Laboratory Questions

1. Part B. The water chemist waits until returning to the laboratory to fix the water sample for the
dissolved oxygen analysis. Will the reported dissolved oxygen concentration be reported as too
high, too low, or remain unchanged? Explain.
- The reported dissolved oxygen concentration will remain unaffected since there is time to be
followed which is, within 48 hours the remainder of the dissolved oxygen analysis is completed
in the laboratory.

2. Part B.3. A solution of 𝑀𝑛𝑆𝑂4 is added to fix the dissolved oxygen in the collected sample.
a. What is the meaning of the expression, “fix the dissolved oxygen,” and why is it so important
for the analysis of dissolved oxygen in a water sample?
- It means that dissolved oxygen is converted to a compound that is restricted to escape from the
solution. It is important for the analysis of dissolved oxygen in a water sample because the
dissolved oxygen is kept all throughout after fixation for it cannot escape from the solution and
that there is conversion of dissolved oxygen towards Mn(OH)3 in quantity.
b. Only an approximate volume (~1 mL) of 𝑀𝑛𝑆𝑂4 is required for fixing the dissolved oxygen
in the sample. Explain why an exact volume is not critical.
- An exact volume is not critical because 𝑀𝑛𝑆𝑂4 acts as the excess reactant whilst the dissolved
oxygen is the limiting reactant.

3. Part B.4. No precipitate forms! Assuming the reagents were properly prepared and dispensed into
the sample, what might be predicted about its dissolved oxygen concentration? Explain.
- Its dissolved oxygen concentration is too low since dissolved oxygen causes the occurrence of
precipitation, therefore it can be assumed that there is barely dissolved oxygen.

4. Part B.5. A water chemist measured and recorded the air temperature at 27°C when he should have
measured the water temperature, which was only 21°C. As a result of this error, will the dissolved
oxygen concentration be reported as being higher or lower than it should be? Explain.
- The dissolved oxygen concentration will be reported as lower than it should be mainly because
the air temperature is higher than the water temperature in which the higher the water
temperature means the lower the dissolved oxygen concentration. As mentioned before, water
temperature is inversely proportional to dissolved oxygen concentration.

5. Part C.3. The color of the analyte did not fade to form the light yellow-brown color but remained
intense even after the addition of a full buret of the 𝑆2 𝑂3−2 titrant, even though a precipitate formed
in Part B.4. What can be stated about the dissolved oxygen concentration of the sample? Explain.
- It can be stated that there is increase of dissolved oxygen after adding a buret filled with 𝑆2 𝑂3−2
titrant since the sample is acidify with sulfuric acid to dissolve any precipitate.

6. Assuming a dissolved oxygen concentration of 7.0 ppm (mg/L) in a 200-mL water sample,
a. How many moles of Mn(OH)3 will be produced with the addition of the 𝑀𝑛𝑆𝑂4 solution?
- With the addition of 𝑀𝑛𝑆𝑂4 solution, there will be 2.97 x 10−5moles of Mn(OH)3 produced.
 b. How many moles of 𝐼3− will be produced when the 𝐾𝐼 − 𝑁𝑎𝑁3 solution is added to the above
solution?
- When the KI − NaN3 solution is added to the above solution, there will be 3.68 x 10−6 moles
of I3− produced.
c. How many moles of 𝑆2 𝑂3−2 will be needed to react with the 𝐼3− that is generated?
- To react with the I3− that is generated, 2.5 x 10−5 moles of 𝑆2 𝑂3−2 will be needed.
d. And also assuming the concentration of the 𝑆2 𝑂3−2 titrant to be 0.025 M, how many milliliters
of titrant will be predictably used for the analysis.
- 0.5 milliliters of titrant will be predictably used for the analysis.

7. A nonscientist brings a water sample to your laboratory and asks you to determine why there was
a fish kill in the nearby lake. Having recently finished this experiment, what might you tell that
person about the legitimacy of a test for dissolved oxygen? What reasoning would you use to
maintain the integrity of your laboratory?
- A test for dissolved oxygen focuses on its concentration in the mg/L of a solution. It is rather
unlikely to have oil spills in a lake, so this means that it will be optimal for testing, first the
concentration of dissolved oxygen. This should allow us to know if there is enough dissolved
oxygen in the lake. Since if there is not enough DO in the lake, It will affect the living organisms
that lies beneath. In addition, at night there is no occurrence of photosynthesis, therefore,
dissolved oxygen reserves are used. And, if there is not enough dissolved oxygen, which in this
case, there is a high chance that the fishes were killed because of the insufficient dissolved
oxygen.

8. a. Fish kills are often found near the discharge point of water from cooling waters at electrical
generating power plants. Explain why this occurrence may occur.
- Power plants use the cooling water reservoir and generate electricity by discharging heated
water back into the rivers, lakes and other reservoirs. Near the discharge point of water, which
indicates that there will be less concentration of dissolved oxygen because it is inversely
proportional with temperature. The higher the temperature, the lower the dissolved oxygen will
be. This explains the reason why fish kills are often found at the discharge point of power
plants.
b. Fish kills are often found in streams following heavy rainfall in a watershed dominated by
farmland or denuded forestland. Explain why this occurrence may occur.
- Suppose, there are farmlands or denuded forestland, and there is a heavy rainfall. Most likely,
it will run off to the streams. Water flows from the higher ground; organic matters, parasites,
and other naturally toxic compounds such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide will flow in
streams of water. This will lessen the concentration of dissolved oxygen and with the addition
of organic matters, parasites, and other toxic compounds artificial or natural, consequently
there is a high chance that it can cause fish kills.

9. Explain how the dissolved oxygen concentrations may change starting at the headwaters of a river
and ending at the ocean. Account for the changes.
- Going from the headwaters of a river, there are higher concentration of dissolved oxygen,
because of the quality of the water having no salinity. However, at the end of the ocean, there
is a high level of salinity which affects the solubility of oxygen, thus, affecting the amount of
dissolved oxygen in the ocean. Because, as the salinity of the water increases the water
solubility of oxygen decreases.
10. Salt (ocean) water generally has a lower dissolved oxygen concentration than freshwater at a given
temperature. Explain why this is generally observed.
- There is a higher surface area that is exposed in direct sunlight in ocean waters but waters with
high salinity has a higher boiling point because of the NaCl. It is already given that the higher
the temperature goes, then there is lesser amount of dissolved oxygen. Also, a higher salinity
of the water, means a lower solubility of oxygen. Thus, when these two conditions are met, the
dissolved oxygen would be at extreme low levels. In the ocean where there is a high salinity of
water, dissolved oxygen is low; and if it is on higher temperature levels, dissolved oxygen
concentration would be lesser.
Conclusion

All in all, this experiment taught us to know the different characteristics of a water sample and
techniques on how to further investigate it. In addition, this experiment accomplished its objectives: (1) to
develop a proper technique for obtaining a natural water sample, (2) to determine the dissolved oxygen
concentration of a natural water sample, and (3) to learn the chemical reactions involved in fixing and
analyzing a water sample for dissolved oxygen.
The Winkler method was used in order to analyze the dissolved oxygen. The standard procedure
for this experiment was to collect water sample in the field where the dissolved oxygen by two reagents
which is the 1 mL of 𝑀𝑛𝑆𝑂4 and 1 mL of KI − NaN3 that was used in the experiment. Based on the results,
it was concluded that the standardized sodium thiosulfate (𝑁𝑎2 𝑆2 𝑂3 ) solution with the presence of starch
as an indicator that determines the amount of 𝐼3− was the one that provided the concentration of dissolved
oxygen in the water sample. From the data collected and analyzed, the moles of 𝑂2 is converted into
milligrams and divided by the volume of the water sample in Liters. The results of the dissolved oxygen
concentration is then expressed in ppm (parts per million) or mg/L.