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Exploring Substances: Acidic, Basic, and Neutral

Indicators you can smell

A chopped onion has a strong smell. A base can remove that smell. Test each jar with an onion strip.

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The idea

Some things change in smell, not colour, with an acid or base. They are olfactory indicators. Olfactory means about smell. Onion is one.

Two onion strips. Both have a strong smell.
Step 1 of 4
  1. Two onion strips. Both have a strong smell.
  2. A drop of acid on the first. The smell stays strong.
  3. A drop of base on the second. The smell fades.
  4. A fading smell points to a base.

An olfactory indicator changes its smell. Onion smell stays in an acid and fades in a base.

A teacher does this test. Never sniff an unknown liquid.

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This track

  1. 0 Start here
  2. 1 Three groups, and no tasting
  3. 2 Acids in our food
  4. 3 Bases around us
  5. 4 Turmeric paper and red rose
  6. 5 No change is an answer too
  7. 6 An acid and a base cancel each other
  8. 7 Checkpoint: groups, strips and neutralisation
  9. 8 Indicators from plants
  10. 9 Indicators you can smell
  11. 10 Neutralising soil and waste
  12. 11 Checkpoint: plant indicators, smell and soil
  13. 12 The big picture
  14. 13 Track quiz

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