Daisy Hong Vu Biol-101G Fall 2011 Due October 14, 2011

Lab Report on pH & Buffer

Purpose: The experiment is to practical some simple to learning about acids and bases. This experiment serves to introduce the concept of chemical reaction. In this experiment, I was use the juice from red cabbage as a pH indicator to test common household liquids and determine their pH level. Red cabbage juice contains a natural pH indicator that changes colors according to the acid of the solution. The color of the juice changes in response to changes in its hydrogen concentration. To see how the acid of substances is measured; acid indicators.

To accomplish this, you will: calculate the theoretical pH of a variety of aqueous solutions containing weak acids and weak bases; use acid-base indicators to deduce a pH range for each of these solutions; determine the pH of an unknown using an acid-base indicator with buffer solutions of known pH; learn how to calibrate a pH meter; use the pH meter to measure the pH of solutions; prepare a buffer with a pH specified by the instructor, using available solutions in the laboratory.

Procedure Carry out the following steps to complete this lab. 1. Peel off several red cabbage leaves and tear them into pieces about 2.5 cm (1 inch) square. Place the red cabbage pieces into the container. 2. Cover the cabbage pieces with hot water (not boiling water) and soak for about 30 minutes. As a safety precaution, use the thermometer to make sure that the temperature of the water is not higher than 50 degrees Celsius (about 125 degrees Fahrenheit). Vinegar is obviously an acid. The baking soda is a base. 3. With tongs or a fork, remove and discard as many cabbage pieces from the container as you can. 4. Carefully pour the remaining cabbage water from the larger container through the

coffee filter into the three smaller cups or other transparent containers. 5. Note the purplish or dark blue color. If the cabbage water has a pH of about 7.0, which is typical for plain tap water, the color will be more purplish. If your water is treated by a water supply facility, it may have a pH around 8.0, resulting in a dark blue color. This water color is your baseline. You will be comparing other colors to this as you proceed. 6. Use a drinking straw or eyedropper to transfer vinegar from its container to one cup of cabbage water, five drops at a time. Stir the cabbage water after each vinegar transfer. Note any color change. Continue transferring vinegar five drops at a time until the color of the cabbage water has changed to a color different from that of the original cabbage water. 7. Use a craft stick or toothpick to transfer baking soda from its container to another cup of cabbage water, just a few grains at a time. Stir the cabbage water after each baking soda transfer. Note any color change. Continue transferring baking soda a few grains at a time until the color of the cabbage water has changed to a color different from that of the original cabbage water. 8. The THIRD cup is your baseline cup. If you tap water is neutral, its color should be mostly purple, but it may be more bluish if your tap water has been treated by your county or city water supplier. 9. Record the color of the water after your final additions of vinegar or baking soda. What pH does each color represent? Is vinegar an acid or a base? How about baking soda?

Observations/Data Record the observations and/or data you collected here.(need answer)

Lab Evaluation What strengths and weaknesses did you find in the experimental design? Is there anything you would do differently next time? How, if at all, would you do the experiment differently if you were to do it again?(need answer)

Discussion After you complete your lab, discuss your results in the course discussion board. Summarize the responses to your discussion here.(need answer) Excess strong base changes the pH of the buffer solution

Buffer Solution Resists Change in pH During Incremental Additions of Base Until Balance is Surpassed

A buffer solution is one that contains compounds that accept protons when pH is low, and donate them when pH is high. This keeps the pH fairly stable, so long as too many proton donors or acceptors (acids or bases) aren't added. In this case, the acetate ion (CH3COO) is accepting protons and turning into acetic acid.