Acids, bases and salts
Indicators
An A chemical that gives a colour change in acidic, alkaline and neutral solutions. is a chemical that changes colour in When an acid is dissolved in water we get an acidic solution., When a base dissolves in water it is an alkali and makes an alkaline solution. and If a solution is neither acidic nor alkaline it is neutral. solutions. Some common indicators include red litmus paper, blue litmus paper, phenolphthalein, and methyl orange.
| Indicator | Acidic | Neutral | Alkaline |
| Red litmus paper | red | red | blue |
| Blue litmus paper | red | blue | blue |
| Phenolphthalein | colourless | colourless | pink |
| Methyl orange | red | orange | yellow |
| Indicator | Red litmus paper |
|---|---|
| Acidic | red |
| Neutral | red |
| Alkaline | blue |
| Indicator | Blue litmus paper |
|---|---|
| Acidic | red |
| Neutral | blue |
| Alkaline | blue |
| Indicator | Phenolphthalein |
|---|---|
| Acidic | colourless |
| Neutral | colourless |
| Alkaline | pink |
| Indicator | Methyl orange |
|---|---|
| Acidic | red |
| Neutral | orange |
| Alkaline | yellow |
Blue litmus paper changes to red in acids
Red litmus paper changes to blue in alkalis