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How could you determine the acidity of household items - Coggle Diagram
How could you determine the acidity of household items
Definition
Ways to measure
pH test
Universal indicator
The universal indicator is a liquid that contains chemicals that change colour depending on how acidic or alkaline the solution is. They work by producing protons depending on how acidic or alkaline the solution is, then emitting photons with different wavelengths, becoming a readable pH level.
pH strips
One kind of pH strip is a strip of litmus paper, testing the acidity of a substance involves taking some of the substance and soaking the strip in the substance, the litmus paper is pH sensitive and can detect how acidic or basic the substance is and changes colour based upon this. Litmus paper is easy to use, cost effective, and provides quick results.
Another kind of pH strips is pH Indicator Strips, they are more advanced than litmus paper and can provide a wider range of pH values. These strips are made using paper and different pH-sensitive dyes. Each dye covering a different pH range, This can cover a larger spectrum than litmus paper. pH indicator strips provide a wider spectrum, and have more diverse uses.
pH meter
pH meters detect voltage from the H+ ions released by acids in the solution using a probe, it then converts this to a pH value, this value is then displayed on a scale
pH stands for "potential of hydrogen", it is a scale that measures the acidity or basicity of a solution. It quantifies the concentration of H+ ions in a solution. pH ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutrual. A pH below 7 indicates that the solution is acidic, while a pH value above 7 indicates basicity.
Titration
Titration is a lab technique that is used to determine the concentration of a compound in a solution, by neturalising the acidic or basic compound using the other, and adding an chemical indicator to indicate when the solution has reached its desired acidity. Once the concentration of the compound is known, its acidity can be calculated.
Titrations has limitations, including a large window for human error, being time consuming, and relying on the color change of an indicator. This can be subjective, leading to variations in results.
When testing household objects, they may contain a variety of different acidic compounds, therefore, it may be hard to knock out all acids using titration, and recieve an accurate reading on the concentration and accidity of the compound.
Titrations being time consuming and needing to be overly precise makes it a suboptimal choice for household use when testing the acidity of common household products.
What is acidity
Acidity is the ability for an atom to give H+ ions (Brønsted-Lowry theory) or electron pairs (Lewis theory) in a chemical reaction. The more the compound can give, the more acidic it is.
The acidity of a substance is determined by how easily the bond with the H+ ion is broken, if the bond is more polar, the substance is more acidic.
Variables
Dependent
Acidity
Accuracy of technique
Independent
What method is used
The aim of this experiment is to answer the question of "How to determine acidity". Therefore various ways of testing should be tested.
Various different properties of each technique should be considered, such as viability, accuracy, and validity.
Controlled
Proper cleaning is required to prevent contamination, which can lead to contamination affecting the accuracy of subsequent tests.
Technique must be held consistent for accurate results, dipping pH strips for different durations can lead to inconsistent color changes and pH readings.
Affecting Factors
State of matter
Liquid
Most methods used to determine acidity is for liquids, for example ph tests, and titration.
Solid
It may be difficult to determine the acidity of solids, common techniques involve dissolving or soaking the compound in distilled water, then performing pH tests.
Gas
One of the only ways to measure the acidity of gases is to dissolve it into distilled water and measure the pH of the mixture.
Limitations
Avaliabiltiy
Limited Resources and Equipment
The availability of pH meters, pH strips, and universal indicator solutions may be limited. limiting the reliability and repeatability of the experiment.
Limited sample size
Due to time and other constraints of this experiment being conducted in a high school lab. Only a small number of household items may be able to be tested. This limited sample size could affect the generalizability of your conclusions to a broader range of household substances.
Time Constraints
Experiments may be rushed due to time limitations, and avaliability of the lab space. There might not be enough time to allow the indicators to equilibrate with the solutions, leading to inaccurate pH readings.
Conducting multiple trials for each testing method might be challenging within the available lab time. This reduces the ability to assess the consistency and reliability.
pH meters must be properly calibrated using standard solutions prior to testing, if it's not properly calibrated, it can lead to inaccurate pH readings.
Safety
Acids and other chemicals used in the experiment can be hazardous if not handled properly. It's crucial to wear protective lab gear and enforce other protocols.
Accuracy
Some household items might contain additional chemicals that interfere with pH indicators, leading to color changes that don't accurately represent the pH of the solution.