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Natural Indicators

Natural Indicator is a type of indicator that can be found naturally and can determine whether the
substance is an acidic substance or a basic substance. Some examples of natural indicators are red
cabbage, turmeric, grape juice, turnip skin, curry powder, cherries, beetroots, onion, tomato, etc.
Some flowers like hydrangeas can determine the acidity or basicity of the soil. These flowers
become blue if the soil is acidic, purple if the soil is neutral and pink if the soil is basic. The intensity of
the color depends on the amount of acid or base present in the soil. Soil which is highly acidic bears deep
blue flowers, whereas soil which is highly basic yields deep pink flowers.
These natural indicators are used to detect the hydrogen ions (H+) and hydroxyl ions (OH-) in a
solution. Olfactory indicators can change their odor. Some examples of olfactory indicators are onion,
vanilla extract, clove oil, etc.
Natural Indicators:
An acid-base indicator is usually a dye or any substance that helps to differentiate
between the two. There are two types of them: artificial indicators and natural indicators. While
the artificial indicators are made in a laboratory, the natural indicators are obtained from natural
sources such as plants. Some of the common examples of natural indicators include red cabbage,
turnip skin, cherries, beetroots and more.
What Are Natural Indicators?
Indicators found in nature, mostly derived from plants, to test whether a substance is
acidic or basic, are called natural indicators. Litmus, china rose, red cabbage, turmeric etc., are
some of the common natural indicators.

Litmus as Indicator
Litmus is one of the most commonly used natural indicators used for identifying acids
and bases in the laboratory. Litmus is a naturally occurring indicator. Litmus solution is a purple
dye extracted from lichen, a plant belonging to the thallophyta family. Litmus is purple in colour
while mixed in a neutral solution. However, it becomes red when mixed in an acidic solution and
blue when mixed in a basic solution.
Litmus is used for testing acidic and basic solutions in two ways: it is either used in the
form of a litmus solution or in the form of strips of litmus paper called blue litmus paper and red
litmus paper. Litmus solution is further classified into red litmus and blue litmus solutions. We
get Blue litmus solution by making the purple litmus extract acidic, and red litmus solution by
making the litmus extract alkaline.
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Using a Litmus indicator is the currently most commonly used method in laboratories for testing
acids and bases.
1. Acids turn blue litmus to red
2. Bases turn red litmus to blue
3. Testing a substance with litmus and observing the colour change that occurs is a simple
way to determine whether a substance is acidic or basic.
4. (a) If adding a drop of a substance turns blue litmus paper red, then the substance is
acidic. For example, if we add a drop of lemon juice to blue litmus paper, it turns red.
This shows that lemon juice is acidic in nature or lemon juice contains acid in it.
5. (b) If adding a drop of a substance turns red litmus paper into blue colour, then the
substance is basic or alkaline in nature. Sodium hydroxide solution, for instance, changes
red litmus to blue, indicating that sodium hydroxide solution is basic in nature. In other
words, sodium hydroxide contains alkali or base.
Turmaric as Indicator
Turmeric is another very good natural indicator. Turmeric is a bright yellow powder derived
from the turmeric plant. The Hindi name for turmeric is ‘haldi’. Turmeric naturally contains a
yellow dye. However, when mixed in a basic solution, it turns red in colour. Turmeric is used as
an indicator in the form of turmeric paper.
How to Prepare Turmeric Paper?
Mix a little turmeric powder with water to make a paste. Spread the paste that you prepared
on blotting or filter paper to make turmeric paper. After the paper has dried, cut it into 3−4
strips. Now the turmeric paper is ready for use as an indicator.
Even though Turmeric paper can be used as an indicator in a basic solution, it doesn’t work in an
acidic solution because:
1. Turmeric paper remains yellow in colour when mixed with an acidic solution
2. However, turmeric paper changes from yellow to red in colour when mixed with basic
solutions.
For example, if you put a drop of baking soda solution on a strip of turmeric paper, the
yellow turmeric paper turns from yellow to red in colour. This is an indicator that the baking
soda solution is basic in nature or it contains alkali. However, upon adding an acidic solution
like lemon juice to yellow turmeric paper, the paper remains yellow in colour. Therefore,
turmeric paper is not useful to identify whether a substance is acidic in nature.
You must have probably noticed that when a yellow curry stain on a white shirt (due to the
presence of turmeric in curry) is scrubbed with soap, it turns red in colour. This happens because
the soap solution contains alkali or is basic in nature.

China Rose as Indicator

China rose is another natural indicator used for distinguishing acids from bases. The
name of China rose in Hindi is ‘Gudhal’. China rose indicator is a solution that is light pink in
colour. It is extracted from the red flow
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ers of the China rose plant and mixed with water. Testing a substance with China rose
indicator and noticing the colour change that occurs is an effective method to determine whether
a solution is acidic or basic in nature.

1. China rose indicator turns from light pink to Magenta (deep pink) colour when mixed
with acidic substances.
2. On the other hand, a basic substance turns China Rose indicator from light pink to green
in colour.
a. For instance, Lemon juice when mixed with China rose indicator, changes its colour from
light pink to magenta (deep pink), indicating that the solution is acidic in nature. In other words,
lemon juice contains acid.

b. If baking soda solution is mixed with China rose indicator, the colour of the indicator changes
from light pink to green, indicating that baking soda is basic in nature.

Red-cabbage Juice as Natural Indicator

Another commonly used indicator is Red-cabbage juice. It is originally purple in colour.
However, its colour changes to red when mixed with an acidic medium and green when mixed
with a basic medium.

How to Prepare a Red-Cabbage Juice Indicator?

Finely chop red cabbage. Then, take about 250 ml 250ml of water in a pan and boil it. Add the
chopped cabbage to it. Allow the mixture to cool for a few minutes. When the liquid has cooled,
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strain it into clear glasses and discard the cabbage. Red-cabbage juice will be obtained as a dark
reddish-purple solution. As a natural indicator, this can be used.

Common Natural Indicators With Their Characteristics Colours

FAQs on Natural Indicators

Q.1: What are the five natural indicators?
Ans: The five natural indicators are
I. Litmus, II. Turmeric, III. China rose indicator, IV. Red-cabbage juice, V. Beetroot
Q.2: What are natural indicators?
Ans: A natural indicator is a substance found in nature that can tell whether a substance is acidic
or basic.
Q.3: What are some examples of natural indicators?
Ans: Some examples of natural indicators are China rose, blueberry, and morning glory.
Q.4: How do you make homemade indicators?
Ans: Preparation of turmeric natural indicator: Make a paste with some turmeric powder and a
little water. Place this paste on a blotting or filter paper to make turmeric paper. After the paper
has dried, cut it into 3−4 strips. The turmeric paper is now ready to be used.
Q.5: What is the best natural indicator?
Ans: The best natural indicator is red cabbage.
Q.6: Is turmeric a natural indicator?
Ans: Yes, turmeric is a natural indicator.
Q.7: Is Onion a natural indicator?
Ans: Onion is an olfactory indicator.
Q.8 What is pH?
Ans: pH is a property of the solution that tells you how many hydrogen ions (H+), or hydroxide ions
(OH-) are wandering around in solution.
If there are a lot of excess hydrogen ions we call the solution acidic and it has a low pH.
If there are a lot of excess hydroxide ions we call the solution basic and it has a high pH
Here are many common household products and garden plants that can be used as pH indicators. Most
plants contain pH-sensitive anthocyanins, making them perfect for testing acid and base levels. Many
of these natural pH indicators exhibit a broad range of colors.
Plants You Can Use to Test pH Levels
The natural world has given us numerous plants, from beets to grapes to onions, that can be used to
test the pH levels of a solution. These natural pH indicators include:
 Beets: A very basic solution (high pH) will change the color of beets or beet juice from red to
purple.
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 Blackberries: Blackberries, black currants, and black raspberries change from red in an
acidic environment to blue or violet in a basic environment.
 Blueberries: Blueberries are blue around pH 2.8-3.2, but turn red as the solution becomes
even more acidic.
 Cherries: Cherries and their juice are red in an acidic solution, but they turn blue to purple in
a basic solution.
 Curry Powder: Curry contains the pigment curcumin, which changes from yellow at pH 7.4
to red at pH 8.6.
 Delphinium Petals: The anthocyanin delphinidin changes from bluish-red in an acidic
solution to violet-blue in a basic solution.
 Geranium Petals: Geraniums contain the anthocyanin pelargonidin, which changes from
orange-red in an acidic solution to blue in a basic solution.
 Grapes: Red and purple grapes contain multiple anthocyanins. Blue grapes contain a
monoglucoside of malvidin, which changes from deep red in an acidic solution to violet in a
basic solution.
 Horse Chestnut Leaves: Soak horse chestnut leaves in alcohol to extract the fluorescent dye
esculin. Esculin is colorless at pH 1.5 but becomes fluorescent blue at pH 2. Get the best
effect by shining a black light on the indicator.
 Morning Glories: Morning glories contain a pigment known as "heavenly blue anthocyanin,"
which changes from purplish-red at pH 6.6 to blue at pH 7.7.
 Onion: Onions are olfactory indicators. You don't smell onions in strongly basic solutions.
Red onion also changes from pale red in an acidic solution to green in a basic solution.
 Petunia Petals: The anthocyanin petunin changes from reddish-purple in an acidic solution to
violet in a basic solution.
 Poison Primrose: Primula sinensis has orange or blue flowers. The orange flowers contain a
mixture of pelargonins. The blue flowers contain malvin, which turns from red to purple as a
solution goes from acidic to basic.
 Purple Peonies: Peonin changes from reddish-purple or magenta in an acidic solution to deep
purple in a basic solution.
 Red (Purple) Cabbage: Red cabbage contains a mixture of pigments used to indicate a wide
pH range.
 Rose Petals: The oxonium salt of cyanin turns from red to blue in a basic solution.
 Turmeric: This spice contains a yellow pigment, curcumin, which changes from yellow at
pH 7.4 to red at pH 8.6.
Household Chemicals That Are pH Indicators
If you don't have any of the materials above at hand, you can also use some common household
chemicals to test pH levels. These include:
 Baking Soda: Baking soda will fizz when added to an acidic solution such as vinegar, but
will not fizz in an alkaline solution. The reaction doesn't readily reverse itself, so while
baking soda can be used to test a solution, it can't be reused.
 Color-Changing Lipstick: You'll need to test your color-changing lipstick to determine its
pH range, but most cosmetics that change color respond to changes in pH (these are different
from cosmetics that change color according to the angle of light).
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 ExLax Tablets: These tablets contain phenolphthalein, which is a pH indicator that is

colorless in solutions more acidic than pH 8.3 and pink to deep red in solutions more basic
than pH 9.
 Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract is an olfactory indicator. You can't smell the characteristic
scent at high pHs because the molecule is in its ionic form.
 Washing Soda: As with baking soda, washing soda fizzes in an acidic solution but not in a
basic solution.
A pH indicator is a chemical compound that can sense the amount of hydrogen or hydroxide
ions in the solution. Often pH indicators work by changing color based on the acidity of the
solution.

If you know the color chart for a natural pH indicator then you can read the pH of any given
solution based off of what color the pH indicator turns in that solution.