Question

For a change of pace, let's try a hands-on laboratory experimentinvolving common household items that you either have at home orcan easily purchase in a supermarket. Page 168 of the textbookexplains how red cabbage can be used as an acid❝base indicator tofind the pH of a solution. In this experiment you will make thecabbage juice at home and try it out on different household items.To conduct the experiment, you will need the following: A smallhead of red cabbage Vinegar Household ammonia Six (6) differenthousehold items to use as samples (e.g., salt, detergent, lemonjuice, soap, etc.) Colored items are not suitable, and above all,do not use any dangerous, flammable, or highly caustic samples. Ina blender, blend about ½ of a small head of red cabbage (or ¼ of alarger head) and 3 cups of water. With a sieve, filter out thecabbage, and save the juice. You will have about 3 cups of cabbagejuice. Take three clear drinking glasses (colored glasses are notsuitable), and pour 2 ounces of the cabbage juice into each glass.Add 3 tablespoons of vinegar to glass 1 (this establishes the colorof cabbage juice for an acid); add 3 tablespoons of water to glass2 (this establishes the color for a neutral solution); and add 3tablespoons of ammonia to glass 3 (this establishes the color for abase). Set the glasses aside for comparison. In six similarglasses❝or one glass washed after each sample❝add 2 ounces of thecabbage juice and 1❝3 tablespoons of a different household sample.After adding each sample, compare its color with the three glassesused to establish the color of acid, neutral, and base. Decidewhich substances are acidic, basic, or neutral, and record yourresults.