A good Schiff reagent should be light pink.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. It should be dark pink
• D. It should be colorless

Answer: (B)

Schiff reagent is used in staining procedures to reveal carbohydrates by reacting with aldehyde groups formed after oxidation. When this reaction occurs, the signal should be a vivid magenta or dark pink color, indicating a strong positive result. If the color is only light pink, the staining is weak and the reagent may be suboptimal or degraded, leading to unreliable results. Therefore, the statement that a good Schiff reagent should be light pink is not correct; it should yield a dark pink to magenta color on positive structures.