Guide to Chemical Indicators

Natural Indicators

These indicators are obtained from natural sources like plants. Litmus is the most common example.

Indicator Color in Acid Color in Base Original/Neutral Color
Litmus Paper/Solution Red Blue Purple (Solution)
Turmeric Yellow Reddish-Brown Yellow

Synthetic Indicators

These are man-made chemical substances used to determine if a solution is acidic or basic.

Indicator Color in Acid Color in Base Neutral Color
Phenolphthalein Colorless Pink Colorless
Methyl Orange Red Yellow Orange

Olfactory Indicators

These are substances whose smell (odor) changes in acidic or basic media. They are particularly useful for visually impaired students.

Indicator Odor in Acid Odor in Base
Onion Extract Characteristic smell is retained Smell is destroyed / cannot be detected
Vanilla Essence Characteristic smell is retained Smell is destroyed / cannot be detected
Clove Oil Characteristic smell is retained Smell is destroyed / cannot be detected