Experiment No.

4
Acids and Bases

Background
In the past, the definitions of acids and bases were purely experimental.
Traditionally, acids are substances that taste sour and turn blue litmus red while bases
are substances that taste bitter, feel slippery, and turn red litmus blue. Acids and bases
can also cause color changes to many organic indicators such as phenolphthalein,
bromothymol blue, and methyl orange. In a previous experiment, electrical conductivity
was observed in solutions of acids and bases. In addition, acids have been observed to
react with certain metals to produce hydrogen gas, and with carbonates and bicarbonates
to produce carbon dioxide. Nowadays, these observations supplement the formal
definitions of acids and bases based on theories proposed by S. Arrhenius, J. N. Brønsted,
T. M. Lowry, and G. N. Lewis.
The acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution can be expressed using pH.
Mathematically, pH = –log [H3O+]. The pH of a neutral solution is 7.00 at 25 oC so the
pH of an acidic solution is less than 7.00 and the pH of a basic solution is greater than
7.00 at the same temperature. The measurement of pH can be done using a pH paper
and a pH meter, which gives more accurate values. If solution pH is known, the
equilibrium concentrations of hydronium and hydroxide ions can be calculated using the
following equations.

[𝐻3 𝑂+ ] = 10−𝑝𝐻

[𝐻3 𝑂+ ][𝑂𝐻− ] = 1𝑥10−14

Objectives
At the end of this activity, the students should be able to:
➢ determine the colors of different organic indicators with common laboratory
acids and bases
➢ measure the pH of an aqueous solution using a pH paper and a pH meter
➢ classify an aqueous solution as an acid or a base based from measured pH
➢ calculate [H3O+] and [OH-] for a solution of known pH
Materials:
A. Bring the following:

Group No. Materials

1, 5, 9 Orange juice and baking soda
2, 6, 10 Fresh milk and antacid
3, 7, 11 Detergent powder and vinegar
4, 8, 12 Bleach and soft drink

B. Reagents
0.1 M hydrochloric acid (HCl) phenolphthalein
0.1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) bromothymol blue
0.1 M sulfuric acid (H2SO4) methyl orange
0.1 M calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) pH paper
0.1 M acetic acid (HC2H3O2)
0.1 M ammonia (NH3)

C. Instrument
pH meter
Top-loading balance

D. Glassware and Apparatus

Bring out the following from your locker or borrow from the stockroom per table
(for 2 groups):

Item Qty. Item Qty.

Test tubes 24 Beaker (250 mL) 2
Graduated cylinder (100 mL) 1 Watch glass 1
Mortar and pestle 1 Stirring rod 2
Wash bottle 1

Procedure
A. Acid-Base Indicators and pH Paper
1. Place 1 mL (or 20 drops) of 0.1 M HCl into each of four clean and dry test tubes.
2. To the first test tube, add 1 drop of phenolphthalein indicator. Note the color
formed.
3. To the second test tube, add 1 drop of bromothymol blue indicator. Note the color
formed.
4. To the third test tube, add 1 drop of methyl orange indicator. Note the color
formed.
5. Use a pH paper to determine the pH of the solution in the fourth test tube. Classify
the solution as an acid or a base based from measured pH.
6. Repeat A.1 to A.5 using 0.1 M H2SO4, 0.1 M HC2H3O2, 0.1 M NaOH, 0.1 M Ca(OH)2,
and 0.1 M NH3.
B. pH Meter
For Groups 1, 5 & 9:
1. Measure 100 mL of orange juice using a 100-mL graduated cylinder. Transfer this
into a clean and dry 250-mL beaker.
2. Weigh 5 g of baking soda in a clean and dry 250-mL beaker. Add 100 mL of distilled
water into the beaker and stir to dissolve the solute.
For Group 2, 6 & 10:
1. Measure 100 mL of fresh milk using a 100-mL graduated cylinder. Transfer this
into a clean and dry 250-mL beaker.
2. Crush 1 antacid tablet using a mortar and pestle. Place the powdered antacid tablet
into a clean and dry 250-mL beaker. Add 100 mL of distilled water into the beaker
and stir to dissolve the solute.
For Group 3, 7 & 11:
1. Measure 100 mL of vinegar using a 100-mL graduated cylinder. Transfer this into
a clean and dry 250-mL beaker.
2. Weigh 5 g of detergent powder in a clean and dry 250-mL beaker. Add 100 mL of
distilled water into the beaker and stir to dissolve the solute.
For Group 4, 8 & 12:
1. Measure 100 mL of soft drink using a 100-mL graduated cylinder. Transfer this
into a clean and dry 250-mL beaker.
2. Measure 15 mL of bleach using a 100-mL graduated cylinder. Dilute this up to 100
mL by adding distilled water. Transfer the resulting solution into a clean and dry
250-mL beaker.
For All:
3. Use a pH meter to determine the pH of the solutions prepared in B.1 and B.2. Ask
your instructor for assistance.
4. Classify each of the solutions as an acid or a base based from measured pH.
5. Calculate the hydronium and hydroxide concentrations from the measured pH
values.

Safety Reminders:
• Handle pH meter with care.

Waste Disposal:
• All reagents can be safely disposed to the sink.
 Data Sheet
Experiment No. 4
Acids and Bases

Group No. ____ MLS - _____

Date Performed: _________________ Date Submitted: ________________
Names with signature: (alphabetical, surnames first) Class Nos.
________________________________________ __________
________________________________________ __________
________________________________________ __________
________________________________________ __________

A. Acid-Base Indicators and pH Paper

Indicator A: phenolphthalein
Indicator B: bromothymol blue
Indicator C: methyl orange

Observations
Sample pH Classification
Ind. A Ind. B Ind. C
0.1 M HCl
0.1 M H2SO4
0.1 M HC2H3O2
0.1 M NaOH
0.1 M Ca(OH)2
0.1 M NH3

B. pH Meter
Sample pH [H3O+] [OH-] Classification

Sample Calculations:
 POST-LAB REPORT

Experiment No. 4
Acids and Bases

Name: ______________________________________ Class No. _______

Group No. _________ Date Submitted: _________________

1. Give two other examples of acid-base indicators which were not used in this
experiment and write their color.

Indicator Acid Color Base Color

2. Can pH values be negative? Why or why not?

_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________

3. Calculate the pH of 0.275 M HNO3 solution. Show your complete solution.

4. Normal blood has a pH that ranges from 7.35 to 7.45. Calculate the hydronium ion
concentration corresponding to these pH values.