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Acids and Bases Lab

I. Introduction
In this lab, we learned about new categories of solutions including acids and bases and
how to identify them and their properties. Acids as we learned included any substance that
dissociates into Hydrogen cations and bases were any substance that dissociated into hydroxide
anions. The concentration of whether a solution was acid or base could be measured using both
the universal indicator and also cabbage juice. When using cabbage juice, the more purple the
solution became, the more acidic it was, and the more blue it became the more basic it was.
When using the other method, the universal indicator, the more red the solution was meant it was
more acidic, and if it was purple it was more basic. These numbers can be arranged from a scale
of 0-14 to show acidity of a solution. We also used Calcium Carbonate tablets which are highly
basic to see how they responded to acids and bases, showing that if a solution was more acidic,
the tablet would dissolve more as it had to counteract the acid. The hypothesis of the lab was that
if a solution is acidic, then it will turn red with the universal indicator and dissolve the tablets
quicker than bases as acids react very harshly with different compounds creating unique
reactions.
II. Data
In this lab, our procedure was divided into two parts, testing our acids and bases using a
universal indicator in part I, and testing our acids and bases using CaCo3 tablets in part II. In part
I, we poured four drops of different solutions, one specific solution in every empty well. Then we
added two drops of cabbage juice indicator to each well observing the color changes and writing

them down. We then emptied the trays and repeated the process except using a universal
indicator instead of cabbage juice observing the color changes. As we logged the colors down,
we noticed a trend for the colors of bases and acids with the two different indicators helping us
figure out which were acids. In part II, we took an empty tray and filled each well with a small
amount of CaCo3 tablets. We then added ten drops of each solution, one solution per well in
order to see how they reacted with the CaCo3 tablets. The results were logged into the
Classification Data Table.
Classification Data Table
Solution

Formula

Cabbage Juice

Universal

Indicator

Table Salt (aq)


Vinegar (aq)
Rubbing Alcohol
Window Cleaner
Distilled water
Hydrochloric

NaCl(aq)
C2H4O2(aq)
C3H8O(aq)
NH4OH(aq)
H2O
HCL(aq)

Purple
Pink
Purple
Blueish green
Purple
Red

Indicator Color
Orange-red
Red
Red
Blue
Red
Red

Number
1
0
0
10
0
0

Acid
Washing Soda

Na2CO3(aq)

Green

Purple

13

(aq)
Lemon juice

C6H8O7(aq)

Pink

Red

(aq)
Drain cleaner

NaOH(aq)

Green

Purple

13

(aq)

III.Conclusion
To reiterate our hypothesis, if a solution is acidic, then it will turn red with the universal
indicator and dissolve the tablets quicker than bases as acids react very harshly with different

compounds creating unique reactions. When analyzing the data, it was found that solutions
which were acidic could not only be analyzed through chemical formulas, but also through their
reaction with the calcium carbonate tablets. If the tablets reacted by bubbling and dissolving with
the solution, then it was found that the solution was acidic, but if no reaction occurred, the
solution was most likely basic. Using the indicators only supported this conclusion as all the
solutions which were red with the universal indicator also dissolved the tablets very quickly
immediately identifying which solutions were acidic and which were basic. Problems faced
during our lab were that we may have poured extra drops of solution in some trays causing the
acidity level of certain solutions to show more acidity than truly was there. For example, when
pouring vinegar samples onto the tablets, we used two too many drops causing the solution to
turn a very dark red. Looking over the lab and the data that supported our hypothesis, acids and
bases each have their own separate properties which can be found through the application of
universal solutions and reactions with other acids and bases showing that altogether they are
interconnected.

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