Kid Friendly Kitchen Chemistry

Today we are going to become chemists and observe chemical reactions that vary according to a material's properties. Our chemical reaction tests are going to show us what materials are acids and what are bases.

Knowing about the basic properties of a material can help scientists develop new medicines for disease, make formulas like shampoo and soap, and also help us learn about ways we can better our natural environment.

Materials:

• red cabbage

• blender

• plastic cups

• lemon juice

• baking soda

• vinegar

• cola

• alka Seltzer

So, what is an acid? What is a base? An acid is a compound that contains hydrogen. Some acids taste very sharp. Look at the material list for the things that you guess might be an acid. Can you guess before you test? A base is the opposite of an acid. Bases react with acids to make salts.

Scientists use the pH scale to measure how acidic or basic a liquid is. They have tools that measure pH in numbers. Anything between 0 and 6 is an acid. Anything between 8 and 14 is a base. What number did I forget? 7! Seven means a liquid is neutral (neither acidic or basic)

Another way to test whether something is an acid or a base is using red cabbage. Shall we try?

Red Cabbage Experiment

• Red cabbage is a vegetable that responds to acids and bases. First, we need to blend some cabbage in the blender. Then, we put a bit of red cabbage juice in several plastic cups.

• What color is the juice? Purple! We can add things to the red cabbage to see if they are acids or bases. If something is an acid, it will turn the cabbage juice red. If something is a base, it will turn the cabbage blue/green.

• Not all chemical reactions cause a color change, but some do. Let's try!