Join Andrew and Samantha for another Kitchen Science experiment you can try at home. Use red cabbage to create a pH indicator. It can tell you whether something is an acid or a base, as well as how acidic or basic it is, based on how much the color changes. Use your new pH indicator to see how acidic and basic different items around your house are. Keep reading to learn all the details.
Andrew Fotta is a STEM educator at the Connecticut Science Center. He has currently holds a CT teaching certification for grades K-6, and has spent time in the classroom in nearly all grades, and taught middle school science. In addition to teaching classes for the Science Center, Andrew is also part of a team of educators currently creating new programs aligned with the new Next Generation Science Standards for grades PreK-9. Andrew is an avid photographer, who enjoys blending science and art in his work.
What you have made is called a pH indicator. It can tell you whether something is an acid or a base, as well as how acidic or basic it is, based on how much the color changes. Think of acids and bases as opposites—acids have a low pH and bases have a high pH. For reference, water (which is neutral), has a pH of 7 on a scale of 0–14. An indicator is typically a chemical that changes color if it comes in contact with an acid or a base.
Red cabbage is just one of many indicators that are available to scientists. Some indicators start out colorless and turn different colors when they mix with an acid or a base. If there is no color change at all, the substance that you are testing is probably neutral, just like water.
What is it about cabbage that causes this to happen? Red cabbage contains a water-soluble pigment called anthocyanin that changes color when it is mixed with an acid or a base. The pigment turns red in acidic environments with a pH less than 7 and the pigment turns bluish-green in alkaline (basic), environments with a pH greater than 7.
Join Andrew and Samantha for another Kitchen Science experiment you can try at home. Use red cabbage to create a pH indicator. It can tell you whether something is an acid or a base, as well as how acidic or basic it is, based on how much the color changes. Use your new pH indicator to see how acidic and basic different items around your house are. Keep reading to learn all the details.
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Red cabbage and some other plants contain a pigment called anthocyanin that gives our cabbage it’s colour. This pigment has the ability to change colour and is an example of a pH indicator- something that can detect acids and bases. Armed with a variety of kitchen ingredients you’ll soon be amazed by the gorgeous colours cabbage juice can create and learn which things in your home are acidic or basic.
Museums Victoria acknowledges the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Boon Wurrung Bunurong peoples of the eastern Kulin Nations where we work, and First Peoples across Victoria and Australia.
For this activity you’ll need about 4 red cabbage leaves, some water, a blender, smoothie maker or stick blender, some white vinegar or lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda, glasses or small white bowls, and a variety of other kitchen items for testing such as lemonade, juices and soap.
Create a colour-changing liquid and gorgeous artworks with some cabbage and simple household items while learning about acids, bases and pH.
EXPERIMENT DIY PH indicator from red cabbage | What the Hack #22
What color is red cabbage?
With its bright violet color, red cabbage is one of the visual highlights of the cabbage family. Sweet ingredients will turn it a bluish violet during cooking, while acid-rich ingredients turn it reddish. Want to know more about red cabbage?
Can one eat a cabbage with pink or light brown inside leaves?
When a food is not showing its normal, natural characteristics, it is better to avoid consuming it. There are two common types of cabbage, one purple and one green. Cabbage color variation has to do with soil pH. But if a cabbage has pink or light brown inner leaves that differ from the outer color, it’s probably not good for consumption.
What does cabbage look like?
When you initially think of cabbage, the typical image of a tightly packed green bulb likely comes to mind. However, cabbage varieties range from the gem-like spheres of red cabbage to the long, elegant leaves of bok choy and even to the stunning purple and green watercolor scene painted on the leaves of a January King cabbage head.
What does green cabbage taste like?
Looking similar to a head of iceberg lettuce, green cabbage is the most common variety. The outer leaves range from dark to pale green while the inside is pale green or white. When raw, its texture is somewhat rubbery and its flavor kind of peppery but once cooked, the green cabbage softens and takes on a sweeter taste.