(SCIENCE TREK MUSIC) JOAN CARTAN-HANSEN, HOST: How do scientists tell if a substance is an acid or a base?
They check its pH value.
PH is a scale scientists use to determine if a chemical is an acid or a base.
It goes from zero to 14.
Acids are categorized from zero being the strongest to 6 which is the weakest.
7 is neutral, neither an acid nor a base.
Water is generally pretty neutral.
Bases have a pH value of 8 to 14.
The higher the number, the stronger the base.
Bases are used to neutralize acids.
Drain cleaners are made from sodium hydroxide, a strong base.
Cooking ingredients like baking soda and cream of tartar are weaker bases.
Your pancreas makes a fluid rich in the base Bicarbonate to neutralize stomach acid before the acid moves into your amall intestines.
People will also take bicarbonate to reduce heartburn.
Famers use lime, a base, to help neutralize acidic soil to help plants grow.
To learn more about chemistry, check out the Science Trek website.
You'll find it at ScienceTrek.org.