Andrew is employing a universal indicator to examine different household substances. He documents the data provided in the following table.

Question

Substance: Vinegar | Indicator Color: Orange | pH: 2
Substance: Tomato | Indicator Color: Yellow | pH: 4
Substance: Coffee | Indicator Color: Green | pH: 5
Substance: Salt water | Indicator Color: Teal | pH: 8
Substance: Soapy water | Indicator Color: Light purple | pH: 12
Substance: Drain cleaner | Indicator Color: Dark purple | pH: 14
Subsequently, Andrew employs the universal indicator to assess bleach, which yields a purple color as per the results. Utilizing the information in the table, classify bleach as either an acid or a base.

Answer 1

To classify bleach based on the information provided in the table, we can analyze the pH value and the corresponding indicator color.

• The table indicates that:
  • Vinegar (pH 2) is a strong acid (orange color).
  • Tomato (pH 4) is a weak acid (yellow color).
  • Coffee (pH 5) is a weak acid (green color).
  • Salt water (pH 8) is neutral to slightly basic (teal color).
  • Soapy water (pH 12) is a strong base (light purple color).
  • Drain cleaner (pH 14) is a very strong base (dark purple color).

When Andrew tested bleach and observed a purple color, it suggests that bleach has a high pH, indicating that it is a basic substance. Therefore, since purple corresponds to a high pH (indicating a base), we can classify bleach as a base.