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(http://cdn.instructables.com/FC5/PP9O/I7HG7FF2/FC5PP9OI7HG7FF2.LARGE.jpg)

About This Instructable

9,733 views
364 favorites

License:

Ludvic
(/member/Ludvic/)

Hello!

Youtube Channel
(http://www.youtube.com/Ludvictv)

(/member/Ludvic/)

Follow

149

"Wow Amazing Colorful, It's Magic!" "No, This is Science!"

Today with this tutorial you can learn easy way to create pH indicator with red
cabbage!
This fantastic vegetable has good property for indicate with different colours the
type of pH solution, red when the liquid is acid (pH low, like vinegar) and green or
blue when alcaline (pH 14, like Sodium hydroxide). This proprerty is due to a
pigment inside the juice: the anthocyanins

Bio: Hi, My name is Luigi "Ludvic" for the

friends, I really like the recycle, the
technology and the Chemistry, another of
my hobby is Videomaking and I love
Youtube, You can check my project on
LudvicTV...read more (/member/Ludvic/)
More by Ludvic

For make this instructables you need only the red cabbage and a source of heat
for extract the juice.
(/id/How-to-Make-Egg-Glow-

If you prefer The video check it HERE (http://goo.gl/ISVwz9)

in-the-Dark)

(/id/How-to-make-CrackedGlass-Necklace)

(/id/How-to-Clean-CopperFrom-Tarnish)
Tags:
Ph indicator (/tag/type-id/category-living/keyw ordph+indicator/)
base (/tag/type-id/category-living/keyw ord-base/)

Remove these ads by Signing Up (/account/gopro?

sourcea=removeads&nxtPgName=How +to+Make+pH+Indicator&nxtPg=/id/How -to-Make-Ph-Indicator/)

alcaline (/tag/type-id/category-living/keyw ordalcaline/)

acid (/tag/type-id/category-living/keyw ord-acid/)

Step 1: Start!

red cabbage indicator (/tag/type-id/categoryliving/keyw ord-red+cabbage+indicator/)

how to make indicator (/tag/type-id/categoryliving/keyw ord-how +to+make+indicator/)

Related

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F2G/TS1S/I7ELFBTL/F2GTS1SI7ELFBTL.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FXH/DK96/I7ELFBXC/FXHDK96I7ELFBXC.LARGE.jpg)

Grab a chopping board and cut the Cabbage in tiny piece, this help the juice to get
out in the next step, after, put all product in a pan

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FJZ/GGM5/I7ELFCPO/FJZGGM5I7ELFCPO.LARGE.jpg)

Step 2: Start to boil

Red Cabbage pH Indicator

(http://www.instructables.com/id/RedCabbage-pH-Indicator/?
utm_source=base&utm_medium=relatedinstructables&utm_campaign=related_test)
Kitchen laboratory II: The
CO2 trap
(http://www.instructables.com/id/Kitchenlaboratory-II%3a-The-CO2trap/?
real green eggs (and
ham)
(http://www.instructables.com/id/realgreen-eggs-and-ham/?
utm_source=base&utm_medium=relatedTesting the Water
(http://www.instructables.com/id/Testingthe-Water/?
utm_source=base&utm_medium=relatedinstructables&utm_campaign=related_test)
The Color-Changing
Sports Drink
(http://www.instructables.com/id/TheColor-Changing-SportsDrink-Mocktail/?
See More (/tag/type-id/?q=)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FTA/14JZ/I7ELFCZU/FTA14JZI7ELFCZU.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FQA/HN4O/I7ELFDJ9/FQAHN4OI7ELFDJ9.LARGE.jpg)

You only add 1 liter of tap water with your red cabbage and place the pan on the
source of heat.
When the water start to boil you can see the water becames dark purple, now you
can stop the heat and remove the pan from the fire.
(http://cdn.instructables.com/F8I/GKSS/I7ELFDX8/F8IGKSSI7ELFDX8.LARGE.jpg)

Step 3: Filter

(http://cdn.instructables.com/F05/CPP7/I7ELFEDE/F05CPP7I7ELFEDE.LARGE.jpg)

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FMX/HAI9/I7ELFEQ0/FMXHAI9I7ELFEQ0.LARGE.jpg)

Vote!

Remove all solid part from the liquid and after filter with a strainer.
How
to Make pH Indicator by Ludvic (/member/Ludvic/)
You can see a very dark purple, but for regular use you need to dilute with the
water,
this is(/id/How-to-Make-Ph-Indicator/?download=pdf)
the neutral indicator. There is different type of(/id/How-to-Make-Ph-Indicator/)
cabbage and the color
Download
can change of dark or light , for my perfect indicator I have diluted with 1/3 part of
concentrate indicator and 2/3 part of tap water and obtained light purple color
Collection

Step 4: Test It!

(http://cdn.instructables.com/FO7/H6L5/I7ELFWHQ/FO7H6L5I7ELFWHQ.LARGE.jpg)

Ok now the best part of tutorial! the test.

For make this you only need different type of product:
Vinegar PH acid
Lemon juice PH acid
Baking Soda PH alcaline

Vote!

4 Steps
I Made it!

Favorite

Share

Ammonia PH alcaline
You only test your product with add few drops of the liquid you want to test in the
indicator, and you see the color of the indicator change, red if acid and green or
blue if alcaline!
Thank You for your attention and follow me here on instructables :D
Ludvic

We have a be nice comment policy.

Please be positive and constructive.

I Made it!

Add Images

TimothyV (/member/TimothyV/)

Make Comment

yesterday

Reply

yesterday

Reply

pH
(/member/TimothyV/)

Ludvic (/member/Ludvic/) (author)

TimothyV

Thank You so Much man to correct me! :D

(/member/Ludvic/)

tosacj (/member/tosacj/)

yesterday

Reply

Very nicely done. I used to teach chemistry and it brings back memories.
(/member/tosacj/)

electronixTech (/member/electronixTech/)

8 days ago

Reply

Great instructable. I would use distilled water rather than tap water in case there
in the tap water that would affect the solution.

(/member/electronixTech/)
are minerals

Etripp (/member/Etripp/)

electronixTech

5 days ago

Reply

Just a small semantic point. Here in the UK (the home of science!) it is

(/member/Etripp/)
ALKALINE

not alcaline. Something to do with potassium (K)

Bverysharp (/member/Bverysharp/)

10 days ago

Reply

Great! Just what I have been looking for. The grandson is very interested in
colour change, so this is ideal. Thanks!!!

(/member/Bverysharp/)
Chemistry &

Suzanne in Orting (/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)

11 days ago

Reply

I'm thinking: soak a freshly washed, white t-shirt in the cabbage juice. Spray,
other liquids on it as a totally kid-safe tie dye. I just wonder
what to use as a mordant.

(/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)
sprinkle, splash the

Or perhaps, put them all in spray bottles to use on paper. Then the mordant
wouldn't be needed.
I wonder if you could use cabbage juice in hand made paper, perhaps by boiling
it down first. Then your lemon juice etc would be like e reverse invisible ink.
Oh the ideas.....

nwlaurie (/member/nwlaurie/)

Suzanne in Orting

10 days ago

Reply

I LOVE these ideas!! Are you going to try them out? Or do I have to...
(/member/nwlaurie/)

Suzanne in Orting (/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)

Gotta wait for it to stop raining.

nwlaurie
10 days ago

Reply

10 days ago

Reply

(/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)

Romninja (/member/Romninja/)

Suzanne in Orting

Iif you wash it you would expose it to a base, so everything would go a

think.

(/member/Romninja/)
single color,i

Suzanne in Orting (/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)

Detergent would be basic, but I think that most new

various fabric treatments that
would need to be washed out. Perhaps just good,
fresh soft water would work.

Romninja
10 days ago

Reply

10 days ago

Reply

10 days ago

Reply

(/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)
shirts would have

maxhuey (/member/maxhuey/)

Lemon is acidic??
(/member/maxhuey/)

nwlaurie (/member/nwlaurie/)

maxhuey

Certainly is: ever heard of citric acid? Comes from citrus fruits.
(/member/nwlaurie/)

ptkrf (/member/ptkrf/)

10 days ago

Reply

Last image suggests that cabbage changes colour for each pH value... So far as
I know it only goes from 1 to 12. Also since it has organic matter in it, is it really
(/member/ptkrf/)
OK to use for measuring strong acids and bases?
Aside from that it's great. reminds me of my childhood...

russ_hensel (/member/russ_hensel/)

16 days ago

Reply

Very very nice. As a kid I discovered that some flower do similar things. I think I
in the rhododendron family. Now my chicory weeds seem to do
something like the same thing, and hydrangeas are well know by gardeners to
change color depending on the ph of the soil. Investigating this would be a good
science project.

(/member/russ_hensel/)
used something

Suzanne in Orting (/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)

Hydrangeas will bloom in diffeerent colors

soil ph.

russ_hensel
11 days ago

Reply

16 days ago

Reply

(/member/Suzanne+in+Orting/)
depending on the

Ludvic (/member/Ludvic/) (author)

russ_hensel

Sure! there are many plants that have various characteristics similar to
(/member/Ludvic/)
red cabbage, : D

jmacdonald13 (/member/jmacdonald13/)

11 days ago

Reply

Great idea, I've often seen the colour change from pickled cabbage when you
water, our tap water is very hard, never thought of extracting the
juice from fresh cabbage. Great project for little and big kids. :-)

(/member/jmacdonald13/)
dilute it with tap

DaddysGal22 (/member/DaddysGal22/)

12 days ago

Reply

I'm in sixth grade so I'm learning pH levels and all that stuff. Fun!
(/member/DaddysGal22/)

threeoutside (/member/threeoutside/)

12 days ago

Reply

Very nice! This would be a great, simple science experiment for my 6-year-old
(/member/threeoutside/)
granddaughter!

susiefreckleface (/member/susiefreckleface/)

14 days ago

Reply

16 days ago

Reply

very cool ible. thanks.

(/member/susiefreckleface/)

mmaatkamp (/member/mmaatkamp/)

This is so awesome! I never knew! Gotta buy me some cabbage soon :)

(/member/mmaatkamp/)

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