Group Member: LOBO, FRANCESS LHEA MIERGAS, THRISTIAN PHILLIP C.

MAGAT, YESHA MAE M. ONG, LIAM TYRESE

Date : DECEMBER 04, 2024 Score:

Experiment 5
ACID-BASE PLANT INDICATOR

OBJECTIVE:
To determine whether the various substances are acidic, alkaline, or neutral using plant-based indicators.
INTRODUCTION:
Acids and bases play essential roles in our daily lives. It can be found in various household items and
surroundings, such as preservatives, soap, and fertilizers. Acids typically have a sour taste, can cause irritation or a
stinging sensation, and turn blue litmus paper red. Also, it is defined by several scientific theories such as Arrhenius
that acids are compounds that ionize to produce hydrogen ions (H ⁺). In the Brønsted-Lowry definition, acids are
proton donors, while Lewis’s acids are molecules or ions that accept electron pairs. Bases, on the other hand, are the
chemical opposite of acids. They have a bitter taste, soapy or slick feeling, and turn red litmus paper blue. In the
Arrhenius concept, bases are compounds that release hydroxide ions (OH ⁻) in solution. According to the Brønsted-
Lowry definition, bases are proton acceptors, while in the Lewis theory, bases are compounds that donate electron
pairs.
Acid-base indicators are chemical substances used to measure the amount of acid or base in a solution.
These indicators are pigments or colored compounds that can be extracted from various sources such as fruits,
flowers, fungi, and algae. Red cabbage and butterfly pea flower juice are examples of natural plant-based indicators.
The purple color of the red cabbage and butterfly pea flower comes from a pigment called anthocyanins. When
mixed with acid or base, the structure of the anthocyanins will be altered which changes the way they interact with
light and therefore the color that we see. Anthocyanins may appear in red to pink hues when acidic, blue to purple
hues when alkaline, and green to yellow hues when neutral. Generally, these indicators help detect the presence of
hydrogen ions (H⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻) in a solution which explains the changes in color or smell. Moreover,
these indicators are primarily used to determine whether a substance is acidic or basic, as well as its relative
strength, which can be useful for understanding its purpose and application. The use of plant-based indicators to test
the acidity and basicity of a substance is a valuable experiment that every chemistry student should undertake.
Students gain hands-on experience with acid-base reactions and learn to identify the characteristics of acids and
bases. Mastering these concepts is crucial for success in analytical chemistry, environmental science, and other
related fields where pH plays an important role.

MATERIALS:
 10 Test Tube  Distilled Water
 Test Tube Rack  Red Cabbage
 2 Dropper  Butterfly Pea Flower
 Mortar and Pestle  Banana
 2 Stirring Rod  Orange Juice
 2 250mL Beaker  Spoiled Milk
 2 100mL Beaker  Egg White
 Strainer  Chalk
 Hot Water

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS:
1. Put on your lab coat or apron to protect your clothes from spills.
2. Put on your safety goggles to protect your eyes from any potential splashes.
PROCEDURE:
1. Grind Butterfly Pea flowers using a mortar and pestle until thoroughly crushed.
2. Add hot water to the crushed flowers, stir well, and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
3. Strain the mixture into a 250 mL beaker using a fine strainer to remove any solid particles.
4. Fill separate test tubes with the substances to be tested.
5. Use a pipette to add the Butterfly Pea solution to each test tube.
6. Observe and record any color changes in each test tube, noting how they correspond to acidic, neutral, or
basic substances.
7. Repeat the process but with red cabbage as the plant indicator instead of butterfly pea.

DATA SHEET
PART I. BUTTERFLY PEA FLOWER
SUBSTANCE / SOLUTION COLOR ACID, BASE, OR NEUTRAL
BANANA BLUE-VIOLET BASE
BLEACH TRANSPARENT ACID
FRESH MILK SKY BLUE ACID
EGG WHITE DARK BLUE- GREEN BASE
CALAMANSI MAGENTA ACID

PART II. RED CABBAGE

SUBSTANCE / SOLUTION COLOR ACID, BASE, OR NEUTRAL
BANANA
BLEACH
FRESH MILK
EGG WHITE
CALAMNSI

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION\

In the experiment that was conducted, butterfly pea was used as an indicator to tell whether the
substances namely the banana, bleach, fresh milk, egg white, and calamansi are acidic, neutral, or basic.
Through visual observation, the reaction of the anthocyanin pigments from the butterfly pea that produced
different colors of the substance had been the key process in determining if the substance was an acid, base,
or neutral. In this discussion and experiment, the research titled “A Systematic Review of Butterfly Pea
Flower (Clitoria ternatea L.): Extraction and Application as a Food Freshness pH-Indicator for Polymer-
Based Intelligent Packaging” was used as a basis to predict the substance classification. In page 14 of this
research, in Figure 5. Fabrication of BPF–polymer-based pH indicator film, the pH level and color of the
 substance after the indicator was added was used as a legend to predict the classification, whether acid,
base, or neutral. However, pH level was not discussed in this experiment since the plant-based indicator
and measurement are not accurate enough to be able to actually give the exact pH level, hence the pH level
was disregarded.
Moving forward, the first substances to be tested was banana. After the banana was pounded,
water was added and was mixed into the solution. The indicator, butterfly pea extracts, is then added. The
substance was then shaken for the indicator and solution to fully mixed and reveal whether it was acidic,
basic, or neutral. After a few minutes, the substance’s color change into a deep purple, it was then
concluded that the banana solution was a base.
Out of all the substances that were tested, bleach is the one that appears to be different. When the
indicator
was first added, the substance appeared to have an olive-green color, but after a few seconds passed, the substance
completely turned transparent as if nothing was added. After consulting various sources, it was clear that bleach is
an acid.
Fresh milk is the third substance to be tested. Right after the indicator was added, its color turned
completely sky blue. According to the legend, sky blue falls under the acid category. Hence, fresh milk is acidic.
The previous substances were quite easy to test, however, egg white are much harder to mix with the
indicator than anticipated. After rigorous shaking and mixing, a dark blue-green was revealed, deeming the egg
whites as base.
Lastly, a calamansi was squeezed into a test tube. The indicator was added as per usual. Instantly, its’s color
turned magenta, a different color from the rest. Calamansi is a citrus, containing citric acid, hence the results clearly
show that the substance is an acid.

DOCUMENTATION