Curry Powder as an Indicator
By: Noah, Tyler, Matt, and Harrison
Introduction/ Purpose
The indicator that we chose was Curry Powder. The purpose of this lab was to set a standard of pH values and to estimate the pH values of these four household substances using curry powder as an indicator. The four household items that we tested were rubbing alcohol, Sprite, stain remover, and white vinegar. According to Arrhenius an acid is a substance that has a pH value of one-six and is a hydrogen containing compound that ionizes to yield hydrogen ions in aqueous solutions. A base is compound that ionizes to yield hydroxide ions in aqueous solutions. An indicator is an acid or base that dissociates an unknown pH value. It changes color because of the dissociation of the H+ ion from the indicator itself.
Before
Curry Powder
This is our indicator in powder form before it is dissolved.
Indicator In a Liquid
This is our indicator in a liquid state of matter. At this stage we can apply a few drops of this substance in a chemical and determine if that chemical is an acid or base.
House Hold Items
These are our four house hold items we brought in. From left to right we brought Sprite, Stain Remover, White Vinegar, and Rubbing Alcohol.
Data
pH Values Post Reaction
House Hold Items
House Hold Items Post Reaction
Conclusion
The colors for acids were yellow and the colors for bases were red. Our indicator was better at detecting bases because when mixed with an acid, it stayed the same color as the liquid powder but when mixed with a base it changed colors. A problem with judging the pH was that all the acids (1, 3, 5) were yellow and all the bases (9, 11, 13) were a reddish color so it was hard to distinguish how strong or weak the acid or base was. If we were to do this experiment again we would use the same amount of diluted curry powder in each test tube.