the pH scale and match the colour on the scale, and the colour will tell us the exact pH.