Question

How do bases taste and feel?

Answer 1

We know that bases are the substances that turn the red litmus blue. Bases also neutralise the acids and so the same happens on our skin whenever we touch a base and hence, we feel them in a very specific way.

Complete step by step answer:
As we know, there are three ways to define what bases are. Thus, there are three types of bases called, Arrhenius base, Bronsted base and Lewis base. In general, the base turns the red litmus blue and undergoes the neutralisation reaction whenever reacted with acid. It reacts with the hydrogen ions present in the acid and forms a salt this is how a base neutralises the acid. The bases have pH ranging from 7 (weakest base) to 14 (strongest base).
The bases feel very slippery when touched, the reason being the process called saponification. Saponification is the process of formation of soaps from the fatty acids in the presence of an alkali like NaOH or KOH. Whenever we touch any base, it comes in contact with the fats and fatty acid present in our skin and thus, the process of saponification occurs and the base feels soap-like and very slippery.
Bases taste bitter. For example sodium hydroxide and potassium hydroxide. They are found in our daily routine food in less quantity as compared to acids.

Note: If the base is not washed out with water from our skin for quite some time, we might get blisters formed. Bases are commonly used in the food and baking industry. The widely used bases are sodium bicarbonate, potassium bicarbonate and ammonium bicarbonate.