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The Colorful Cabbage Juice Science Experiment

As you know, we love at home science experiments . When you're up for a great science experiment with a big wow factor, this acid-base science experiment using a cabbage juice indicator is fun, colorful and seems quite magical.

It's the perfect opportunity for older kids who to learn about the scientific method and it's great for younger kids who are still simply exploring the wonders of science.

Glass jars of purple and green liquid with labels for baking soda and vinegar

What you need

Cabbage juice (instructions below)

Household powders and liquids such as:

baking soda (base) (be sure to save some for the exploding car wash )
cream of tartar (acid)
vinegar (acid)
lemon juice (acid)
citric acid (acid)
dish soap (base)

Cups, bowls and spoons - enough for each ingredient and several extras for the cabbage juice

Paper and pen for labeling or to record observations

MORE: Blowing up a balloon with chemistry science project

How to make the cabbage juice

Chop up a red cabbage. Add the chopped cabbage and enough water to cover it to a large pot. There are many ways kids can help in the kitchen , but chopping and boiling cabbage requires an adult . Allow to simmer about 20 minutes.

Side by side images of chopped red cabbage and cabbage and water in pot on stove

Strain out the cabbage. Set for cooking ( if you think boiled cabbage is tasty ) or add it to the compost pile.

Allow the cabbage juice, which is now a bright purple color, to cool completely.

Household ingredients to use in cabbage juice science experiment

Cabbage Juice Experiment Instructions

While the cabbage juice is cooling, prep your work area.

Preparation and Set-Up

Arrange your empty cups or bowls on a table or other protected surface. Write the name of each household item on a label and place next to each cup. Place a small amount of the corresponding powder or liquid into each cup.

Decant the cabbage juice into a liquid measuring cup or jar for easy pouring and fill a number of cups half full with the purple liquid.

MORE: Top 10 After-School Science Experiments

Mix the Materials

Now comes the fun part!

Cabbage juice science experiment to learn about acid and bases.

Mix your chosen ingredients into the separate containers of cabbage juice and watch what happens!

Kids will observe that the different combinations provide a range of results, depending on whether you are adding a base or an acid to the cabbage juice. Sometimes the liquid will turn pinker, other times it will stay purple or head towards blue or green.

After the initial mixing of each base or acid to the cabbage juice, my kids started to engage in a free for all. Suddenly, when they added baking soda to the vinegar-juice combo the color changed again, and it started fizzing! They thought it was great fun ( as you will see if you watch the video, below ) to start mixing and matching however they saw fit. That's the magic of science!

MORE: Learn about Liquid Density with a Salt Volcano

The Science Behind the Experiment

Cabbage juice is a ph indicator that changes color according to the acidity of the substance added to it. Red cabbage contains anthocyanin, a water-soluble pigment that changes color depending on the substance added to it.

The more acidic the substance, the pinker it gets. The less acidic, the closer to yellow the juice gets. A neutral ph will appear blue.

Collage of 4 photos of child performing cabbage juice science experiment with jars of purple, blue and pink liquids with one jar fizzing

Tip #1 . It's perfectly reasonable to want to approach this science experiment in a methodical manner, meticulously recording results and observations. That's great for a classroom or homeschool lesson.

For us, this experiment was an after-school science exploration and my kids didn't want to do the recording part, which was fine for our purposes. Sometimes learning about science is just having fun with no further obligations.

Tip #2 Some ingredients will fizz when combined. Let it happen, set it up somewhere where kids can experiment without worrying about mess.

Just like with our simple kids science lab , you should let the kids explore the scientific reactions however they want. Please supervise closely if using any harsh ingredients.

the colorful cabbage juice science experiment

Reader Interactions

Acid Base Cabbage Juice Science Experiment

This post may contain affiliate links.

We had so much fun experimenting with a cabbage juice science experiment recently. This is an awesome chemistry experiment for teaching about acids and bases.

Acid Base Cabbage Juice Science Experiment

Did you know that red cabbage juice contains a natural pH indicator that changes colors according to the acidity of the solution?

Very acidic solutions will turn it a red and orange colors. Neutral solutions result in a greenish color. Basic ( or alkali) solutions appear in blues and purples. So, it is possible to determine the pH of a solution based on the color it turns the red cabbage juice.

How to Do the Acid Base Cabbage Juice Science Experiment:

Supplies needed:.

Red Cabbage
Large pot of boiling water
Litmus paper or coffee filters (to make your own)
Various substances to test the pH of
Several cups- can use paper cups, plastic cups or glasses from home

This experiment would be great to use for a science fair project. It is simple to put together and can be done without acquiring too many extra supplies and ingredients.

How to Make Cabbage Juice:

You will need to start by making some red cabbage juice. Start by chopping up a head of red cabbage. We only used half a head for your experiment. You can save the other half for your dinner salads!

chopping red cabbage for science experiment

Put the red cabbage into a large pot & add water to cover. Boil until soft & the water is deep purple. Let it cool.

Remove the cabbage, but save the water! You can use the cooked cabbage in a yummy soup!

The easiest way to do this is to drain the water from the cabbage into another bowl with a strainer.

Pour the cooled cabbage water into small cups. Collect some household items that could create reactions (acid, base, neutral).

Cabbage Juice Litmus Test ~ Acids or Bases?

Now you are going to collect a variety of household substances to see if they are an acid, a base or a neutral.

Some ideas of things to test:

lemon juice
baking soda
window cleaner
hand sanitizer
cola/something carbonated
antacid tablets
rubbing alcohol
cream of tartar
tomato sauce

Add a little bit of each substance into your cups of cabbage water- label the cups so you remember what you put into each one.

The Science Behind the Cabbage Juice Chemistry Experiment:

Cabbage juice is an acid-base indicator (a chemical that tells you something about other chemicals). If it turns a pinkish color, the substance was an acid. If it turns a greenish color it base. If it stays about the same, it is neutral. Also acids and bases can react to one another turning neutral. There is a whole color scale you can use to determine the exact levels!

Litmus Test:

Instead of pouring the substances into the cabbage water, you can also test the acidity by dipping litmus paper into the substance.

However, you can also tell if it is an acid or base by the color it turns the cabbage juice as I showed you above.

This was a simple & fun experiment! The kids loved guessing what would happen with each thing they poured into the cabbage water.

How to Make Your Own Litmus Paper:

Don’t want to buy the litmus paper? Or can’t find any?

You can make your own litmus testing paper from the cabbage water, too! It’s really quite easy. This will just make the experiment take a bit longer with the dry time.

This can be done with coffee filters or with paper towels. Cut them into small even strips.

Use the boiled cabbage water and dip the strips of coffee filters or of paper towels into the water. Lay them on a tray or a cooling rack with a tray underneath. Let them dry completely.

Use them the same way the litmus paper strips are used.

Do some more cabbage juice science and check out how we made Green Eggs with Cabbage Juice !!

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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What a fun experiment! We dabbled in chemistry experiments at the beginning of the year with another family (then the other mommy had a baby). This would be a great experiment for us to try – to get us back into the swing of things. Thanks for posting! =)

How cool! We did this last year in CC, but not with cabbage. I’ll have to try this with the kids. Thanks for sharing!

Very cool. I did not know that about cabbage. My kids will love this. Thanks for sharing at Mom’s Library!

What a great experiment! Thank you for sharing this in Homeschooling on the Cheap! You are one of my featured post. Stop in and see your feature and share more of your wonderful ideas!

Have a great week, Kelli http://3boysandadog.com/deals/2012/homeschooling-on-the-cheap-october-18-2012/

Red Cabbage Science Experiment

I’m not a big fan of cabbage except for when it’s used for science! Food science is super cool and is awesome for kids. This isn’t the sweetest-smelling science experiment we have done, but once you get past the smell this cabbage science experiment is fascinating chemistry . Find out how to test pH with red cabbage!

Cabbage science experiment perfect for chemistry for kids. Learn how to make your own cabbage juice pH indicator and test a variety of kitchen ingredients. Explore the pH scale with lemons, baking soda, and more!

Red Cabbage Experiment

Let’s make an indicator and test it out on common household solutions!

Watch the video:

Grab a head or two of red cabbage and let’s get started! Even if your kids swear they hate cabbage, they will be loving it (at least for science sake) after this awesome cabbage chemistry experiment.

Red cabbage
Several jars or small containers
Lemons (grab a few for a couple of extra science activities you will find below)
Baking soda
Other acids and bases to test (see more items to test below)
pH test strips (optional but older kids will enjoy the added activity)

Red Cabbage pH indicator science project supplies

Instructions:

STEP 1. S tart by cutting the red cabbage roughly into small pieces.

The cabbage indicator can be prepped ahead of time but I love when you can involve kids in the whole process!

STEP 3. Place your cut up cabbage in a medium saucepan and boil for 5 minutes.

STEP 3. After the 5 minutes, cover and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Boiling red cabbage to make cabbage juice for cabbage chemistry project

STEP 4. Go ahead and carefully pour the liquid into the jars. This is your acid-base indicator! ( You can dilute the cabbage juice and it will still work )

cabbage juice science and testing different liquids for pH levels

Testing Solutions With Red Cabbage Indicator

Now it’s time to test the pH of different items. We have a few common acids and bases for you to start with. This experiment is set up so that you add some of the acid or base to the jar of red cabbage juice, and observe the color change.

Please take care when mixing different items into your cabbage pH indicator. Adult supervision is recommended at all times. This NOT an edible science experiment!

You can find even more solutions to test out! Depending on your kid’s interest levels and needs, you could turn this into a huge science experiment. This red cabbage experiment also makes a terrific science fair project !

Before your kids start testing each one, have them make predictions about what color change they will see. Remember, red color is acidic and green color is basic.

Here are a few acids and bases to test…

1. LEMON JUICE

Squeeze lemon juice into one of the jars. What color did it change to?

What else can you do with lemons? We have a couple of fun ideas for exploring fun chemistry with this fruit!

Erupting Lemon Volcano
Make Fizzing Lemonade

Testing acid level of lemon with cabbage juice indicator science experiment

2. BAKING SODA

Put a teaspoon of baking soda into a cabbage juice jar. Notice what happens! What color did the indicator change to?

If you have ever experimented with baking soda and vinegar, your kids may already know that baking soda is a base and vinegar is an acid. Vinegar is also a great liquid to use to test with your red cabbage indicator!

EXPERIMENT WITH: Baking Soda and Vinegar Science

4. BLACK COFFEE

Coffee is a common drink for many people. But is it an acid or a base?

DIY: Make your own pH strips by soaking coffee filters in the cabbage juice and hang to dry, cut in strips!

Testing acidic level of baking soda with cabbage juice science activity

What Is An Indicator In Chemistry?

pH stands for power of hydrogen . The pH scale is a way to measure the strength of an acid or base solution, and is numbered from 0 to 14.

Distilled water has a pH of 7, and is considered a neutral solution. Acids have a pH lower than 7 and bases have a higher pH higher than 7.

If you ask the kids about what types of things around the house are acidic, they might say vinegar or lemons. An acid is usually recognized as something with a sour or sharp taste. Baking soda is an example of a base.

An indicator is one way to work out the pH of a solution. Good indicators give a visible sign, usually a color change, when they come into contact with acids or bases. Like our red cabbage indicator below.

Why can red cabbage be used as an indicator to test pH?

Red cabbage contains anthocyanin, which is a water-soluble pigment. This pigment changes color when mixed with an acid or a base. Redder when mixed with an acid and greener when mixed with a base.

TIP: Here’s a simple pH scale for kids with a little extra information. Plus it gives you a few more items to test once you have made your red cabbage pH indicator!

Click here to get your printable science experiment worksheets!

Applying The Scientific Method

This cabbage PH science experiment is a fantastic opportunity to use the scientific method and start a journal using the free mini pack above. You can read about incorporating the scientific method here , including more information on independent and dependent variables .

The first step in the scientific method is asking a question and developing a hypothesis. What do you think will happen if_______________? I think the_________ will___________if___________. This is the first step to diving deeper into science with kiddos and making connections!

You can also easily turn your cabbage science experiment into a fantastic presentation along with your hypothesis. Check out the resources below to get started.

Easy Science Fair Projects
Science Project Tips From A Teacher
Science Fair Board Ideas

More Fun With Acids and Bases

Simple chemistry is cool! Check out more than 65 chemistry experiments for kids for more ideas!

Printable Science Projects For Kids

If you’re looking to grab all of our printable science projects in one convenient place plus exclusive worksheets and bonuses like a STEAM Project pack, our Science Project Pack is what you need! Over 300+ Pages!

90+ classic science activities with journal pages, supply lists, set up and process, and science information. NEW! Activity-specific observation pages!
Best science practices posters and our original science method process folders for extra alternatives!
Be a Collector activities pack introduces kids to the world of making collections through the eyes of a scientist. What will they collect first?
Know the Words Science vocabulary pack includes flashcards, crosswords, and word searches that illuminate keywords in the experiments!
My science journal writing prompts explore what it means to be a scientist!!
Bonus STEAM Project Pack: Art meets science with doable projects!
Bonus Quick Grab Packs for Biology, Earth Science, Chemistry, and Physics

This is an awesome experiment to do, even for older kids! It shows them that chemistry is very much a part of our lives and are closer to us than we think! I’m sure kids would love it 🙂

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Science Exploration- Color Changing Cabbage

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Color Changing Liquids with Cabbage Juice and Dry Ice

It's a bubbling liquid that magically changes color thanks to an easy-to-make solution using purple cabbage and a piece of dry ice.

Print this Experiment

If a science activity bubbles furiously, belches clouds of water vapor while changing colors, and does it safely all at the same time, then you’ve hit the sweet spot of chemistry. With some planning and an eye on safety, you can combine materials that colorfully reveal a solution’s change from basic to neutral to acidic using leaves of purple cabbage and dry ice.

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

Two large plastic cups, 16 oz (473 ml), room temperature water 32 oz (946 ml), universal indicator (or red cabbage juice – see step 2), household ammonia, dry ice, 1 pound (454 g), heavy gloves, safety goggles, adult supervision, let's try it.

Fill one cup almost full with water.

Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of universal indicator solution (or red cabbage juice solution) to the cup of water. Stir it.

NOTE: To make red cabbage juice solution:

a) Tear two red cabbage leaves into small pieces. Leave out the big stems.

b) Dump the pieces into a saucepan and cover with double the water.

c) Boil and stir the solution. Mash the pieces as you stir. (Hold your nose.)

d) Strain the purple solution into a shallow dish and let it cool. Add some ice cubes to cool it quickly.

Wear the heavy gloves and add a few small pieces of dry ice to the water. Watch the bubbling, the clouds, and the color changes closely. This gives you an idea of what to expect next. Let the dry ice disappear completely.

Fill the second cup almost full with water. Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of household ammonia and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of universal indicator (or red cabbage juice solution) and stir. Notice any unusual color changes as you stir the solutions.

Wearing gloves again, add a few pieces of dry ice to the mixture in the cup. Watch the bubbling, the clouds, but especially the color changes closely. How do you account for the colors you see?

How Does It Work

Chemically speaking, when you add dry ice to water, the result is a slightly acidic solution. While you can taste the tangy acidity of soda pop, you need something like universal indicator (or red cabbage juice) to actually detect the change in pH (by seeing the different colors). Remember that water usually has a neutral pH of 7.0. Acidic solutions have a pH range from 1.0 to 6.9 and basic solutions are 7.1 to 14.0. Adding dry ice to water results in a solution that has an acidic pH of about 4.5.

Universal indicator is actually a combination of many different acid/base indicators that produce different colors as the pH changes. Adding universal indicator to plain water gives you a good benchmark of the color of a “neutral” solution. Adding dry ice lowers the pH and results in a color change related to chemistry, not temperature.

Ammonia water is a basic solution (high pH). It works well for this demonstration but other bases like a weak solution of sodium hydroxide (washing soda) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) also work. Adding universal indicator (or red cabbage solution) to a solution of water and ammonia causes the indicator to turn a beautiful purple (a basic pH of about 11.6). Adding dry ice to this solution results in many color changes as the solution drops from basic down to neutral down to acidic.

Safety Information

NOTE: Whenever you use dry ice, always be aware of the rules for handling it safely.

This is not a toy. It’s for demonstration purposes only.
Use dry ice only with adult supervision.
Dry ice must be handled using heavy gloves or tongs. It will cause severe burns if it comes in contact with bare or unprotected skin.
Always wear safety goggles when handling dry ice. The debris and shards are extremely dangerous to your eyes. When tapping dry ice with a hammer, first cover it with a towel to keep the pieces in one place.
Never put dry ice in your mouth.
Never store dry ice in an airtight container. As the dry ice sublimates, gas pressure will build and the container will explode. Make sure your container is ventilated or has a loose-fitting lid.
Do not store dry ice in your freezer. It will cause your freezer to become too cold and the freezer may shut off. On the other hand, if you lose power for an extended period, dry ice is a good way to keep things cold if you can get it.
In the unlikely event of a dry ice burn, treat it the same as you would a heat burn. See a doctor if the skin blisters or comes off. Apply antibiotic ointment to prevent infection and bandage mild burns.

What is Dry Ice?

Dry ice is not frozen water – it’s frozen carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Unlike most solids, dry ice does not melt into a liquid as the temperature rises, but instead, changes directly into a gas. This process is called sublimation . The temperature of dry ice is – 109.3°F (-78.5°C). Dry ice is particularly useful for keeping things cold because of its temperature. Dry ice does not last very long, however, so it’s important to purchase the dry ice you need for these science activities as close as possible to the time you need it. The best place to store dry ice is in a Styrofoam ice chest with a loose fitting lid that allows the CO 2 to escape as the ice sublimates.

Some grocery stores and ice companies will sell dry ice to the public especially around Halloween. Dry ice is typically sold as flat, square slabs a few inches thick or as cylinders that are about three inches long and about a half-inch thick. Either size will work fine for these experiments.

Remember the science when purchasing dry ice. Dry ice in a grocery bag will vanish in about a day. The experts tell us that, depending on weather conditions, dry ice will sublimate at a rate of 5 to 10 pounds (2.3 to 4.5 kg) every 24 hours even in a typical Styrofoam chest. So, again, it’s best to purchase the dry ice as close to the time you need it as possible. Last minute shopping is necessary. If you are planning to perform a number of dry ice demonstrations or have a lot of people involved, purchase 5 to 10 pounds (2.3 to 4.5 kg). A little dry ice does go a long way in these activities.

How is Dry Ice Made?

The first step in making dry ice is to compress carbon dioxide gas (CO 2 ) until it liquefies while at the same time removing excess heat. The CO 2 will liquefy at a pressure of approximately 870 pounds per square inch (4500 cmHg) at room temperature. Once liquid CO 2 is formed, the CO 2 is sent through an expansion valve and enters a pressure chamber. This pressure change causes the liquid to flash into a solid and causes the temperature to drop quickly. About 46% of the gas will freeze into “dry ice snow.” The rest of the CO 2 , about 54%, is released into the atmosphere or recovered to be used again. The dry ice snow is collected in a chamber where it is compressed into block, pellet, or rice-sized pieces using hydraulics. It’s complicated but really cool science – really cool.

Can you make your own dry ice? Sure, anything is possible, but it’s not practical (unless you have a huge tank of compressed CO 2 sitting around and lots of extra time and equipment on your hands). For around $2 US a pound, it’s hard to beat the convenience of just purchasing it at the store.

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Red Cabbage PH Indicator

Red Cabbage pH Indicator for Kids

Embark on a colorful scientific journey with the red cabbage pH indicator, a captivating way for kids to learn about the fascinating world of pH levels. Transitioning from theory to practice, this guide will take young scientists on an adventure through the vibrant reactions of red cabbage to different substances, unveiling the mysteries of acids and bases in a fun, accessible manner.

UNDERSTANDING PH: A COLORFUL JOURNEY

pH tells us if something is an acid, like lemon juice, or a base, like toothpaste, on a scale from 0 to 14. It’s an exciting way to see the invisible chemical nature of substances. In this section, kids will learn about pH in a friendly, easy-to-understand manner, using the red cabbage indicator to bring the concept to life with vivid colors.

THE MAGIC OF RED CABBAGE AS A PH INDICATOR

Red cabbage is not just for eating; it’s a natural pH indicator! It contains a pigment that changes color depending on whether it’s in an acidic or basic environment. This section will explain this magical transformation, showing how red cabbage can turn from purple to red or green, depending on the pH of what it touches.

FUN EXPERIMENT WITH RED CABBAGE PH INDICATOR

Let’s dive into some hands-on fun! Here’s how you can create your own pH indicator at home:

Gathering Your Materials: Collect red cabbage, warm water, a mortar and pestle, filter paper (or coffee filters), and various household liquids like lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda solution, and soapy water.

Making Red Cabbage Juice:

Pull the cabbage leaves and crush them with the mortar and pestle, adding warm water to help extract the juice. Strain the mixture to get a purplish indicator solution.

Conducting the pH Test:

Soak the filter paper in your cabbage juice, then test it with your different liquids. Watch the paper change color and guess whether the liquid is acidic or basic based on the color change.

Vinegar: Turns pink, showing it’s acidic. Lemon Juice: Also turns pink, indicating it’s another strong acid. Baking Soda dissolved in water: Changes to greenish-blue, revealing its basic nature. Soapy Water: Becomes green or even yellowish, indicating it’s highly basic.

This experiment not only teaches about pH but also encourages kids to observe, predict, and record their findings, developing their scientific thinking.

Learning is Fun with Red Cabbage

Using red cabbage as a pH indicator makes science accessible and engaging. It’s a fantastic way for kids to see chemistry in action.

Real-Life Uses of Red Cabbage pH Indicator

Did you know that red cabbage is not just for eating it’s also like a superhero for scientists this colorful vegetable can tell us about hidden secrets in our world. for example, it helps keep our food safe by testing if it’s good or bad to eat. it’s also used by scientists to check on the environment, like testing if a river is clean or polluted. doctors use it to learn about health and help make people better. so, red cabbage is not just a part of our lunch; it’s also a cool tool for solving real-world mysteries, faqs on red cabbage ph indicator, what does the color change in red cabbage indicate about a substance.

The color change in red cabbage juice indicates the pH level of the substance it comes into contact with. Red cabbage contains anthocyanins, which are pH-sensitive compounds that change color in response to the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. If the juice turns pink or red, the substance is acidic (pH less than 7). If it turns green or yellow, it’s basic (pH greater than 7). A purple color indicates that the substance is neutral (pH around 7).

How accurate are the results from the red cabbage pH test?

The red cabbage pH test is generally accurate for demonstrating whether a solution is acidic, basic, or neutral, but it does not provide a precise pH value. For educational purposes and simple home experiments, it’s a great tool to visually demonstrate the concept of pH. However, for scientific or detailed analysis, more precise methods and tools are needed to measure the exact pH level.

How can this experiment be used in a school project?

This experiment can be used in a school project to illustrate chemical reactions, teach about natural indicators, and introduce the concept of pH levels. Students can test various household substances, compare their results, and create a color chart to show the pH range. It can also be used to investigate how the pH of solutions affects plant growth, the corrosion of metals, or the behavior of enzymes in biology.

Why would you use a solution, such as a cabbage pH indicator, to measure the pH of household items?

Using a cabbage pH indicator to measure the pH of household items is beneficial for several reasons:

To See if Food Has Gone Bad: Measuring the pH of foods can indicate their freshness. Foods that have become more acidic than usual might be spoiling, which is useful for ensuring food safety.

To Test the Safety of Water: Checking the pH of water with a cabbage indicator can help determine if it’s within a safe drinking range. Water that is too acidic or too basic can be harmful and may require treatment before consumption.

To Make Sure Conditions are Safe: In home environments, testing the pH of garden soils with a cabbage pH indicator can help ensure they are suitable for growing plants. The right soil pH is crucial for plant health, as it affects the availability of nutrients and can prevent potential harm to plants.

To Use Up Old Cabbage: Utilizing old cabbage to make a pH indicator can be a practical and educational way to reduce food waste while engaging in a fun science experiment.

Through the red cabbage pH indicator experiment, children can discover the fascinating world of chemistry in their surroundings. Moreover, this not only educates but also inspires curiosity and a love for scientific exploration. Furthermore, it demonstrates that science is everywhere.

SAFETY NOTE: Adults must supervise science experiments to ensure safety and provide proper guidance.

Explore More at Our Science Lab Funtastik Labs is not just a place; it’s an exciting adventure where kids can immerse themselves in the world of experiments! If you’re fascinated by the color-changing wonders of the red cabbage pH indicator and are eager to delve deeper, our science lab for kids is the ideal destination. Furthermore, we offer a wide range of activities that enable young scientists to experiment, learn, and discover the joys of science. Additionally, our encouraging environment fosters curiosity and ignites a passion for exploration and learning.

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Science At Play: Red Cabbage Juice Indicator

Andrew Fotta
August 12, 2020

Join Andrew and Samantha for another Kitchen Science experiment you can try at home. Use red cabbage to create a pH indicator. It can tell you whether something is an acid or a base, as well as how acidic or basic it is, based on how much the color changes. Use your new pH indicator to see how acidic and basic different items around your house are. Keep reading to learn all the details.

Materials to Collect

1 head of red cabbage
Sharp knife
Pot to boil water in (or blender)
Strainer or colander
clear cups or glasses
household liquids to test (vinegar, baking soda, juices, soaps, bleach, ammonia, and anything else you want!)
Something to stir with

Make your Indicator!

Take your red cabbage and have an adult help you cut off about 2-3 cups (the amount doesn’t need to be exact, the more cabbage, the more indicator you will get).
Have an adult boil a pot of water and place the cabbage pieces in. Bring the water back to a boil for a couple minutes. Turn heat off and let sit for at least 10 minutes. Again, there’s no magic number, you just want the water to be a reddish-purple color. (You can also place the cabbage in a blender with water).
Strain the water out into a glass bowl and let cool.
Once it has cooled, pour some into clear cups or glasses and add different liquids to test.
Gently stir or swirl the solution and see what happens!

(Be careful about mixing household cleaners together, as some combinations may produce harmful fumes. Only test one substance at a time.)

What is the Science?

What you have made is called a pH indicator. It can tell you whether something is an acid or a base, as well as how acidic or basic it is, based on how much the color changes. Think of acids and bases as opposites—acids have a low pH and bases have a high pH. For reference, water (which is neutral), has a pH of 7 on a scale of 0–14. An indicator is typically a chemical that changes color if it comes in contact with an acid or a base.

As you can see, the purple cabbage juice turns red when it mixes with something acidic and turns green when it mixes with something basic. Red cabbage juice is considered to be an indicator because it shows us something about the chemical composition of other substances.

What is it about cabbage that causes this to happen? Red cabbage contains a water-soluble pigment called anthocyanin that changes color when it is mixed with an acid or a base. The pigment turns red in acidic environments with a pH less than 7 and the pigment turns bluish-green in alkaline (basic), environments with a pH greater than 7.

Red cabbage is just one of many indicators that are available to scientists. Some indicators start out colorless and turn different colors when they mix with an acid or a base. If there is no color change at all, the substance that you are testing is probably neutral, just like water.

Use this chart to help you figure out how acidic or basic your test liquids are:

Want to know more about what exactly pH is? look here:

https://sciencetrends.com/what-does-ph-stand-for-and-mean/

Ask Your Young Scientists

Do all the acids or bases change the indicator the same color? What do you think this means?
Does adding a larger quantity of an acid or base change the color more?
Do you see any patterns in what the acids or bases are used for?

More to Explore

Make your own indicator strips by soaking coffee filters cut into strips in the red cabbage juice, then letting them dry completely. Once dry, you can dip them into a liquid to see its pH.
After adding an acid, can you get the indicator to change back to its original color? What do you think you would have to add?

We want to see what you try at home. Share your experiments with us on social media by using the #ScienceAtPlay and tagging @CTScienceCenter.

Andrew Fotta is a STEM educator at the Connecticut Science Center. He has currently holds a CT teaching certification for grades K-6, and has spent time in the classroom in nearly all grades, and taught middle school science. In addition to teaching classes for the Science Center, Andrew is also part of a team of educators currently creating new programs aligned with the new Next Generation Science Standards for grades PreK-9. Andrew is an avid photographer, who enjoys blending science and art in his work.

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Cabbage Chemistry--Finding Acids and Bases

A colorful chemistry challenge from Science Buddies

By Science Buddies

Key concepts Chemistry Acids Bases Light

Introduction You might have done experiments with well-labeled acids and bases in school, but have you ever wondered whether a certain food or chemical around the house is an acid or a base? You can find out using a red cabbage to make an indicator solution.

When two or more ingredients are entirely dissolved in one another, you have a solution. For example, mixing salt with water creates a clear solution, even though the salt is there and the solution tastes salty. When mixed with water, whether a chemical "donates" a charged particle (called an ion) to the solution—in this case, a hydrogen ion—or "accepts" one from it determines whether it's an acidic or basic solution. An indicator changes color when exposed to such a mixture, depending on whether the solution is acidic or basic.

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Background Acids are solutions that lose hydrogen ions and usually taste sour. Some very common household solutions are acids, such as citrus fruit juices and household vinegar. Bases are solutions that pull hydrogen ions out of solution and onto themselves, "accepting" them, and usually feel slippery. Bases have many practical uses. For example, "antacids" like TUMS are used to reduce the acidity in your stomach. Other bases make useful household cleaning products.

To tell if something is an acid or a base, you can use a chemical called an indicator. An indicator changes color when it encounters an acid or base. There are many different types of indicators, some that are liquids and others that are concentrated on little strips of "litmus" paper. Indicators can be extracted from many different sources, including the pigment of many plants. For example, red cabbages contain an indicator pigment molecule called flavin, which is a type of molecule called an anthocyanin. Very acidic solutions will turn an anthocyanin red whereas neutral solutions will make it purplish and basic solutions will turn it greenish-yellow. Consequently, the color an anthocyanin solution turns can be used to determine a solution's pH—a measure of how basic or acidic a solution is.

Materials • A small red cabbage • Pot of boiling water • Strainer • Two large bowls or pots • Grater • Tablespoon measurer • Large spoon (optional) • Three or more small, white paper cups (small, white paper drinking glasses or dishes will also work) • Goggles or other protective eyewear • Lemon or lime juice • Vinegar • Bleach-based cleaning product • Other foods to test, such as clear soda pop, baking soda solution, egg whites, tomatoes, cottage cheese (optional) Preparation • Grate a small red cabbage. If you do not want to grate the entire cabbage, grating half of a cabbage should be enough. Put the fine, pulpy grated cabbage into a large bowl or pot. • Boil a pot of water. Use caution when handling the boiling water. Pour the boiling water into the bowl with the cabbage pulp until the water just covers the cabbage. • Leave the cabbage mixture steeping, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is room temperature. This should take at least half an hour. The liquid will become red or purplish-red in color. • Place a strainer over another large bowl or pot and pour the cabbage mixture through the strainer to remove the cabbage pulp. Press down on the pulp in the strainer, such as by using a large spoon, to squeeze more liquid out of the pulp. • In the bowl, you should now have only liquid that will either be purple or blue in color. This will be your indicator solution, which you will use to test the pH of different liquids. • Children should wear goggles or other protective eyewear and adults should supervise and use caution when handling bleach and vinegar, because they can irritate eyes and skin. Procedure • Fill a small, white paper cup, drinking glass or white dish with one tablespoon of your cabbage-indicator solution. What is the color of your indicator solution? • Add drops of lemon or lime juice to the indicator solution until you see the solution change in color. Gently swirl the solution and make sure the color stays the same. What color did the solution become? • The color of the solution will change depending on its pH: Red color indicates the pH is 2; Purple indicates pH 4; Violet indicates pH 6; Blue indicates pH 8; Blue-green indicates pH 10; Greenish-yellow indicates pH 12. • Based on its color, what is the pH of the lemon or lime juice solution? • In another small, white paper cup, add one tablespoon of your original cabbage-indicator solution. Add drops of vinegar until you see the solution change color. What color did the vinegar solution become? What is the pH of the solution? • In a third small, white paper cup, add one tablespoon of your original cabbage-indicator solution. Handling it with caution, add drops of the bleach cleaning product until you see the solution change color. What color did the bleach solution become, and what does this indicate about its pH? • If you want to test the pH of other foods, again add one tablespoon of your original cabbage-indicator solution to a small, white paper cup and add drops of the food until you see the solution change color. If the food is not in liquid form, crush it or dissolve it in a small amount of water before adding it to the indicator solution. What color did the solution become, and what does this indicate about its pH? • Extra: There are other vegetables and fruits that can be used to make pH indicators as well: red onion, apple skins, blueberries, grape skins and plums. Which different sources of pigment produce the best indicators? • Extra: You can use an indicator solution to write secret messages. Just use full-strength lemon juice to write an invisible message on paper and let the message dry. To reveal the message, paint cabbage-indicator over the paper with a paintbrush. Observations and results Did the indicator solution change color when you added the lime or lemon juice, vinegar and bleach? Did the solution color indicate that the lime or lemon juice and vinegar were acidic (had a lower pH) and that the bleach was basic (with a higher pH)?

A solution with a pH between 5 and 7 is neutral, 8 or higher is a base, and 4 or lower is an acid. Lime juice, lemon juice and vinegar are acids, so they should have turned the indicator solution red or purple color. Bleach is a strong base, therefore it should have turned the indicator solution a greenish-yellow color.

How basic or acidic a solution is depends on the amount of hydrogen ions in it. A basic solution accepts hydrogen ions (or donates electron pairs as hydroxide ions) whereas an acidic solution donates hydrogen ions (or accepts electron pairs). An indicator, like anthocyanin, responds to the levels of hydrogen ions in the solution. Anthocyanin and other biological pigments absorb certain wavelengths of light and reflect others, and it is the reflected light we see that makes them appear a certain color. Depending on the levels of hydrogen ions in the solution, the indicator pigment undergoes a chemical reaction that changes its chemical structure, making it reflect a different wavelength of light and thereby change color.

Cleanup Dilute the bleach solution with water before pouring it down a drain. (Remember to keep your goggles on when you do this.)

More to explore "Experiments with Acids and Bases" from Fun Science Gallery "Acids and Bases Are Everywhere" from Rader's Chem4Kids.com "Acids, Bases, and the pH Scale" from Science Buddies "Cabbage Chemistry" from Science Buddies This activity brought to you in partnership with Science Buddies

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Simple and Colorful Science with Acids, Bases, and Red Cabbage

Ingredients for Red Cabbage Indicator

2 cups red cabbage leaves
2 cups hot water

How to Make Red Cabbage Indicator the Easy Way

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Frozen red cabbage indicator

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Sugar mixed with water
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Color Changing Volocano

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Making a DIY pH Indicator from Red Cabbage

A Magical Homeschool

A hands-on, joy-led home education

The Purple Cabbage pH Experiment

Purple cabbage, like elderberry juice, is a natural pH indicator. That means that it changes colors depending when you add substances to it of varying pH levels. More acidic substances, like vinegar and lemon juice, turn it more pink. More basic substances, like dish detergent, turn it more blue.

We came up with this experiment in our own homeschool over ten years ago and it’s been a really fun activity that we’ve come back to many times over the years and introduced lots of other homeschooling friends too.

You have to do this with your kiddos. Not only is it educational, but it’s just insanely fun. 🙂

Here’s all you do.

1. Chop about 2 cups of purple cabbage and cover with boiling water. Put a lid on it and steep for about 10 minutes.

2. Strain out the liquid and reserve. It should be a deep blue-purple color, though it may be affected somewhat by your water.

3. Put a little cabbage water in each compartment of a light colored ice cube tray or similar container with many sections. For little kids, a muffin tin works well.

4. Assemble a variety of substances (preferably white or clear) to test. For younger kids, put just a few in some larger dishes. Older kids can gather lots of test substances and use them directly from the containers.

5. Give each child a small spoon and an eye dropper and explain about the pH (potential of Hydrogen) scale and how pH indicators change color to reflect the pH value of substances (more pink for acidic, more towards green or almost yellow for base, though blue was generally as alkaline as we got). This site gives more background info (though they do a different experiment).

6. Let the kids add various substances and see what happens! Make sure you keep track of which substance was added to which compartment.

Check out this range of colors Victoria got from various substances!

(Substances used on top from left to right: hot sauce, white wine, lemon juice, witch hazel, alcohol, fingernail polish remover, hydrogen peroxide. On bottom: control spot with nothing added, baking powder, alum, salt, club soda, apple cider vinegar, baking soda)

Some of the best reactions were from the alum, hydrogen peroxide, hot sauce (2 drops and it was hot pink!), wine, club soda… okay, there were an awful lot of good substances, and even those that didn’t change much taught us something!

Next time I’d like to compare rainwater (or melted snow) to tap water to distilled water, plus see about detergent (which is supposed to be very alkaline).

But wait, there’s more! Once you’ve changed the colors of the liquid in each, challenge the kids to change it back! Ask them to think about what they can add to a hot pink to make it blue again, for instance. In a few cases, you end up with a reaction (notably baking soda and vinegar ending up in one compartment).

Obviously, don’t put out substances that can react violently together (like bleach and ammonia) but I wouldn’t recommend putting those out to begin with. The harshest solution we dealt with was probably the fingernail polish remover, which only Victoria and Anna used.

When younger children are doing this activity, I only put out very benign materials like baking soda, lemon juice, baking powder and vinegar. Even with just these they can change the colors back and forth and make reactions. We’ve had some of our younger kids stay busy with a muffin tin, cabbage water, bowls of baking soda and vinegar and an eye dropper all afternoon.

Discuss pH while you do this activity — how shampoo is supposed to be pH balanced so it doesn’t sting eyes, how some hydrangeas are pink in acidic soil and blue in alkaline, and so on.

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[…] is one of those science projects that’s so much fun the kids will ask to do it again and again. Use purple cabbage juice to test pH of household liquids and make all sorts of […]

Cabbage Chemistry

Color your world with cabbage and learn about chemistry! The terms acid and base describe chemical properties of many things we use everyday. An acid is a substance that donates hydrogen ions, and a baseis a substance that accepts hydrogen ions. Sometimes, you can tell if something is an acid or base by the way it tastes. Acids, like vinegar, are generally sour. Bases generally taste bitter. (But heads up —some acids and bases are dangerous, so we don’t recommend tasting unknown substances!) Instead of a taste test, chemists use a pH scale to measure the strength of acids and bases. The lower the number on the pH scale, the more acidic something is. In this project, you’ll test different substances in purple cabbage juice and compare the results to a printable pH scale.

Want to explore more kitchen science experiments? Explore the tastier side of learning with Science of Cooking: Bread & Butter from the KiwiCo Store !

Ages: 9 - 16

<30 minutes

A little messy

Materials you'll need

ziploc® brand sandwich bags
hope water (about 2-3 cups)
measuring cup
lemon juice (2 teaspoons)
baking soda (2 teaspoons)
permanent marker felt-tipped
ph scale printable

Step-by-step tutorial

Gather your materials. Download printable here .

Place the chopped cabbage in the large bowl. Cover the cabbage with the hot water (from your sink is fine!) and allow to steep for 30 minutes, until the water has turned purple.

Carefully pour the cabbage juice through a coffee filter into a measuring cup. Notice how the color of the liquid is purple. This will be the base color you will use to tell what items are acids versus bases.

Use a felt-tipped permanent marker to label your Ziploc® brand sandwich bagswith the name of the materials you are going to test (ie. baking soda and lemon juice). Then pour 3 tablespoons of the cabbage indicator liquid into the bags.

Now add three tablespoons of the lemon juice into the corresponding bag. See how the addition of the acid changes the liquid from purple to pink?

Now add three tablespoons of baking soda to the bag labeled with its name. See how the indicator changes color depending on what you use? The baking soda is a base so it turns the liquid blue.

Compare the colors of your solutions to the colors on the printable pH scale and match them to the numbers provided. How do they match up? Ask your grownup assistant to help you pick out additional items to test like dishwashing soap, vinegar, or honey. What is the most acidic or basic? Write down what you observe!

Purple cabbage juice is a pH indicator, or a substance that changes color when it’s mixed with an acid or base. If you add an acid to the cabbage juice, it turns pinkish red. The more red the solution is, the more acidic that substance is. But if you add a base to the cabbage juice, the solution becomes greenish. Purple cabbage isn’t the only plant with this magical, color-changing property. Beets, blueberries, and hibiscus are also pH indicators!

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Explore the natural world through science and sustainability

How to Use Cabbage Juice for Chemistry Experiments

Do you want to learn some basic acid and base chemistry from the comfort of your kitchen? Try this simple cabbage juice chemistry experiment with your kids to explore the science behind common household items while fostering curiosity about the natural world!

Do your kids ever ask you to “make potions”? I don’t know if it’s due to the influx of magical-themed television shows and books in our home, or just an innate curiosity about the world around us, but my kids LOVE to mix up concoctions of all types. As a former Chemistry teacher, I secretly adore their inquisitive nature and have capitalized on their interests to introduce some basic chemistry principles using cabbage juice.

Yes, that’s correct, I said cabbage juice. Read on to learn about how this vegetable can be used as a natural indicator for exploring acid and base chemistry.

The Science of Cabbage Juice Chemistry

Scientists use pH indicators to determine if a substance is classified as acidic, neutral, or basic. These indicators may change color based on the chemical properties of the substance they are mixed with. Red cabbage juice can be used as a natural indicator to answer questions about the acidity of a substance, making Chemistry colorful and easily accessible to students of all ages. I

But how does cabbage juice work?

Red cabbage juice contains pigments called anthocyanins. These pigments abound in nature, giving plants their red, blue and purple colors, based on the pH of the soil that they are grown in. Here is a generalized breakdown of soil pH and plant coloration:

Acidic soil = red fruit/flowers
Neutral soil = purple fruit/flowers
Basic soil = blue fruit/flowers

Hydrangea flowers are perfect examples of how a flower’s color is determined by the pH of the soil the plant is grown in. The more acidic the soil, the redder the flowers are and the more basic the soil, the bluer the flowers become.

Boiling cabbage juice in water extracts the anthocyanins and creates a purple colored solution. The cabbage juice solution turns purple because water has a neutral pH. By mixing red cabbage juice with a liquid, we can classify the solution as an acid, a base, or a neutral substance, based on the color of the mixture.

How to Make Red Cabbage Juice

Extracting the anthocyanins from red cabbage juice is simple. Follow these instructions to make red cabbage juice in the comfort of your kitchen or classroom.

What you’ll need:

Small red cabbage
Knife for chopping cabbage
Pot for boiling water
Glass jar with lid
Ice cube tray (optional)

Instructions to make red cabbage juice:

Chop the red cabbage into small pieces using a knife. Be sure to provide adult supervision if children are doing the chopping.
Place the chopped cabbage in a pot and cover the cabbage with water.
Heat the cabbage and water mixture until the water boils, stirring occasionally.
Once boiling, remove the pot from the heat source and allow the cabbage water mixture to cool for 30 minutes.
After the cabbage water mixture has cooled, strain the solid cabbage from the liquid. The remaining liquid should be a deep purple color.
Pour the cabbage juice into a glass container, seal it, and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Alternatively, pour the cabbage juice into ice cube trays and freeze.
Be sure to compost the solid, strained cabbage to return the remaining nutrients to the soil!

I like to freeze my cabbage juice in ice cube trays to make the juice easy to handle for young children. Freezing also extends the shelf life of the juice. However, if you make a batch of juice for a classroom of students, refrigerating the juice works just as well. Additionally, you may want to crack open a window when boiling the cabbage juice in water, as it gives off quite a distinct odor!

Supplies Needed to Experiment with Red Cabbage Juice

Now that you have made red cabbage juice, you’re ready to do some chemistry experimenting! Here are some simple household items to get you started:

3 glass jars
White vinegar
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)
Red cabbage juice

Make Predictions About the Chemistry Experiment

Once you have gathered all of the necessary supplies, have your students make predictions about the pH property of each of the following substances: white vinegar, water, and baking soda. What color do they predict each substance will turn when red cabbage juice is added to them? What does the color tell them about the acidity of each substance? You may want to remind them about the following:

Red = acidic
Purple = neutral
Blue = basic

Have your learners record their predictions to refer back to once the experiment is complete.

How to Experiment with Red Cabbage Juice

Once your budding scientists have made their predictions, have them follow these simple instructions to conduct their chemistry experiment.

Instructions for the Cabbage Juice Chemistry Experiment:

Obtain three glass jars and label them Jar 1, Jar 2, and Jar 3.
Add 250 mL (~1 cup) of white vinegar to Jar 1.
Add 250 mL (~1 cup) of water to Jar 2.
Add 250 mL (~1 cup) of water and 1 tablespoon of baking soda to Jar 3. Stir .until dissolved.
Add 1 frozen cabbage juice cube (or ~15mL of liquid juice) to each jar.
Using a different spoon for each jar to prevent contamination, stir to mix.
Observe the color change and record.
Pour the contents of Jar 1 into Jar 3. What happens?

At this point, you can have your learners experiment further by combining the contents of the jars and observing what happens. When it is time to clean up, simply pour the contents of the jars down the sink.

Analyze the Results of the Cabbage Juice Experiment

I love a good question and answer session to check my students’ understanding of a concept! Here are some simple questions that you can use to determine if your learners grasped the concepts presented in this science experiment. Questions can be discussed orally or can be answered in written form, depending on the age and ability level of your students.

Did Jar 1 contain an acid, a base, or a neutral substance? How can you tell?
Did Jar 2 contain an acid, a base, or a neutral substance? How can you tell?
Did Jar 3 contain an acid, a base, or a neutral substance? How can you tell?
What happened when Jar 1 was poured into Jar 3? Did the pH of the new mixture change? How can you tell?

Correct responses should look something like this:

Jar 1 contained an acid because the vinegar water turned pink.
Jar 2 contained a neutral substance because the water turned purple.
Jar 3 contained a base because the baking soda water turned blue.
When Jar 1 was added to Jar 3, the mixture turned purple. This color change indicates that the new mixture changed pH and is neutral.

Feel free to demonstrate the experiment again while you are reviewing the questions in an effort to further your learners’ understanding.

Extend the Learning of Cabbage Juice Chemistry

Now that your students have a basic understanding of how color can indicate the pH of a substance, allow them to test other substances with red cabbage juice. Here are some additional common household items to consider:

Lemon juice
Carbonate water
Liquid hand soap
Colorless carbonated soda, such as Sprite or 7-Up

Note that the additional items I’ve suggested are colorless, light yellow, or white. Avoid using substances that are dark in color, as a color change will be hard to observe. Facilitating a foundational knowledge of basic chemistry through experimentation with common household items is a fantastic way to encourage a love of science and curiosity about the world around us.

How to Make Cabbage Juice for Chemistry Experiments

Boiling cabbage juice in water extracts the anthocyanins and creates a purple colored solution, which is perfect for acid-base chemistry experiments! Follow these instructions to make red cabbage juice to conduct chemistry experiments from the comfort of your kitchen or classroom.

Ingredients

Instructions.

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A Dash of Science

Color-Changing Cabbage Experiment

Did you know that you can change the color of red cabbage without using any dyes? Red cabbage gets its great purple color from anthocyanins. Anthocyanins, like most plant pigments, change color based on the pH of their environment. So when red cabbage is put into an acidic or basic solution it looses its characteristic “red” color.

This experiment is really easy. All you need is a red cabbage, baking soda, vinegar and about 30 mintues.

1 cup of diced red cabbage
2 cups water
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp baking soda
pot and lid
several bowls

1. Put water on the stove to boil.

2. Dice enough red cabbage to fill approximately 1 cup.

boiling cabbage on A Dash of Science.com

3. Once the water is boiling, put in the red cabbage and simmer for 15 minutes.

strained cabbage on A Dash of Science.com

4. Strain the cabbage to collect the colored water.

5. Pour the cabbage water into three different containers. In one container add the vinegar and stir. In another container add the baking soda and stir.

Expected Results

cabbage juice colors on A Dash of Science.com

The originial cabbage water should be a purple-blue color. The acidic solution that has vinegar in it should look pink or red. The basic solution that has baking soda in it should be blue, turquoise or green.

Experiment Variations

colored cabbage on A Dash of Science.com

Change the actual cabbage color by boiling the cabbage in the acidic or basic solutions. Acidic solution: 100mL water and 20mL vinegar. Basic solution: 120 mL water and 1/4 tsp baking soda. There is a lot less water (only about 1/2 cup) so make sure the cabbage doesn’t scorch.

red cabbage pH indicator on A Dash of Science.com

Play around with the amount of vinegar or baking soda. The anthocyanins in red cabbage are very sensitive to pH changes. Because of this, red cabbage juice can be used as a pH indicator. You can tell the approximate pH of something by what color it turns cabbage juice. CAUTION: do not mix the vinegar with the baking soda unless you want a mini volcano (another fun science experiment).

Other vegetables to experiment with: beets, carrots, spinach, and rice. Note: the pigments in carrots and rice don’t go into water well so do the first experiment variation method for those.

Pigment	Acidic Color	Neutral Color	Basic Color
anthocyanins	pink	purple	turquoise
carotenoids	light orange	orange	dark orange
chlorophyll	olive green	green	kelly green
betalains	magenta	red	brown
anthoxanthins	white	white	yellow

I had a lot of fun doing this experiment and some of the variations. I hope you do too. Let me know how it goes!

Images: Nathalie Dulex and Supermartl

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Growing A Jeweled Rose

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Rainbow Cabbage Experiment

Cabbage Rainbow Experiment

Cabbage leaves
Glasses or jars
Food coloring
Spoons
Paper towels
Begin by filling a glass or jar 1/3 of the way with cold water, using one glass for each color of cabbage that you wish to make.
Add several drops of food coloring to each glass and stir until combined.

Then, have kids place individual leaves of cabbage into the glasses.

It is now time to observe .

Cabbage Experiment for Kids

Have kids observe the glasses over the next few days and record any changes.
As kids observe the jars they will notice that the leaves of cabbage begin to change color .

And after just a few days your cabbage leaves will be vibrantly colored just like a glorious vegetable rainbow!

Try this experiment with other plant varieties.
Will this work with other forms of lettuce?
What about flowers?
Try this experiment with white flowers and see!
Cabbage, like most plants, thrives by pulling water through it's "vein system".
This colorful project allows kids to see the cabbage plants inner workings by coloring the path in which the water travels.
As the plant drinks the colorful water the stem system and plant leaves are transformed!
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The color-changing chemistry of cabbage

by Meghna Rangarajan | May 21, 2024 | Student Blogs | 0 comments

Cabbage Juice Chemistry: Experiment

“Cabbage Juice Chemistry” is a fun experiment demonstrating how to create an acid/base indicator at home.

Materials Needed:

a red cabbage to make cabbage juice
few plain glasses
white vinegar
baking soda
liquids like lemon juice, hand soap or shampoo, or orange juice.

Experiment Steps:

Chop a red cabbage into fine pieces and place it in a bowl.
Pour 2 to 3 cups of boiling water over the cabbage and let it soak for at least an hour.
Use a strainer to remove the cabbage and save the juice.
Pour some of the purple juice into the glasses.
Glass 1 – add baking soda and watch the solution turn blue or blue-green.
Glass 2 – add white vinegar and watch the solution turn pink.
Try lemon juice and dish soap in another glass and see the colors change!

Science Behind Cabbage Juice Chemistry

What’s A pH Scale?

A liquid with a pH less than 7 is an acid and is “sour.”
A liquid with a pH of more than 7 is a base and is “soapy.”
A liquid with a pH of 7 is neutral, like water

What Makes Red Cabbage Special?

Anthocyanins are tiny color-changing superheroes inside the red cabbage.
Anthocyanin pigments can change color when they mix with different kinds of liquids.

Color-Changing Superheroes:

Anthocyanins react differently depending on the pH of the liquid they mix with:

Acids (like vinegar and lemon juice) make them red or pink.
Bases (like baking soda and dish soap) make them green, blue, or yellow.
Neutral liquids keep them purple.

Here are some interesting facts about acids & bases:

Bases often feel slippery or soapy to the touch. Hence, soap and cleaning products are usually basic.
Bases are used in antacid tablets to neutralize excess stomach acid and relieve heartburn and indigestion.
Carbonic acid forms when carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves in water, giving fizzy drinks their bubbles and slightly tangy taste.
Ant stings contain formic acid, which causes a burning sensation when you get stung.

Let’s quickly recap what we learned about cabbage juice chemistry:

What is a way to measure how sour or soapy a liquid is? pH Scale
What is a liquid with a pH of more than 7 called? Base
What are the tiny color-changing pigments in red cabbage called? Anthocyanins
What color does purple cabbage juice turn into when mixed with a base ? Blue or Green
What color does purple cabbage juice turn into when mixed with an acid ? Pink

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the colorful cabbage juice science experiment

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