Final answer:
Litmus tests indicate the acidity or basicity of substances, with acids turning blue litmus paper red and bases turning red litmus paper blue. Phenolphthalein also serves as an indicator, changing color in acidic or basic solutions. These are key chemical properties used to identify acids and bases.
Step-by-step explanation:
The litmus tests indicate about your reactions the acidity or basicity of substances. When using litmus paper, acids will cause blue litmus paper to turn red but will not change red litmus paper. Conversely, bases will turn red litmus paper blue but will not change blue litmus paper. This property is a classic chemical property of acids and bases, used to identify them. Moreover, substances like phenolphthalein are also used as indicators; it turns colorless in acidic solutions and pink in basic solutions.
Acids typically have a sour taste and can react with metals above hydrogen in the reactivity series to produce hydrogen gas. This is another chemical property of acids. Bases, on the other hand, feel soapy and can neutralize acids, forming salt and water, but do not react with metals as acids do. Through their interactions with indicators and metals, the characteristic behaviors of acids and bases are revealed, summarizing their unique chemical properties and their chemical reactions.