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Lesson 13 of 14

6 min

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Eleven quick questions. Use the table if you get stuck.

Acids, bases and neutral — the nine rules the labs used
LessonThe rule
Three groupsNever taste an unknown substance. Test it with litmus paper.
Acids in foodFoods that taste sour tend to contain an acid. Acids turn blue litmus red.
BasesA base turns red litmus blue. A bitter taste alone does not make a base.
Turmeric and roseTurmeric turns red in a base only. Red rose is red in an acid and green in a base.
NeutralBlue and red litmus both unchanged means neutral. Turmeric cannot tell acidic from neutral.
NeutralisationAn acid and a base cancel each other. They make salt and water, and give out heat.
Plant indicatorsEvery indicator has its own colours. Red shows an acid with rose extract but a base with turmeric.
Smell indicatorsAn olfactory indicator changes its smell. Onion smell stays in an acid and fades in a base.
Soil and wasteLime treats acidic soil. Acidic waste is neutralised before release.

A bottle has no label. How do you find its group?

  • Taste a tiny drop
  • Test it with litmus paper
  • Guess from the shelf

A liquid turns blue litmus red. Which group is it in?

  • Acidic
  • Basic
  • Neutral

A liquid turns red litmus blue. Which group is it in?

  • Acidic
  • Neutral
  • Basic

Which food has lactic acid?

  • Curd
  • Lemon juice
  • Vinegar

Bitter gourd tastes bitter. What does that show?

  • It is a base
  • It is an acid
  • Nothing sure. A bitter taste alone does not make a base

Turmeric paper stays yellow in a liquid. Which group is ruled out?

  • Acidic
  • Basic
  • Neutral

Red rose extract turns green in a liquid. What is the liquid?

  • Basic
  • Acidic
  • Neutral

Lemon water is made exactly neutral. You add more baking soda water. What happens?

  • It stays neutral
  • It turns acidic
  • It turns basic

Red rose extract shows red in liquid P. Turmeric paper turns red in liquid Q. Which liquid is basic?

  • P
  • Q
  • Both

A drop of a liquid goes on an onion strip. The onion smell fades. What does this point to?

  • An acid
  • Nothing. The onion is old
  • A base

A field has basic soil. Why is lime a poor choice?

  • Lime is an acid, so it burns roots
  • Lime is a base, so it adds more base
  • Lime does nothing to soil

Your NCERT book calls this chapter Exploring Substances: Acidic, Basic, and Neutral. Read it now. You have already read strips and added drops.

Next: Electricity: Circuits and their Components.

Reveal every answer to finish this lesson.