litmus paper (redirected from Litmus test (chemistry))

paper /pa·per/ (pa´per) a material manufactured in thin sheets from fibrous substances that have first been reduced to a pulp.

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litmus paper  moisture-absorbing paper impregnated with a solution of litmus: if slightly acid, it is red, and alkalis turn it blue; if slightly alkaline, it is blue and acid turns it red.

test paper  paper stained with a compound that changes visibly on occurrence of a chemical reaction.

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litmus paper

n.

An unsized white paper impregnated with litmus and used as a pH or acid-base indicator.

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litmus paper

[lit′məs]

Etymology: ONorse, litmosi, coloring herb; L, papyrus, paper

absorbent paper coated with litmus, a blue dye, that is used to determine pH. Acid substances or solutions turn blue litmus to red. Alkaline substances or solutions do not cause a color change in blue litmus. The pH range is 4.5 (red) to 8.5 (blue).

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litmus

a blue pigment prepared from Rocella tinctoria and other lichens.

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litmus paper

absorbent paper impregnated with a solution of litmus, dried and cut into strips. It is used to indicate the acidity or alkalinity of solutions. If dipped into alkaline solution, it remains blue; acid solution turns it red. It is used to test urine and other body fluids; it has a pH range of 4.5 to 8.3.