Science Common Sense

1155 - Why can the acidity and alkalinity of common food be differentiated using smell, touch, and taste, and why do flowers and leaves change color when they come into contact with acidity and alkalinity?

I'll explain it simply.

Acidity and Alkalinity of Food:

Our senses can detect acidity and alkalinity in food because of special helpers in our bodies:

• Smell: Some foods with strong smells, like lemons or vinegar, have tiny particles that travel up our nose. These particles tell our brain that something is sour or acidic.
• Touch: Sour or acidic foods can feel funny on our skin or tongue. This is because acid molecules are good at breaking chemical bonds, so they can make our skin or tongue feel weird.
• Taste: Our tongue has special tiny things called taste buds. Acidic foods make our taste buds feel sour and send a message to our brain. This is why we can taste if something is sour or not.

Color Change in Flowers and Leaves:

Some flowers and leaves change color when they come into contact with acidity or alkalinity because of special tiny things called pigments. These pigments are sensitive to acidity or alkalinity and can change color when they meet acidic or alkaline substances.

Imagine pigments like litmus paper. If you put litmus paper in acid, it turns red. If you put it in alkali, it turns blue. Some flowers and leaves have similar pigments that change color when they meet acidity or alkalinity. This is why we can use flowers or leaves to check if something is acidic or not.

These are simple explanations of complex concepts!