litmus paper

To detect whether a specific solution contains an acid or a base, use a litmus paper (Watkins). If the solution is acidic, a blue piece of litmus paper will turn red when submerged in it, whereas a red piece of litmus paper would stay red. A red litmus paper will turn blue when submerged in a basic or alkaline solution, but a blue litmus paper will not change color.
To check for acidic or alkaline conditions, use litmus powder. The litmus powder is utilized to create an aqueous solution. A small quantity of the particular water solution is poured into the aqueous litmus solution. If the water solution is acidic, then the litmus solution will turn red and if the water solution is basic, the aqueous litmus solution will turn blue.
Phenolphthalein is an acid- base indicator and it can be used in its aqueous form to test for acidity or alkalinity in a solution. Phenolphthalein solution turns pink in basic conditions and colorless in acidic conditions.

Products which contain a substance which could be an acid
Milk and other dairy products contain lactic acid- C3H6O3
Ketchup which contains vinegar has acetic acid which s found in vinegar-HC2H3O2
Fruits like citrus and lemons and some cleaning agents contain citric acid- H3C6H5O7
Liquid drain cleaners contain sulphuric acid- H2SO4
Juices and fruits such as bananas and avocados contain ascorbic acid- C6H8O6
Products which contain a substance which could be a base
Baking soda, also known as sodium bicarbonate is a base- NAHCO3
Soaps and other cleaning agents contain sodium hydroxide- NaOH
Household ammonia contains ammonium hydroxide- NH4OH
Household bleach contains calcium hypochlorite- Ca(CIO)2
Cement contains lime which is released when cement interacts with water. Lime is calcium, hydroxide- Ca(OH)2
Acid rain
Acid rain refers to rain which is filled with impurities thanks to pollution and other human activities that degrade the environment. Acid rain contains acidic components which are released when gaseous compounds of certain gases such as carbon dioxide, ammonium, and sulfur are released into the environment. Through the condensation process, rain is formed, however, acidic rain occurs when the gaseous compounds rise into the atmosphere and mix with water and oxygen to form the acid rain (Sivasakthivel, and KK Siva Kumar Reddy). Water is essential for human survival and the commodity can be collected from rain. However, acid rain does more harm than good not only to human beings but also to aquatic life and agricultural produce in the farms.
Acid rain results in adverse effects because of the negative impacts it has on the environment. Acid rain damages the soil by killing microlobes and denaturing the enzymes found in the microlobes (Butnariu, and Samfira). This makes the soil unproductive for agricultural use. Both aquatic life and animals on land are negatively affected by acid rain which results in the death of aquatic life such as fish. Acid water from acid rain causes the fish not to hatch. Ocean acidification is a consequence of acid rain and this affects the coastal species. Forests and the other vegetation suffer negatively because of acid rain. Some plants die because of the acidity of the rain.
Acid rain can be prevented by reducing pollution in the environment. Reducing or completely eliminating pollution will ensure that the concentration of the dangerous gaseous compounds in the atmosphere is reduced or completely eliminated. Manufacturing and production industries should be encouraged to embrace energy-saving methods of production and also eco friendly methods of production to reduce the emission of gaseous compounds to the environment.











Works Cited
Butnariu, M., and I. Samfira. "Consequences of Acid Rain." Journal of Ecosystem & Ecography (2014).
Sivasakthivel, T., and KK Siva Kumar Reddy. "Ozone layer depletion and its effects: a review." International Journal of Environmental Science and Development 2.1 (2011): 30.
Watkins, Diane. "What Is the Function of Litmus Paper?" Sciencing, 24 Apr. 2017, sciencing.com/function-litmus-paper-5072700.html.