You are provided with three test tubes A, B, C which contain distilled water, acidic and basic solutions. If you are given blue litmus paper only, how will you identify the nature of the solutions in three-test tubes?
You are provided with three test tubes A, B, C which contain distilled water, acidic and basic solutions. If you are given blue litmus paper only, how will you identify the nature of the solutions in three-test tubes?
Litmus paper is a filter paper that has been treated with a natural-soluble dye provided by lichens and it produces a result that can be used as a pH indicator. Litmus paper is available as red and blue. If a material is acidic, blue litmus paper turns red, and red litmus paper does not change color. If the material is alkaline or basic, red litmus paper turns blue and blue litmus does not change color. Distilled water does not change the color of red or blue litmus paper.
Step to identify the given solution: The given blue litmus paper is dipped in solution A. There are two possible outcomes in this scenario.
Condition 1: If litmus paper turns red in color, then solution A is an acidic solution.
- In this case, tear the red litmus paper into two parts and dip one part in solution B and one part in solution C.
- The solution which changed the color of litmus paper from red to blue is the basic solution and the solution which did not change the color of red litmus paper would be distilled water.
- In this condition, solution A is acidic, solution B is basic and solution C is distilled water.
Condition 2: If the litmus paper does not change color, it may be the basic solution or distilled water. Now dip the blue litmus paper in solution B. When blue litmus paper is dipped in solution B, two possible outcomes are obtained:
If the color of the litmus paper changes to red:
- Solution B is an acidic solution.
- Now, tear the red litmus paper into two parts and dip one part in solution A and one part in solution C.
- The solution which changed the color of litmus paper from red to blue is the basic solution and the solution which did not change the color of red litmus paper would be distilled water.
- In this condition, solution B is acidic, solution A is basic and solution C is distilled water.
If the litmus paper does not change color:
- The solution may be the basic solution or distilled water.
- Now, when blue litmus paper is dipped in solution C, the litmus paper changes color from blue to red.
- Now, tear red litmus paper into two parts and dip one part in solution A and one part in solution B.
- The solution which changed the color of litmus paper from red to blue is the basic solution and the solution which did not change the color of red litmus paper would be distilled water.
- In this condition, solution C is acidic, solution B is basic and solution A is distilled water.
Litmus paper is a filter paper that has been treated with a natural-soluble dye provided by lichens and it produces a result that can be used as a pH indicator. Litmus paper is available as red and blue. If a material is acidic, blue litmus paper turns red, and red litmus paper does not change color. If the material is alkaline or basic, red litmus paper turns blue and blue litmus does not change color. Distilled water does not change the color of red or blue litmus paper.
Step to identify the given solution: The given blue litmus paper is dipped in solution A. There are two possible outcomes in this scenario.
Condition 1: If litmus paper turns red in color, then solution A is an acidic solution.
- In this case, tear the red litmus paper into two parts and dip one part in solution B and one part in solution C.
- The solution which changed the color of litmus paper from red to blue is the basic solution and the solution which did not change the color of red litmus paper would be distilled water.
- In this condition, solution A is acidic, solution B is basic and solution C is distilled water.
Condition 2: If the litmus paper does not change color, it may be the basic solution or distilled water. Now dip the blue litmus paper in solution B. When blue litmus paper is dipped in solution B, two possible outcomes are obtained:
If the color of the litmus paper changes to red:
- Solution B is an acidic solution.
- Now, tear the red litmus paper into two parts and dip one part in solution A and one part in solution C.
- The solution which changed the color of litmus paper from red to blue is the basic solution and the solution which did not change the color of red litmus paper would be distilled water.
- In this condition, solution B is acidic, solution A is basic and solution C is distilled water.
If the litmus paper does not change color:
- The solution may be the basic solution or distilled water.
- Now, when blue litmus paper is dipped in solution C, the litmus paper changes color from blue to red.
- Now, tear red litmus paper into two parts and dip one part in solution A and one part in solution B.
- The solution which changed the color of litmus paper from red to blue is the basic solution and the solution which did not change the color of red litmus paper would be distilled water.
- In this condition, solution C is acidic, solution B is basic and solution A is distilled water.
