Question

Are oranges acidic or basic?

Answer 1

Hint: The acidity or basicity of any substance is predicted by knowing its pH value. All substances having pH value greater than 7 indicate that it is alkaline while those substances with a pH value below 7 are acidic in nature. Neutral substances like water have pH equal to seven.

Complete answer:
Oranges are acidic in nature due to their high content of vitamin C which is also known as ascorbic acid. The presence of ascorbic acid makes the pH of oranges distinctly acidic and their pH becomes approximately equal to 3. The different molecules and substances can be classified as acidic or basic on the basis of their pH value as shown in the image below.

An orange also contains citric acid which is responsible for adding sour taste to it. Some other acids which are present in an orange are Tartaric acid, malic acid, lactic acid and oxalic acid which are also responsible for its acidic nature.
Thus, we can conclude that oranges are acidic in nature.

Note:
It is important to note that in general most of the fruits are acidic especially if we talk about citrus fruits like lemons or limes, etc. Also remember that we should never intake orange juice when we are sick because although oranges do have a greater amount of vitamin C which is very beneficial for our immune system but they have high sugar content and are acidic which makes it harder for our body to fight off the infection.