NCSU Dept.

of Chemistry Lecture Demonstrations Acid-Base Reactions

Red Cabbage Indicator

Description: The extract from boiled red cabbage is used as an acid-base indicator. Materials: 1-L red cabbage solution KOH (or NaOH) Baking soda White distilled vinegar Blender Strainer Clear cups Paper Towels (for pH strip option) Straw (for Bad Breath option)

Procedure: 1. To prepare the red cabbage indicator, blend head of red cabbage in 300 mL of tap water. Strain the resulting mixture. This mixture can be used directly or stored for future use (for long term storage add 1% rubbing alcohol and refrigerating the solution). If used directly, this purple solution serves as the pH 7 standard. 2. Separate stock solutions can also be prepared as follows: pH ~13 (2% KOH solution); pH ~11 (ammonia); pH ~8 (3% baking soda solution); pH ~5 (2% vinegar solution); pH ~4 (vinegar). 3. Once a pH scale has been produced from steps 1 and 2, the pH of common household products can be tested. This can be done by adding 1-3 mL of sample to a clear cup containing 20 mL of red cabbage indicator and observing the color change. The color observed can then be compared to the standard stock solutions to predict the pH of each household product. 4. One alternative to this demonstration is to generate a pH strip by soaking paper towels or coffee filters in a concentrated red cabbage solution for several minutes. Let the strip of paper air dry. The pH strip can be used to test acidity/basicity by adding a small volume of the sample to be tested to the strip and observing the color change. 5. Bad Breath alternative This version can be used to show the utility of acid-base indicators to a larger audience using a document camera (if available). Prepare a basic solution by adding a few drops of household ammonia to the indicator solution as prepared in step 1. The resulting solution should be green. Have a student blow into the solution until the solution changes colors. Color change is a result of the solution becoming

NCSU Dept. of Chemistry Lecture Demonstrations Acid-Base Reactions acidic from the dissolution of CO2 to generate carbonic acid, thus decreasing the pH of the solution. Discussion: Red cabbage is useful as a pH indicator because the leaves contain a pigment molecule from the family of anthocyanins (shown below) which are responsible for many of the red/purple/blue colors observed in fruits and vegetables. In neutral solutions, the color observed is purple. As the solution becomes more acidic a red color results. Increasing the pH in basic solutions changes the color from blue to green and at high pH the solution is observed as greenish-yellow.

Safety: Wear proper protective equipment including gloves and safety glasses when preparing this demonstration. Concentrated solutions of acids and bases (>2 M) can irritate the skin and cause burns. Safety glasses, gloves, and a lab coat are highly recommended when working with strong acids and bases. When diluting concentrated acids, add the acid to the water to avoid spattering. Disposal: Individual samples can be neutralized slowly (i.e. add an acidic sample slowly to a basic sample) and flushed down the drain with plenty of water. References: Shakhashiri, B. Z. In Chemical Demonstrations: A Handbook for Teachers of Chemistry; The University of Wisconsin Press: 1989; Vol. 3, p 50-57; 65-69. Forster, M. J. Chem. Educ. 1978, 55, 107. Barrow, L. H. J. Chem. Educ. 1985, 62, 339. Rinzler, C. A. Science 1982, 82, 54. http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/demolab/demo_txt/CabbIndic.htm http://www.chem.indiana.edu/community/demos/163%20Red%20Cabbage%20Juice%20pH%20Indicator.doc Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iton8L8Gg_w