Question

A. Visually analyze the wells colored with BTB, and remember that acids are organized by columns and bases are organized by rows. What specific acids or bases are weak or strong acids or bases? Explain why.

Answer 1

Acid would give a yellow color with BTB, whereas, base would give a blue color with BTB. Say sodium acetate gives a yellow coloration in the BTB experiment. It forms ions in solution. The anion than hydrolyses to acetic acid which gives a yellow coloration to the solution. Similarly NaOH a strong base gives blue coloration to the solution. Overall weak acids yield an acidic solution and gives a yellow color with BTB and strong bases give a basic solution clearly to give blue color with BTB. Acids are the ones which gives H+ and bases which give OH-.Acids as HCl, HNO3 are strong acids. On the other hand, acetic acid is a weak acid. NaOH is a strong base. NaHCO3 can act as an base with acetic acid and an acid with a strong base as NaOH. NH4OH is a weak base here.