Chemistry STEM project template

Block: 3 Class: S.4 E ( 12 ) Name: Cyrus Lam

Title: Homemade pH test papers

Aim:
In this activity, you are going to
⚫ prepare pH test papers by using suitable natural indicator(s) to distinguish the acidity and
alkalinity of the selected household products.
⚫ repeat the experiment with another natural indicator if your first / previous trial is unsuccessful
to distinguish the acidity and alkalinity of some / all of the selected household products.

References:
1. https://www.thoughtco.com/home-and-garden-ph-indicators-601971
2. https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project-ideas/Chem_p041/chemistry/make-
your-own-ph-paper#procedure
3. http://isjos.org/ISJOSv11p2-ButterflyPeaIndicator.pdf

Safety precautions:
1. Window cleaner / oven cleaner could be corrosive. Handle it with great care.
2. Wear safety goggles and protective gloves when you are carrying out your experiment.

Apparatus and materials

For making the pH papers The selected household products
(at least the following 7 items)
1. Red Cabbage 1. Lemon juice

2. Kitchen paper (Paper towel) 2. Vinegar

3. Milk

4. Distilled water

5. Toothpaste solution / window cleaner

6. Baking soda

7. Oven cleaner

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Chemistry STEM project template

Photos (showing the apparatus and materials used):

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Chemistry STEM project template

A. Procedure
1. Chop the red cabbage into small pieces.

2. Boil a pot of water.

3. Put the red cabbage pieces into the water and keep boiling for 10 minutes.

4. Let the solution cool down for 5 minutes and filter it with filter paper.

5. Cut some kitchen paper into small strips and dip them into the solution.

6.Wait for the kitchen paper strips to dry.

7. Dip the kitchen paper strips into different solution.

Photos (taken from the procedure of making the pH test papers):

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Chemistry STEM project template

B. Results and observations

Here all the colours showed after the pH paper strips are dipped into different solutions:

Vinegar – Pink

Lemon Juice – Red

Kitchen Cleaner – Green

Soda Powder Solution – Light Blue

Glass Cleaner – Bluish Green

Milk – Light Purple

Water - Purple

Photos (showing the pH test papers after testing with the selected household products):

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Chemistry STEM project template

C. Discussion (Please answer the following guided questions for the discussion part.)

1. Discuss whether the pH papers you prepared is suitable to distinguish the acidity and

alkalinity of the selected household products. Explain your answer.

The pH papers prepared using red cabbages is suitable to distinguish the acidity and

alkalinity. It is because it shows different colours after testing with different

substances with different pH values.

2. What is a good property of an indicator?

Shows different colours under different pH values.

Challenging Question (Bonus):

Explain, with the help of the structural formula of phenolphthalein, why phenolphthalein shows

different colours in acidic and alkaline medium.

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Chemistry STEM project template

D. Conclusion

The pH paper prepared using red cabbages is a good acid-base indicator, as it shows

different colours after testing with different substances with different pH values.

~THE END~

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