Litmus papers, Ph strips and their value in educational establishments
Litmus papers and pH indicator strips are simple and easy to use
, fast acting tools which can be used effectively and efficiently in the classroom.
Litmus papers are most suited to school chemistry sessions over any other pH testing methods due to many factors. Litmus papers are great value products and are an inexpensive, portable and low maintenance way of testing.
Litmus papers and pH strips are safe to use. They usually have a long handle so that the user's skin will not come into contact with the sample that they are testing.
Litmus papers are also very easy to use. There are no technical features to learn and no need for any special knowledge. All you need is a ph strip and a comparison colour chart to check the results. This is why they are specifically good for use with children and in the classroom. pH strips are particularly easy to use if they have fixed dyes on the indicator strips. This means that the dye will not bleed into the sample you are testing and contaminate the sample and the results.
Litmus papers and pH strips are useful for testing a variety of samples and offer a test for pH values from 0.0 14.0. The level of acidity is shown in colours which you can check on your colour chart to work out your results.
Due to litmus papers and pH indicator strips being single use, this means that there is no maintenance or cleaning involved with using the items which again is ideal for classroom use.
Many schools still choose to use litmus paper which gives general results on whether the sample is acidic or not. For a more accurate and detailed result, schools may use pH indicator strips which have a more extensive test range. pH indicator strips are generally more expensive to purchase than litmus papers but only marginally. Litmus papers are mostly available in strips of 400 and pH indicator strips can be bought in strips of 100.
Litmus papers are widely recognised as a superior way of teaching children about pH levels and what solutions / items are acidic. Most children learn that pH value 7 on the indicator scale is neutral and anything that comes up on the scale as less than 7 is acidic.