What is alkali?
a compound with particular chemical properties including turning litmus blue and neutralizing or effervescing with acids; typically, a caustic or corrosive substance of this kind such as lime or soda. What does Alkali Mean? Bananas are usually sweet, but if you have ever bitten into a very unripe banana, you probably noticed a bitter taste right away. That bitter taste can be a clue that something is an alkaline substance.
The opposite of an alkali is an acid. Instead of a bitter taste, acids tend to have a sour taste. Things such as lemons and vinegar are acids, or acidic.
We can tell whether a substance is an alkali or an acid by knowing its pH. pH is measured with the pH scale; this scale ranges from 0-14, and these numbers tell us if a substance is an alkali or an acid.
Pure, distilled water has a pH of 7. This is called neutral and is right in the middle of the scale. Any substance that has a pH higher than 7 is an alkali (or alkaline) substance, which is also called basic. Any substance that has a pH lower than 7 is an acid.
Bananas are usually sweet, but if you have ever bitten into a very unripe banana, you probably noticed a bitter taste right away. That bitter taste can be a clue that something is an alkaline substance.
The opposite of an alkali is an acid. Instead of a bitter taste, acids tend to have a sour taste. Things such as lemons and vinegar are acids, or acidic.
We can tell whether a substance is an alkali or an acid by knowing its pH. pH is measured with the pH scale; this scale ranges from 0-14, and these numbers tell us if a substance is an alkali or an acid.
Pure, distilled water has a pH of 7. This is called neutral and is right in the middle of the scale. Any substance that has a pH higher than 7 is an alkali (or alkaline) substance, which is also called basic. Any substance that has a pH lower than 7 is an acid.
