What happens if you mix milk with lemon?

Mixing milk with lemon juice can cause the milk to curdle. This is because the acid in the lemon juice causes the proteins in the milk to coagulate, forming lumps or curds. The exact reaction that takes place is called acid coagulation.

The process of acid coagulation can be explained in more detail as follows:

1. When lemon juice is added to milk, the hydrogen ions (H+) from the lemon juice interact with the casein proteins in the milk.

2. The hydrogen ions bind to the casein proteins, causing them to lose their negative charge and become positively charged.

3. The positively charged casein proteins then repel each other, causing them to aggregate and form clumps or curds.

4. The curds continue to grow in size until they eventually reach a point where they can no longer be suspended in the milk and they settle to the bottom of the container.

Acid coagulation is a common reaction that occurs when acidic substances are added to milk. It is also the reaction that causes milk to curdle when it is spoiled by bacteria.