How to Test pH Levels in Paper

Test the pH level of paper with an indicator solution.

The hydrogen ion concentration in any aqueous, or water, solution can be represented by its pH, a number falling somewhere on a scale from 0 to 14. A pH of 7 means the solution is neutral; a pH below 7 indicates it is acidic, whereas one above 7 indicates an alkaline solution. You can test the pH level of paper by marking it with a pH pencil and adding a drop of distilled water to the marked area.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• pH pencil kit with chart
• Distilled water

Instructions

1. Purchase a pH kit that contains a pH pencil and corresponding pH color chart from a hardware store, gardening store or online website.

2. Mark your sheet of paper with the pH pencil. pH pencils are used to determine the surface pH in substances such as paper, wood, cement, skin and cosmetics by testing the residues.

3. Add a droplet of distilled water onto the pencil-marked area on the paper you are testing. Distilled water has a neutral pH and will not skew the pH test results of the paper.

4. Wait 15 seconds for a color reaction to occur on the paper.

5. Hold the pH color chart found in your kit up to the test area on your piece of paper. Match the color of the paper with the same color on the chart. Look at the pH number next to the matching color on the chart to determine the pH of your paper.

References

• Castle Group: What is pH and How Do I Measure It?
• Solar Force: pH Food Chart
• Science Lab: Hydrion Pencils for Surface pH
• Microessentials: pH Pencils
• Handprint: Watercolor Paper