Make Waves in 2025: Conquer the North Carolina Water Operator B Exam!

Methyl orange is an acid-base indicator commonly used to determine the pH levels of a solution, particularly in the acidic range. It exhibits a color change at a pH of around 3.1 to 4.4, transitioning from red in acidic conditions to yellow in neutral and alkaline conditions. While it is certainly true that methyl orange can provide insight into the acidity or basicity of a solution, it is primarily utilized as an indicator for pH levels rather than specifically for measuring alkalinity, which refers to the capacity of water to resist changes in pH and is typically associated with the presence of bicarbonates, carbonates, and hydroxides.

Given this, while understanding alkalinity is important in water quality analysis, methyl orange itself is not used for that specific measurement. Rather, methods such as titration with strong acids or bases would be used to assess alkalinity directly, making it essential to distinguish the applications of various indicators and tests when evaluating water quality and chemistry.