Question

Question #efcee

Answer 1

If it turns red litmus blue, then the solution is obviously basic.

Explanation:

Sorry, I don't understand the question. You said that when you dip a red litmus paper in ethanol, it turns blue. If this is true, then the ethanol solution is basic - not acidic, which explains why when you dip the blue litmus paper nothing happens.

That is normal.

I checked the pH of ethanol over the internet and it says that the pH of 100% ethanol is 7.33 which makes it slightly basic.

Remember with litmus paper:

`color (red) (red)` to `color (blue) (blue)` = basic
`color (blue) (blue)` to `color (red) (red)` = acidic

So if you dip `color (red) (red)` litmus in a solution and there is no color change, then the solution must be acidic.

The same goes if you dip `color (blue) (blue)` litmus in a solution and there is no color change, then the solution must be basic.