Phenolphthalein is slightly soluble in water and usually is dissolved in alcohols for use in experiments. It is a weak acid, which can lose H+ ions in solution. The nonionized phenolphthalein molecule is colorless, the protonated phenolphthalein ion is an orange, and the deprotonated phenolphthalein ion is fuchsia. When a base is added to a solution containing phenolphthalein, the equilibrium between the nonionized and the deprotonated states shifts in favor of the deprotonated state as H+ ions are removed from solution.