Acid or base?

Acid or base?

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about testing whether substance is acid, base or neutral.
equipment for testing: five solutions: orange juice, cleaner, vinegar, water, baking soda, litmus paper, plastic spoons and ice block sticks.
Photo source: NEMP
a)
You have five different solutions set out on the mat. Use the litmus paper to find out if each solution is an acid, a base or neither. Use a new piece of litmus paper for each solution.
  • An acid turns blue litmus paper pink.
  • A base turns pink litmus paper blue.

 
 

Tick one box for each solution
 

acid

base

not acid or base

orange juice

      

cleaner

      

vinegar

      

water

      

baking soda

      
 
 
b)
If an acid was spilt and was making a hole in the carpet what could you do to help stop the acid from working?
 
 
 
 
 
 
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper and other equipment.
 
Equipment:
5 small sample cups with: orange juice; cleaner; vinegar; water; and baking soda, layout sheet, 6 teaspoons, 5 ice block sticks, litmus paper.

This NEMP task was set up as an independent station.

  1. Set out the equipment before the experiment begins, as follows.
  2. Set up the 5 small sample glasses in the correct place on the layout sheet.
  3. Put a teaspoonful of the appropriate substance into each container and half fill the container with water.
  4. Mix well using a clean ice block stick for each solution.
  5. The solutions and the litmus papers need to be replaced for each student.
Level:
4
Curriculum info: 
Science, Investigating in science, Material World
Keywords: 
nemp, indicators, acids, bases, alkalis, neutralisation, tests, investigation, practical
Description of task: 
In this NEMP task students conduct a test to identify whether a number of substances are acid, base or neutral. They also answer a question about neutralising. Assessment focus: testing acid or base.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
 
Capability: Interpret representations and Use evidence
This resource provides opportunities to discuss gathering and interpreting data in an investigation and using the evidence from the data collected to inform a solution to a problem.
Answers/responses: 
 
Y8 2003 (1999)

a)
  Tick one box for each solution
  acid base not acid or bas
  orange juice    
  cleaner    
  vinegar    
  water    
  baking soda    
83%  (73%)
82%  (69%)
84%  (78%)
88%  (88%)
78%  (70%)
b) add a base (to neutralise acid)
add water (to dilute)

43%  (38%)
43%  (45%)
 

Total:
6
5
4
2-3
0-1


32%  (23%)
38%  (36%)
10%  (12%)
12%  (16%)
8%    (13%)

Commentary
Students enjoyed this task and performed quite well. There was a modest improvement between 1999 and 2003.