Science & Cabbage

 We love science here! Who doesn't love to mix up some vinegar and baking soda and make things "explode" or better yet - create our own non-newtonian (big word but it means that it breaks Newton's laws) fluid out of cornstarch and water!

Another common experiment is the red cabbage pH indicator! This one is a lifesaver - the last time I had a migraine - I plopped down at the counter and dripped red cabbage juice into containers of liquids that the kids brought me - I was truly super-mom (for 20 minutes) while I sat and nursed my aching head and the kids oooh-ed and awww-ed over the different colors that their random liquids turned :-) They brought me orange juice, shampoo, cleaner, and grape juice that was squeezed from whole grapes! Everything changed colors and they were impressed each time - it was a win for the red cabbage!

Today we are doing it again but this time a bit more controlled. The challenge is for the kids to each find something that has each of the pH levels as indicated by the red cabbage juice.

So - first - what is red cabbage juice? 
You take a chunk of red/purple cabbage and put it in a pot of water. Then you heat the water to a boil for a while until the liquid is purple. Let the liquid cool before you use it.
Then the kid(s) find liquids from all around the house - see before for some hints on what to use to get all the colors of the pH scale!
And now - the science behind it all!

There are three key elements to understanding this experiment:
  1. Acid
  2. Base
  3. pH
An acid is a substance that has extra hydrogen ('H') ions; a base is a substance that has extra hydroxide ('HO') ions. When they are in perfect harmony - you have water (H2O). ta-da!

The pH is a scale used to measure how strong a particular acid or base is.

Want a good video that explains this in detail with an animated character? Check this out:

Enjoy!