Universal Indicator

Groupmates:
Carmen Cheung (4)
Chris Chow (7)
Sandy Luk (21)
Gary Ma (25)
Hendrick Wong (28)
Brian Wong (29)
Introduction
 Acid-base indicator
 color change with pH
 Detect acidity and alkalinity
 Plant pigments
 colour dependent of pH
Aims
 Explore
 Extraction of natural indicators
 Color change
 Determine
 Which plant can be an indicator
 Which can cover the pH range
Precautions
 Goggles
 Water bath
 Prevent direct heating
Apparatus and Chemicals
used
 Fruits - oranges, apples, grapes
 Vegetables - beetroot, spinach, cauliflower, ginger, chili
 Flowers – carnation, hibiscus

 Mortar and pestle

 Test tube
 Test tube rack
 Beaker
 Dropper
 Ethanol
 Stirring rods

 Deionized or distilled water

 0.1M HCl (aq) (pH1)
 NaOH(s)
 100cm3 and 10cm3 Measuring cylinder
Procedures
 Preparing pH 1-14 solutions
 Extracting the indicator
 Testing the pH solutions with the
indicators prepared
 Testing the solutions with methyl
orange and phenolphthalein
 Comparing the color changes of the
indicators
 Result
Hibiscus

Methyl Orange & Phenolphthalein

Result
Discussion
 Questions
1. Why hibiscus can as the indicator
for different pH ?
 Contains anthocyanine [1,2]
 Pigment
 Pink, red, purple, violet and blue
 Dye extracted
 Changes its colour
 Hydrogen ion conc. of the solution
Discussion
2. Why other substance used
can only detect the pH of
alkali ?
 Equivalence point obtained
 Coincident the one by standard
indicator
 Flower extract
 Use of mixed indicator
Discussion
3. Any differences between the efficiency
of hibiscus and phenolphthalein ?
Hibiscus indicator Phenolphthalein
Different pH values Cannot shows the pH
of the testing solutions values
Different colors in Acidic  Colorless
these solutions Alkaline  Pink
Sharp color change Gradual color change
 Easy to detect  Uneasy to find the
end-point end-point
Discussion
 Error & Improvement
1. Experiment was carried out once only
 Carried again
 Raise the accuracy
2. Titration has not been carried out
 Titration should be carried out
 With methyl orange, phenolphthalein and
hibiscus indicator respectively
 Color change can be observed
Discussion
3. Only parts of flowers & fruits
crushed to make indicators
 Should be crushed more times
 Should be used twice by one
titration
Discussion
4. Conc. of flowers & fruits in indicators
for color change not investigated
 Different conc. of the flowers and
fruits in indicators
 Different effects on color change
 Indicator of different conc. should be
prepared in each titration
Discussion
5. Solution extracted in foam state
 Not pure enough
 Affected color change
Discussion
 Limitation
 Inaccurate equipment for extracting
pure solution
Conclusion

 Hibiscus  Universal indicator

 Distinct color changes
Reflection
 Poor time management
 Poor preparation
 A gain of knowledge
 Deeper interest in Chemistry
Universal Indicator

The End