Thursday, March 19, 2020

How to Make a Red Cabbage pH Indicator

How to Make a Red Cabbage pH Indicator Make your own pH indicator solution! Red cabbage juice contains a natural pH indicator that changes colors according to the acidity of the solution. Red cabbage juice indicators are easy to make, exhibit a wide range of colors, and can be used to make your own pH paper strips. Introduction to the Cabbage pH Indicator Red cabbage contains a pigment molecule called flavin (an anthocyanin). This water-soluble pigment is also found in apple skin, plums, poppies, cornflowers, and grapes. Very acidic solutions will turn anthocyanin a red color. Neutral solutions result in a purplish color. Basic solutions appear in greenish-yellow. Therefore, it is possible to determine the pH of a solution based on the color it turns the anthocyanin pigments in red cabbage juice. The color of the juice changes in response to changes in its hydrogen ion concentration. pH is the -log[H]. Acids will donate hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution and have a low pH (pH 7). Materials You Will Need Red cabbageBlender or knifeBoiling waterFilter paper (coffee filters work well)One large glass beaker or another glass containerSix 250 mL beakers or other small glass containersHousehold ammonia (NH3)Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate, NaHCO3)Washing soda (sodium carbonate, Na2CO3)Lemon juice (citric acid, C6H8O7)Vinegar (acetic acid, CH3COOH)Cream of tartar (Potassium bitartrate, KHC4H4O6)Antacids (calcium carbonate, calcium hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide)Seltzer water (carbonic acid, H2CO3)Muriatic acid or masonrys cleaner (hydrochloric acid, HCl)Lye (potassium hydroxide, KOH or sodium hydroxide, NaOH) Procedure Chop the cabbage into small pieces until you have about 2 cups of chopped cabbage. Place the cabbage in a large beaker or other glass container and add boiling water to cover the cabbage. Allow at least ten minutes for the color to leach out of the cabbage.Alternatively, you can place about 2 cups of cabbage in a blender, cover it with boiling water, and blend it.Filter out the plant material to obtain a red-purple-bluish colored liquid. This liquid is at about pH 7. The exact color you get depends on the pH of the water.Pour about 50 - 100 mL of your red cabbage indicator into each 250 mL beaker.Add various household solutions to your indicator until a color change is obtained. Use separate containers for each household solution - you dont want to mix chemicals that dont go well together! Red Cabbage pH Indicator Colors pH 2 4 6 8 10 12 Color Red Purple Violet Blue Blue-Green Greenish Yellow Tips and Safety This demo uses acids and bases, so please make certain to use safety goggles and gloves, particularly when handling strong acids (HCl) and strong bases (NaOH or KOH).Chemicals used in this demo may be safely washed down the drain with water.A neutralization experiment could be performed using cabbage juice indicator. First, add an acidic solution such as vinegar or lemon juice until a reddish color is obtained. Then add baking soda or antacids to return the pH towards a neutral 7.You can make your own pH paper strips using red cabbage indicator. Take filter paper (or coffee filter) and soak it in a concentrated red cabbage juice solution. After a few hours, remove the paper and allow it to dry (hang it by a clothespin or string). Cut the filter into strips and use them to test the pH of various solutions. To test a sample, place a drop of liquid on the test strip. Dont dip the strip in the liquid or else youll get cabbage juice in it. An example of a basic solution is laundry soap. E xamples of common acids include lemon juice and vinegar.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Away in a Manger in Spanish

Away in a Manger in Spanish Here is a Spanish version of Away in a Manger, a popular childrens Christmas song. Dont understand the words? Give your Spanish a boost with the grammar and vocabulary guide that follows. The song was originally written in English, and it isnt well known in Spanish-speaking countries. The author is unknown. Jesà ºs en pesebre Jesà ºs en pesebre, sin cuna, nacià ³;Su tierna cabeza en heno durmià ³.Los astros, brillando, prestaban su luzal nià ±o dormido, pequeà ±o Jesà ºs. Los bueyes bramaron y à ©l despertà ³,mas Cristo fue bueno y nunca llorà ³.Te amo, oh Cristo, y mà ­rame, sà ­,aquà ­ en mi cuna, pensando en ti. Te pido, Jesà ºs, que me guardes a mà ­,amndome siempre, como te amo a ti.A todos los nià ±os da tu bendicià ³n,y haznos ms dignos de tu gran mansià ³n. English Translation of Spanish Lyrics Jesus in a manger, without a crib, was born;His tender heard slept on the hay.The sparkling  stars shed their lightOn the baby asleep, little Jesus. The oxen bellowed and he awoke,But Christ was good and never cried.I love you, O Christ, and look at me, yes,Here in my crib, thinking about you. I ask you, Jesus, to  keep watch over me,Loving me always, as I love you.Give your blessing to all the children,And make us more worthy of your great mansion. Vocabulary and Grammar Notes Pesebre: As you can guess by the title of the song, this is the word for manger, a type of box from which farm animals would eat. Because of its use in connection with the Christmas story, pesebre can also refer to a representation of the birth of Jesus, much like the English word creche. Nacià ³:  Nacer translates the phrase to be born. Cuna: A crib or other small bed made specifically for a child or baby. Tierna: This word is often translated as tender and is frequently used, as here, as an adjective of affection. By being placed before the noun it refers to, tierna here helps convey an emotional meaning. Heno: Hay. Astro: Estrella is more frequently used for star than is astro. Brillando: This is the present participle of brillar, which can mean to glitter or sparkle. In standard Spanish, present participles function as adverbs, so brillando should be seen as an adverb modifying prestaban rather than as an adjective modifying astros. Prestaban: The verb prestar most often means to loan or to lend. However, it is often used, as here, to refer to providing or giving. Dormido: This is the past participle of dormir, meaning to sleep. Buey: Ox. Bramaron: Bramar refers to the groaning sound of an animal. Mas: Without the accent, mas typically means but. The word isnt used much in everyday speech, where pero is generally preferred. Sà ­: Sà ­ most often means yes. As can the English word, sà ­ can also be used as a way of affirming or emphasizing what has been said. Mà ­rame: The verb mirar can mean simply to look. In this context, however, it also carries the meaning of to watch over. Mà ­rame is a combination of two words, mira (watch over) and me (me). In Spanish it is common to attach object pronouns to the end of certain verb forms - commands, gerunds (see amndome below) and infinitives. Pensando en: In Spanish, the phrase for to think about is pensar en. Me guardes a mà ­: This is a redundancy. In everyday speech, me guardes (watch over me) would be sufficient. Although in speech the addition of the grammatically unnecessary a mà ­ might be done for reasons of emphasis, here it is used to help provide the right number of syllables for the music. Amndome: This is a combination of two words, amando (loving) and me (me). Da: In this context, da is the imperative (command) form of dar (to give) used when speaking to a friend or family member. A todos los nià ±os da tu bendicià ³n: The standard word would place a todos los nià ±os after the verb. Spanish is more flexible with word order than English, however, so this sort of sentence structure isnt unusual,   Haznos: Another combination of two words, haz (the imperative form of hacer, to make, used when speaking to a friend or family member), and nos (us). Mansià ³n: Usually a dwelling place, but sometimes specifically  a mansion. In this context, tu gran mansià ³n figuratively refers to heaven.