Question

Three liquids are given to you. One is hydrochloric acid, another is sodium hydroxide and the 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 the 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 these 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 basic and neutral solutions is basic in nature.

On the other hand, the drop which will not change the colour of turmeric indicator contains hydrochloric acid. This is because hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium hydroxide to form a neutral solution.