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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 1997  > October  >
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JCE Classroom Activity
Anthocyanins: A Colorful Class of Compounds

Cover
October 1997
Vol. 74 No. 10
p. 1176A
Abstract
The red colors of leaves in the fall, and the colors of radish skins, beets, and some cabbages result from pigments known as anthocyanins. This activity makes use of the fact that these substances are also acid-base indicators. The earliest definition of acids was given by Robert Boyle, who stated that acids turned plant juices red. In his book Experiments upon Colours, published in 1663, Boyle described a means of making indicator paper from the juices of violets, cornflowers, roses, snowdrops, brazilwood, primroses, cochineal, and litmus. Use of such natural acid-base indicators predates the use of synthetic indicators such as phenolphthalein by over 2000 years.

This activity sheet is available as a PDF file. You will need to download Acrobat Reader to be able to read this file.

See Letter re: this article.

Featured on the Cover
More Information
*  Citation
 J. Chem. Educ. 1997 74 1176A.
*  Keywords
 Acid-Base Chemistry, Introductory/High School Chemistry, and Teaching/Learning Aids; Classroom Activity
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 July 27, 1999
June 23, 2005
Link to Letter added (May 2004). Link to Cover added (June 2004).
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