ALLOCATION OF CLASS FOR DIFFERENT

COMPOUNDS
Different compounds are allocated different classes on the basis of their acidity, basicity, neutrality, and
inertness as:

 Acids
 Bases
 Neutral species
 Inert species

These all are classified on the basis of their interaction with different indicators like litmus, KMnO 4 ,
phenolphthalein etc.

LITMUS PAPER:
Litmus is a water-soluble mixture of different dyes extracted from lichens. It is often absorbed onto filter
paper to produce one of the oldest forms of pH indicator, used to test materials for acidity and basicity.

Two common varieties of litmus are commonly used:

 Red litmus: The color of a red litmus paper remains the same under acidic conditions and turns
blue under basic conditions.
 Blue litmus: Blue litmus paper turns red under acidic conditions and remains the same under
basic conditions.

ACIDS:
An acid is a substance that releases hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution. Blue litmus paper is prepared
by treating plain paper with lichen-blue litmus. Blue litmus paper is typically used to test acids, such as
sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, ethanoic acid, citric acid, vinegar, phenol, nitrophenol etc.

BASES:
Red litmus paper is used in chemical laboratories to identify bases. Red litmus paper is obtained by
treating plain paper with a litmus dye, which has been reddened by a small quantity of dilute sulphuric
acid and dried by exposure to air. A base is a substance that accepts hydrogen ions (H+) in water. The
color of a red litmus paper turns blue under basic conditions. Substances that turn red litmus paper blue
include alkalis, amines, baking soda, lime, ammonia, household cleaners and human blood.

NEUTRAL SPECIES:
If the paper turns purple, this indicates the pH is near neutral. This shows that the substance is not
giving or accepting any H+ or OH- ions. Examples of such substances include aldehydes, ketones, esters
etc.

INERT SPECIES:
These substances do not interact with litmus i.e. no color change is observed when they come in contact
with litmus dye.

PROCEDURE:
1) Dissolve 0.1g of sample in 1 cm3 of water.
2) Apply this solution to both red and blue litmus papers.
3) Observe the change in colors.

OBSERVATIONS:
If red litmus changes to blue than the sample is base.

If blue litmus changes to red than the sample is acid.

If red or blue litmus changes to purple than the sample is neutral.