Question

Is coffee acidic or basic?

Answer 1

Acidic compounds are those in which the numbers of hydrogen ions are more, while basic compounds are those compounds in which the hydroxyl ions are more. We can decide a compound is acidic or basic by seeing its value on the pH meter, if the value is less than 7, then it is acidic, if the value is greater than 7, then it is basic, and if the value is 7, then it is neutral.

Complete step-by-step answer: Acidic and basic are the two main properties of a compound. Acidic compounds are those in which the numbers of hydrogen ions are more, while basic compounds are those compounds in which the hydroxyl ions are more. For example, HCl, $C{{H}_{3}}COOH$, etc are acids and NaOH, $N{{H}_{4}}OH$, etc are bases.
We can decide a compound is acidic or basic by seeing its value on the pH meter, if the value is less than 7, then it is acidic, if the value is greater than 7, then it is basic, and if the value is 7, then it is neutral.
So, the given compound is coffee. Coffee is a drink that is used all over the world. On the pH meter, its pH is around 5.0 to 5.5, which is less than 7, so the coffee is slightly acidic. But the roasted coffee beans are less acidic.

Therefore, coffee is slightly acidic.

Note: The foods that we eat every day have different pH like milk, fresh vegetables, poultry, etc are low acid foods because their pH lies between 4.6 to 6.9. Apples have a pH of 3.5, bananas have a pH of 4.85, grapes have a pH of 3.75, etc.