Concerns for student safety, limited access to a variety of chemicals and lab equipment, access to chemical disposal services, and disposal budgets can often be severely limiting factors in creating an environment of hands-on learning in the science classroom. Access to practical, environmentally friendly, low-budget labs that can address multiple curriculum standards provide science teachers with the opportunity to incorporate more lab-based explorations into their lessons. This laboratory exercise, exploring the effectiveness and pH range of foods as natural acid-base indicators, was developed for use in middle and high school science classes. This exercise has a broad range of applications and could be used in studies involving the properties of matter, pH and titrations. Functional indicator color-scales were generated for anthocyanin (in red cabbage, blueberries, red apple peels and cranberries), curcumin (in turmeric) and betanin (in beets). Each indicator was tested on a series of ten solutions (2.30 pH 10.50). Detailed instructions regarding experimental preparation for the instructor and both instructor and student versions of pre-lab questions, data analysis and post-lab questions have been included as supporting information.
Maria Danielle Garrett (Fri,) studied this question.