Litmus (Noun)
Meaning
A coloring material (obtained from lichens) that turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions; used as a very rough acid-base indicator.
Classification
Nouns denoting substances.
Examples
- She added a few drops of the unknown substance to the solution containing the litmus and watched as it quickly turned blue, indicating that it was a strong base.
- The teacher carefully handed out the vials of liquid to her students and told them to use the litmus strips to test their acidity levels.
- As he titrated the acid and base together, the color of the solution containing the litmus slowly began to change, first to pink, then to a light purple, before finally stabilizing as blue.
- After checking the chemical makeup of the plant extract using the litmus solution, she discovered that it was not the mild antiseptic she was looking for.
- During his introductory chemistry lesson, he observed as his teacher showed how a mixture's acidity level can change from a crimson-colored to blue-dyed fluid depending on how litmus affected them.