Question

When a solution is added to a cloth strip treated with onion extract, then the smell of onion cannot be detected. State whether the given solution contains an acid or a base.

Answer 1

The given solution contains a base. Onion acts as an olfactory indicator. While its distinct, pungent smell remains largely unaffected when it comes into contact with an acid, adding a basic solution destroys or neutralises the sulphur compounds that cause the odour, making the cloth strip completely odourless.