The Importance Of Acids And Bases

INTRODUCTION

We encounter acids and bases on our daily lives. Acids are substances that have a pH of less than 7. On the other hand, bases have pH of greater than 7. They both react to each other to form salt.

Acids and bases also exhibit some characteristics like acids are sour and bases are bitter in taste. Acids are also rough in texture while bases are slippery. But you can’t just touch or taste acids and bases as some strong acids and strong bases are dangerous. They contain chemicals that are dangerous to human tissue. They may cause chemical burns, respiratory distress and fire hazards (Liddell, n.d.).

In theory, any substance that undergoes a reversible chemical change when pH changes can be used as an acid-base indicator. In practice,

Synthetic compounds like phenolphthalein and methyl red are also good acid-base indicators. They undergo color change when the pH changes over specific values (Senese, 2014).

While it is nearly impossible for a blind student to be completely self-sufficient in the chemical laboratory, it is desirable to develop techniques that can serve to help them into chemistry. A good olfactory acid-base indicator would be of great utility in increasing the participation of the visually impaired in the chemistry laboratory.

As olfactory indicators, thiopenol and vanillin do not provide clear endpoints in acid-base titrations. Thiophenol, even in minute quantities, possesses a strongly disagreeable odor at the same time toxic. Vanilla, on the other hand is not a good indicator due to its lack of odor (Senese, 2014).

Onion is a very popular and edible vegetable which is grown in at least 175 different countries (Nisha, 2015). It is also said to be one of the world’s healthiest food and probably the most indispensable culinary ingredient in the world (Mercola, 2014). It is also used to cure disorders such as cough, obesity, insomnia, hemorrhoid and constipation (Edward,