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Keeping this in view, what does phenol red indicate?
Phenol red is a water-soluble dye used as a pH indicator, changing from yellow to red over pH 6.6 to 8.0, and then turning a bright pink color above pH 8.1. As such, phenol red can be used as a pH indicator dye in various medical and cell biology tests.
Subsequently, one may also ask, what causes color change in phenol red?
The phenol red changes color when you blow into it, because you are introducing carbon dioxide to the mix. Phenol red changes to yellow in a pH lower than 7, so the solution turning yellow is an indication of an acidic (lower than 7 pH) solution.
carbon dioxide reacts with water to produc carbonic acid. As carbonic acid dissociates, the solution becomes more yellow, indicating a lower pH. When light is available and a plant is added, the solution returns to its original red color.