HYDROGEN ION CONCENTRATION USING PH METER

OBJECTIVE

This experiment aims to determine the acidity of the water sample provided by measuring its
pH

THEORY
The pH value of a solution is an indication of how many hydrogen ions it forms in a certain
volume of water. It is expressed as the log of the reciprocal of the concentration of hydrogen
ions. It is used to indicate the degree of acidity or basicity of a solution ranked on a scale of 0 to
14, with pH 7 being neutral.
It is one of the most important determinations in water chemistry as many of the processes
involved in water treatment are pH dependent.
Pure water ionizes as per the equation (simplified):

++OH
H2O H

Such that at 25o C,

+
H


O H

Thus the pH of pure water at 25o C is 7.

pH affects most chemical and biological processes in water and is one of the most important
environmental factors limiting the distribution of species in aquatic habitats. Different
species flourish within different ranges of pH with the optima for most aquatic organisms
being 6.5 to 9.0.

The pH meter measures the voltage (electric potential) produced by the solution whose pH is
being investigated. It compares it with the voltage of a known solution and uses the
difference to produce the difference in pH.

F16/2604/2011
 REAGENTS
75 ml of sample
Distilled water

APPARATUS
pH meter
100 ml beaker

METHOD

75ml of the water sample was placed in a 100ml beaker. The electrodes were then carefully
removed from the beaker they were immersed in and rinsed with distilled water.

Drops of water were then wiped from the electrodes after which the electrodes were
immersed in the beaker containing the sample and the selector switch turned to pH. After
the pH reading stabilized the reading was taken, the selector turned to CHECK and the
electrodes carefully raised, rinsed with distilled water and replaced in the beaker of distilled
water.

RESULTS

The pH was found to be 8.27 at 22.50 C

CONCLUSION

The pH of the sample was found to lie within the range suitable for most aquatic organisms.

F16/2604/2011