Indicators – Nature’s pH Detectives

📚 Key Concepts

🔹 Real-Life Example

Imagine you’re a detective trying to identify whether a colourless liquid is acidic or basic. Indicators are your best tools! Just like a chameleon changes colour, indicators change colour when they encounter acids or bases. Red cabbage juice, turmeric, and even onions can act as natural indicators!

Indicators: Substances that show different colours in acidic and basic solutions, helping us identify the nature of substances.

🧪 Types of Indicators

🔸 Natural Indicators

🔸 Synthetic Indicators

🔸 Olfactory Indicators

• Onion: Loses smell in base
• Vanilla: Loses smell in base
• Clove oil: Changes smell in acid/base

🔍 Advanced: Universal Indicator

Universal indicator is a mixture of several indicators that shows different colours at different pH values (0-14), giving us a complete picture of acidity or basicity strength