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Universal Indicator Guide

A universal indicator is a pH indicator solution made up of multiple compounds that changes color smoothly over a wide range of pH values, indicating whether a solution is acidic, alkaline, or neutral. It is usually composed of water, 1-propanol, phenolphthalein, sodium hydroxide, methyl red, bromothymol blue, sodium bisulfite, and thymol blue. Different colors indicate different pH ranges from acidic to alkaline, with green indicating a neutral pH of 7. Universal indicators allow for easy determination of solution acidity across a broad range of pH levels with a single test.

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168 views1 page

Universal Indicator Guide

A universal indicator is a pH indicator solution made up of multiple compounds that changes color smoothly over a wide range of pH values, indicating whether a solution is acidic, alkaline, or neutral. It is usually composed of water, 1-propanol, phenolphthalein, sodium hydroxide, methyl red, bromothymol blue, sodium bisulfite, and thymol blue. Different colors indicate different pH ranges from acidic to alkaline, with green indicating a neutral pH of 7. Universal indicators allow for easy determination of solution acidity across a broad range of pH levels with a single test.

Uploaded by

Noha Shaaban
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

… Searc

Universal indicator
Article Talk

… … …
This article is about the chemical pH indicator. For the
musical artists, see Universal Indicator (collective).

A universal indicator is a pH indicator made of a


solution of several compounds that exhibits several
smooth colour changes over a wide range pH values
to indicate the acidity or alkalinity of solutions.
Although there are several commercially available
universal pH indicators, most are a variation of a
formula patented by Yamada in 1933.[1] Details of
this patent can be found in Chemical Abstracts.[2]
Experiments with Yamada's universal indicator are
also described in the Journal of Chemical
Education.[3]

A roll of universal indicator paper

Colors of universal indicator

A universal indicator is usually composed of water,


1-Propanol, phenolphthalein, sodium hydroxide,
methyl red, bromothymol blue, Sodium bisulfite, and
thymol blue .[4] The colours that indicate the pH of a
solution, after adding a universal indicator, are

pH range Description Colour

<3 Strong acid Red

3–6 Weak acid Orange or Yellow

7 Neutral Green

8–11 Weak alkali Blue

> 11 Strong alkali Indigo or Violet

The colours from yellow to red indicate an acidic


solution, colours blue to violet indicate alkali and
green colour indicates that a solution is neutral.

Universal indicator components


High
Low pH Transition
Indicator pH
colour pH range
colour

Thymol blue (first


Red 1.2 – 2.8 Yellow
transition)

Methyl orange Red 3.2 – 4.4 Yellow

Methyl red Red 4.8 – 6.0 Yellow

Bromothymol blue Yellow 6.0 – 7.6 Blue

Thymol blue
(second Yellow 8.0 – 9.6 Blue
transition)

Phenolphthalein Colourless 8.3 – 10.0 Fuchsia

Wide-range pH test papers with distinct colours for


each pH from 1 to 14 are also available. Colour
matching charts are supplied with the specific test
strips purchased.

Types

See also

References

Last edited 4 months ago by Wbm1058

RELATED ARTICLES

Phenolphthalein
Chemical compound

Bromothymol blue
pH indicator

Methyl orange
Chemical compound

Wikipedia

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