Question 13
You must have seen tarnished copper vessels being cleaned with lemon or tamarind juice.

Explain why these sour substances are effective in cleaning the vessels.

Copper reacts with moisture, and carbon dioxide in the air to form basic copper carbonate (green coating) and as a result, copper vessel loses its shiny brown surface.

The citric acid present in the lemon or tamarind neutralises the basic copper carbonate and dissolves the layer. That is why tarnished copper vessels are cleaned with lemon or tamarind juice to give the surface of the copper vessel its characteristic lustre.