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How could you determine the acidity of Household Items - Coggle Diagram
How could you determine the acidity of Household Items
What factors determine if a household item is an acid or base?
utilising pH scale. If the substance's pH > 7, it's a base and pH < 7 means it's an acid.
Chemical composition of the substance. Substances that contain Hydrogen ions are acidic while a substance that contains OH- (Hydroxide) is usually basic. OH- defines a substance as basic due to it having he ability to accept protons whilst undergoing a chemical reaction.
Outcome after reacting with an indicator. If a substance forms a bright colour after reacting with an indicator such as phenolphthalein, the substance is acidic.
Amount of concentration present in a solution. A substances concentration is based of the amount of Hydrogen ions are present in a solution. Substances with greater H+ ions are more concentrated meaning they're more acidic.
Other External factors. Environmental factors play a crucial role in acidity of a household item. This is because, there are environmental factors which are uncontrolled and interchangeable in any given second. Some of these include, temperature (room and outside temperature), pressure and presence of reactive substances which may alter the chemical composition of the substance changing it's pH.
What are some examples of different household items?
Furniture. Some examples include, couches, tables, chairs, beds, wardrobes, cabinets, etc.
Kitchen items. Examples include, utensils, knives, spoons, cookware, plates, glasses, cutting boards,, etc.
Cleaning Supplies. Examples include, brooms, mops, vacuums, cleaning sprays, wipes, vinegar, dish soap, water, etc.
Home appliances. E.g. TV's, Microwaves, washing machines, ovens, etc.
Personal care accessories. E.g. toothbrush / toothpastes, soaps and body wash, shampoo/ conditioners, etc.
What techniques can be measured to determine acidity?
Using pH indicators such as phenolphthalein
Titration. Adding phenolphthalein to the substance after gelatinisation
Conductivity. Electrical conductivity can help determine the acidity of a household item. Acids contain H+ ions making the substance acidic.
Potential Experimental Design and the different variables present
Design 1. Utilisng Titration methods
Variables:
IV: Volume of the solution
DV: pH of the household item which is being measured
CV: Concentration of the item, volume of the item and temperature of the item.
Limitations of the experiment include, greater chance of environmental factors affecting the data set and it only being limited to a smaller sample size as the amount of a household item differs between each house.
Design 2. pH indicator test
Variables. IV: Category of the household item being tested
DV: pH level of the item. For example, the actual pH value of Vinegar is 2-3 although vinegar in some households may exceed or fall short of this range.
CV: pH indicator used for this test. There are many ways to measure acidity so utilising the same indicator is crucial to reduce errors and obtain accurate and reliable data
Some limitations that may be present include, sensitivity of the pH indicator, contamination and other external factors such as temperature.
Design 3. Conductivity method
Variables. IV: pH of the item
DV: electrical conductivity of the household item
CV: calibration of the conductity meter to ensure temperature remains constant. This will prevent external factors altering the results
Limitations. Sensitivity of the conductivity meter/temperature, limited pH range, understanding how to do calibration techniques and the experiment consuming lots of time