MadSci Network: Agricultural Sciences |
Libby, This was a tough question - I had to ask our Chemistry wizard for some help with the following answer (hope it helps)... "I wouldn't think so,(re; sweet soil) but then I have never eaten any kind of soil! One of the characteristics of an acid is its sour taste. You can test this for yourself by tasting a few safe acids such as lemon juice or vinegar. Apple juice and orange juice are also acids but they taste sweet because they also contain fruit sugars. Grape juice, another acid, can be used as an indicator solution to test for other acids. It's colour will change if an acid or base (the opposite of an acid) is added to it. To see the colour range, add vinegar as the acid and baking soda for the base. Now test other liquids (be sure they are safe to handle) - and your soil to see if they are acidic or basic. Anita Elworthy Let's Talk Science c/o Neala MacDonald, University of Western Ontario
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