pH Cabbage Juice Indicator
Boiled red cabbage juice changes colour when mixed with household acids and bases, from vinegar to baking soda.
Thinking
7–13 years
25–40 min
Calm
Some mess
At home
What you need
- Red cabbage (an adult boils and strains it for juice)
- Several clear cups
- Household liquids to test: vinegar, baking soda solution, lemon juice, soapy water, plain water
Setup
- An adult boils chopped red cabbage in water for a few minutes and strains off the purple juice
- Pour a little cabbage juice into each of several clear cups
- Add a different household liquid to each cup and watch the colour shift
Play prompts
- Which cup do you predict will turn pink? Which will turn green?
- What do the pink cups have in common? What about the green or blue ones?
- Can you rank the cups from most acidic-looking to most basic-looking?
Ways to change it up
- Test toothpaste, shampoo, or fruit juice for extra data points
- Use the juice to test mystery liquids and guess what they are
Safety notes
- Boiling the cabbage must be done by an adult
- Test liquids are for observation, not tasting
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