Study Guides/Chemistry/Methyl Orange in Acid
Study Guide · Chemistry

Colour of Methyl Orange in Acid and Base

Methyl orange is a widely used acid-base indicator in chemistry labs and titration experiments.

Question (Click to Flip)

What colour does litmus show in acid?

Answer

Litmus turns red in acid and blue in base — just like methyl orange turns red in acid.

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Key Facts

Methyl orange is an azo dye — its colour change occurs because the acidic/basic environment changes its molecular structure (resonance forms).

Colour Changes

  • In Acid (pH < 3.1): Red colour
  • In Neutral (pH 3.1–4.4): Orange colour
  • In Base (pH > 4.4): Yellow colour

The transition range of methyl orange is pH 3.1 to 4.4.

Use in Titrations

Methyl orange is used as an indicator in Strong Acid vs Weak Base titrations (e.g., HCl titrated with NH₄OH). It is NOT suitable for strong base titrations because it changes colour in the acidic range only.

Questions and Answers

What colour does litmus show in acid?+

Litmus turns **red** in acid and **blue** in base — just like methyl orange turns red in acid.

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