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Welcome! Today we are going to explore the colorful and exciting world of acids and bases, which you use every single day!
Have you ever wondered why lemons taste so sour, or why soap feels so slippery? It all comes down to two special groups of chemicals: acids and bases.
Acids are substances that release hydrogen ions (H+) when dissolved in water. They taste sour, like vinegar or citrus fruits, and can turn blue litmus paper red.
Bases are the chemical opposites of acids. They release hydroxide ions (OH-) in water, feel slippery to the touch, taste bitter, and turn red litmus paper blue.
We measure how acidic or basic a liquid is using the pH scale. It goes from 0 to 14: numbers below 7 are acidic, 7 is perfectly neutral (like pure water), and numbers above 7 are basic.
You test three household liquids with a pH meter. Liquid A has a pH of 3, Liquid B has a pH of 7, and Liquid C has a pH of 10. Classify each liquid as acidic, basic, or neutral.
- Recall the rules of the pH scale: pH < 7 is acidic, pH = 7 is neutral, and pH > 7 is basic.
- Look at Liquid A: its pH is 3. Since 3 is less than 7, Liquid A is acidic.
- Look at Liquid B: its pH is 7. Since 7 is exactly neutral, Liquid B is neutral.
- Look at Liquid C: its pH is 10. Since 10 is greater than 7, Liquid C is basic.
