Shivam Jariwala

Chem 1252L - 028

Brnsted Acid-Base Reactions

Introduction
The objective of Experiment 9 was to rank the given solutions in order of increasing pH
and decreasing " . In a Brnsted acid-base reaction, a proton is donated from the acid to a base.
To determine the absolute acid strength, the acid-dissociation constant, " , must be used. The
value can be solved with the following,
" =

[&' ( ) ]+, [- . ]+,

[&-]+,

If a solution is created with different acids but the same concentrations, then the " value
determines the strength of the acid. The higher the " value, the more 0 2 is created thus
lowering the pH (as a result a stronger acid. The same is for the 3 (base-hydrolysis constant)
value.

Procedure
Five strips of microwells were taken and cleaned. One drop of indicator Bromothymol
blue (BTB) was added to eight microwells. Then from Tables 9.1 to 9.3, 3 drops of each
solution was added to its own microwell. The color change was noted.
The experiment was repeated four more times expect with the following different
indicators: Bromecresol green (BCG), Thymol blue (TB), Phenolphthalein (PHPH), and Alizarin
(AZYR).
Data
The Bromothymol blue (BTB) indicator was added and the solutions were added to the
microwells. The color changes were noted in Table 1.
Table 1: Color Changes with indicator Bromothymol blue (BTB).
Source
0 5 ()
;
0 5 ()
5 0
5 ; ()
0 ()
0 ()
; ()

Color Change
Yellow (light)
Yellow
Blue (light)
Blue (dark)
Pale Yellow
Blue (dark)
Blue (dark)
Light Orange

The Bromecresol green (BCG) indicator was added and the solutions were added to the
microwells. The color changes were noted in Table 2.

Table 2: Color Changes with indicator Bromecresol green (BCG).

Source
0 5 ()
;
0 5 ()
5 0
5 ; ()
0 ()
0 ()
; ()

Color Change
Yellow (light)
Blue-Green
Blue (dark)
Blue (dark)
Blue (light)
Blue (dark)
Blue (light)
Yellow

The Thymol blue (TB) indicator was added and the solutions were added to the microwells. The
color changes were noted in Table 3.
Table 3: Color Changes with indicator Thymol blue (TB).
Source
0 5 ()
;
0 5 ()
5 0
5 ; ()
0 ()
0 ()
; ()

Color Change
Yellow-Orange
Yellow (light)
Yellow-Green
Purple
Yellow
Purple
Blue-Purple
Red-Pink

The Phenolphthalein (PHPH) indicator was added and the solutions were added to the
microwells. The color changes were noted in Table 4.
Table 4: Color Changes with indicator Phenolphthalein (PHPH).
Source
0 5 ()
;
0 5 ()
5 0
5 ; ()
0 ()
0 ()
; ()

Color Change
Colorless
Colorless
Colorless
Pink (dark)
Colorless
Pink (dark)
Pink (light)
Colorless

The Alizarin (AZYR) indicator was added and the solutions were added to the microwells. The
color changes were noted in Table 5.

Table 5: Color Changes with indicator Alizarin (AZYR).

Source
0 5 ()
;
0 5 ()
5 0
5 ; ()
0 ()
0 ()
; ()

Color Change
Clear-Slight
Yellow
Yellow
Yellow
Red
Yellow (light)
Orange
Orange
Clear-Slight
Yellow

Calculation
The colors noted during the experiment were colored in accordingly with the specific
indicator for that substance. The Colorimetric comparison of indicators at different pH ranges
can be seen below

The solutions that were added to the indicators allowed the pH to be calculated (general
approximation) based on the color of the different indicators. After comparing each solution with
the color, the general pH was found and can be seen below in Table 6.
Table 6: General pH of each solution.
Source
0 5 ()
;
0 5 ()
5 0
5 ; ()
0 ()
0 ()
; ()

pH (Approximation)
~2-3
~5
~8
~12-13
~5-6
~11-12
~10-11
~1

Based on the calculations or observations made in Table 6, the hydronium concentration

in each reaction was solved for.
10@A& = 0 2
10@5.J = 0.0032 = 0 2
10@J = 1 10@J = 0 2
10@S = 1 10@S = 0 2
10@T = 1 10@T = [@ ]
10@W5.J = 3.2 10@W0 = 0 2
10@W.J = 0.032 = @
10@J.J = 3.2 10@T = 0 2
10@S.J = 3.2 10@Y = @
10@WW.J = 3.2 10@W5 = 0 2
10@W[.J = 3.2 10@WW = 0 2
10@W = 0.1 = 0 2
Using the values for Acetic Acid and Ammonium, the " value was determined by using
an ICE table and the equation for the acid-dissociation constant.
Acetic Acid:
0 5 + 5 0 2 + 0 5 @ ()
Initial
Concentration
Change in
Concentration
Equilibrium
Concentration

0 5

0 2

0 5 @ ()

0.20 M

-x

+x

+x

0.197M

0.00316M

0.00316M

[0 2 ]_` [0 5 @ ]_`
[0 5 ]_`
0.00316 0.00316
=
0.197
= 5.1 10@J

" =

Ammonium Acid:
; + 5 0 2 + 0 ()
Initial
Concentration
Change in
Concentration
Equilibrium
Concentration

0 2

0 ()

0.20 M

-x

+x

+x

0.19999M

1 10@J

1 10@J

[0 2 ]_` [0 ]_`
[; ]_`
@J
1 10 1 10@J
=
0.19999M
= 5.0 10@W[
" =

Acetate Ion:
0 5 + 5 @ + 0 5 2
Initial
Concentration
Change in
Concentration
Equilibrium
Concentration

0 5

0 5 2 ()

0.20 M

-x

+x

+x

0.2 (1 10@T ) M

1 10@T M

1 10@T M

[@ ]_` [0 5 2 ]_`
[0 5 ]_`
1 10@T 1 10@T
=
0.2 (1 10@T )
= 5.0 10@W5

3 =

Carbonate Ion:
5 0 + 5 @ + 0 2
Initial
Concentration
Change in
Concentration
Equilibrium
Concentration

5 0

0 2

0.20 M

-x

+x

+x

0.2 (0.032) M

0.032 M

0.032 M

[@ ]_` [0 2 ]_`
3 =
[5 0 ]_`
0.032 0.032
=
0.2 (0.032)
= 0.0061
Sulfate Ion:

Initial
Concentration
Change in
Concentration
Equilibrium
Concentration

5 ; + 5 @ + ; 2
5 ;

; 2

0.20 M

-x

+x

+x

0.2 (3.2 10@Y ) M

3.2 10@Y M

3.2 10@Y M

[@ ]_` [; 2 ]_`
3 =
[5 ; ]_`
@Y
3.2 10 3.2 10@Y
=
0.2 (3.2 10@Y )
= 5.1 10@Wh

Discussion
With Table 6 and the observations made from Tables 1 through 5, the rank of the acids
and bases was determined. From weakest to strongest acid; ammonium acid was the weakest and
the acetic acid was the strongest. For the bases; the sulfate ion was the weakest base, then the
acetate ion was stronger, and the carbonate ion was the strongest. As the pH rose, the solution
became more basic meaning that the base of the solution was stronger. Similarly, as the pH fell,
the solution became more acidic meaning that the solution was a stronger acid.
For ammonia, bicarbonate ion, and bisulfate ion, using the observations from the
experiment, ammonia and bicarbonate ion were a stronger base, and bisulfate ion was a stronger
acid. That meant that ammonia and bicarbonate have higher " values than 3 and the opposite
for bisulfate ion. Bicarbonate is a buffer system meaning that it can act either as an acid or base.
As a result, if a base was added to a bicarbonate solution, the bicarbonate ions would act mostly
as an acid.
The actual " values for the monoprotic acids used in the experiment were the following:
acetic acid -> 1.8 10@J , and ammonium -> 5.6 10@W[ . The actual 3 values for the
monoprotic bases used in the experiment were the following: acetate ion -> 5.6 10@W[ ,
carbonate ion -> 2.4 10@S , and sulfate ion -> 8.3 10@W0 .

Conclusion
The experiment allowed for the ranking of the given solutions. Since the data
measurement was all qualitative rather than quantitative, the colors described would have been
based on individual conception meaning that the colors described and used to estimate the pH
levels were all estimated. Estimating based on the color brought a lot of error and discrepancies

with the answers solved for and the actual answers. Overall, the " and 3 values were close but
due to the slight discrepancies in the pH, the final values were different. At the end of the
experiment, a conclusion was drawn that the overall ranking of the solutions was bisulfate ion
being the most acidic followed by acetic acid, ammonium, sulfate ion, acetate ion, bicarbonate
ion, ammonia, and the most basic being carbonate ion.