Measuring Ph Levels Coursework Example

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Title: Measuring pH Levels

Abstract

Acids and bases are common in several household applications especially in our kitchens. Different methods are used to determine whether a substance is acidic or base. The methods include the use of litmus paper and measuring of pH. The pH of a substance also tell about the strength of the base or the acid. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14. Acids have a pH of less than 7 while the bases have a pH of more than 7. Any substance with a pH of 7 is neutral. In this experiment, we will discuss how to read the pH of different substances and identify different types of bases and acids found in around our homes. Additionally, we will determine the pH levels of different samples of water from different lakes. We will also discuss the causes of acid rain, the acidity in the lakes and the impacts of acidification on the environment.
Part I: Answer the following questions while in the Unit 1 lab environment.

Section 1: You will be testing 4 known solutions for pH levels using a standard wide-range indicator. Based off of the results obtained in the lab room, fill in the following table:

Solution Number pH from Lab Acid, Base or Neutral? Solution Name (what was in the test tube?)
Solution 1 7 Neutral Pure Water
Solution 2 2 Acid Lemon Juice
Solution 3 12 Base Beach
Solution 4 5 Acid Coffee

Section 2: Now that you understand how to read pH measurements, go out into the field to gather pH samples from 3 different lakes to take back to the lab for testing, and answer the following questions:

What was the pH level measured at Lake 1?

The pH of the sample from Lake 1 was 6.

What was the pH level measured at Lake 2?

The pH of the sample from Lake 2 was 3.

What was the pH level measured at Lake 3?

The pH of the sample from Lake 3 was 5.

Which two lakes have the highest levels of acidity in their water?
The pH results of the water samples from the three lakes show that water from Lakes 2 and 3 have the highest levels of acidity.

Part II: For the following questions, provide your response in short-answer format (3–5 detailed sentences each). Use the links provided along with this Unit’s activities and resources to prepare your answers.
Look for at least three acids and at least three bases around your home.

List and describe the acids you found. What things do the acids have in common?

Acids found around my home include citric acid, vinegar and lemon juice.

They all taste sour.

List and describe the bases you found. What things do these have in common?

The bases found around my home include household ammonia, baking soda and soap.

They all taste bitter.

They all feel slippery/soapy when touched.

The above listed bases are all soluble in water.

Look at your data for the three lakes in the virtual lab. Acid rain is impacting two of these three lakes. Explain what acid rain is and describe which two lakes are receiving acid rain. Also, discuss how the location of each lake relates to their pH level.
Acid rain is any form of precipitation that have properties of an acids. Usually the pH of an acid rain is about 5.5. Acid rain is form when air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and Sulphur dioxide react with water to form nitric acids and sulphuric acids then falls as rain or any other form of precipitation. Lakes 2 and 3 are likely to be receiving acid rain making the lake water more acidic. Thus, lower pH of the sample from these two lakes. The lakes 1 and 2 are more likely located in an area with more industries where more fossil fuels are being burned. When fossils fuels are burnt the pollutants are released into the atmosphere polluting the air around the area causing acid rain.

Imagine a lake receives acid rain for an extended period of time. The original pH of the lake was 6, but it has now dropped to pH 3. How many times more acidic has this lake become? What negative impacts can this amount of acidification have on the environment?
The pH of the water in the lake changed from 6 to 3. The drop in the pH level means that the lake water has more acidic than before. The pH scale is logarithmic and so, each pH value less than 7 is ten times more acidic than the next. Therefore, the acidification of water in the lake will harm fish and other aquatic animals, and plants. Most of the aquatic life are acid-sensitive and cannot tolerate the drop in the pH of the lake water. The fish and other aquatic life can be killed by the acidic water.