Acid-Base Indicators

Definition

Acid-base indicators are substances that change color depending on whether they're in an acidic or basic environment.

Analogy

Imagine you have mood rings - jewelry pieces that change color based on your emotions. Acid-base indicators work similarly; they "feel" their environment and show different colors based on whether it's acidic or basic.

Related terms

pH Scale: The scale used to specify how acidic or basic water-based solutions are at room temperature. Like measuring your mood from happy to sad!

Litmus Paper: A type of paper infused with certain chemicals which changes color when exposed to acids or bases, much like your mood ring reacting differently under different emotional states.

Phenolphthalein Indicator: A commonly used acid-base indicator that is colorless in acidic solutions and pink in basic solutions. It's like a mood ring that only shows two emotions - happy (pink) and neutral (colorless).