Source Institutions
Add to list Go to activity
Activity link broken? See if it's at the internet archive
Learners use red cabbage juice and pH indicator paper to test the acidity and basicity of household materials. The activity links this concept of acids and bases to acid rain and other pollutants. Resource contains vocabulary definitions and suggestions for assessment, extensions, and scaling for different levels of learners.
- 10 to 30 minutes
- 45 to 60 minutes
- $1 - $5 per group of students
- Ages 8 - 14
- Activity, Experiment/Lab Activity, Lesson/Lesson Plan
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per group of students)
- 10 clear 6-8-oz. cups or Dixie cups to hold test materials
- Masking tape and pen (for labeling cups)
- Vinegar (2 samples of about 2 tablespoons each)
- Lemon juice (about 2 tablespoons)
- Tomato or apple juice (pure) (about 2 tablespoons)
- Distilled water (2 samples of about 2 tablespoons)
- Salt water (2 tablespoons of this mix: 3 tablespoons salt in 1 cup distilled water)
- Bleach (ammonia) (about 2 tablespoons)
- Milk of Magnesia (about 2 tablespoons)
- Baking soda (about 2 tablespoons in 1 cup distilled water)
- Alka-Seltzer tablet
- pH testing paper (0-14 pH)
- Cabbage juice (preparation from red cabbage in instructions in activity)
- Red Cabbage Indicator Color Chart
- pH Values of Common Substances
- Measuring pH of Common Substances Data Sheet
- Measuring pH of Common Substances Worksheet
- Cabbage Juice Rainbow Data Sheet
Subjects
-
Earth and Space Science
-
Earth Processes
- Weather and Climate
-
Earth Structure
- Atmosphere
-
Earth Processes
-
Engineering and Technology
-
Engineering
- Civil Engineering
- Environmental Engineering
-
Engineering
-
Life Sciences
-
Ecology
- Human Impact
-
Ecology
-
Physical Sciences
-
Chemistry
- Acids and Bases
-
States of Matter
- Liquids
-
Chemistry
-
The Nature of Science
-
The Scientific Process
- Conducting Investigations
- Gathering Data
- Communicating Results
-
The Scientific Process
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- see color
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
Components that are part of this resource:
- Measuring pH of Common Substances Data Sheet Answers
- Measuring pH of Common Substances Worksheet Answers
- Cabbage Juice Rainbow Data Sheet Answers
Includes alignment to state and/or national standards:
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
- Kolenbrander, Amy ; Yowell, Janet ; Mach, Natalie ; Schaefer Zarske, Malinda ; Carlson, Denise ; Perez, Sharon ; Frank, Gwendolyn
Source Collection
- TeachEngineering
Rights:
- All rights reserved, Regents of the University of Colorado, 2004
Funding Sources:
- Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)
- U.S. Department of Education
- National Science Foundation, 0226322