Question

Three liquids are given to you. One is hydrochloric acid, another is sodium hydroxide and third is a sugar solution. How will you identify them? You have only turmeric indicator.

Answer 1

We will put a drop each of hydrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide and sugar solution on the turmeric indicator. The liquid which changes this colour of turmeric indicator to red is basic in nature that is sodium hydroxide. Now, we will put a drop of sodium hydroxide on a drop of each of the other two liquids separately. After that, we will put the drops of their mixtures on turmeric indicator. The drop which will change the colour of the turmeric indicator to red contains sugar solution. This is because the mixture of base and a neutral solution is basic in nature. On the other hand, the drop which will not change the colour of the turmeric indicator contains hydrochloric acid because hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide forms a neutral solution.