Chem 112 Experiment 5 Remote Lab

Simulation – pH Indicators

Name: Lab TA:

Mon Tue(am) Tue(pm) Wed Thu(am) Thu(pm) Fri

Lab Day

Grade
>95 >90 >85 >80 >70 <70

Report:

Report Submitted on Time (Check Box)

Yes No

Data Collection:

Experiment 5a – Measure the pH of Acids

Bromothymol Blue Methyl Yellow Bromocresol Green pH*
Test Tube Color Color Color See Note
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*Note:- This column will auto fill from the Calculations – It may help in with some questions
later. Experiment 5b – Measure the pH of Base
Bromothymol Blue Alizarin Yellow Phenolphthalein pH*
Test Tube Color Color Color See Note
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7
*Note:- This column will auto fill from the Calculations – It may help in with some questions
Calculations:

Experiment 5a – Measure the pH of Acids

Test Tube [HCl] [H3O+] pH
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Experiment 5b – Measure the pH of Base

Test Tube [NaOH] [OH-] pOH pH

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1. In answering this question I suggest that you make use of the data you entered in the Data Collection section
for Exp 5a and Exp 5b.
A researcher – not all mistakes are made by students – had the labels fall off two test tubes, one contained a
strong acid and the other a strong base. The researchers student worker came to the rescue by using just one of
the indicators used in this experiment and identified the contents of the test tubes. An image of the result of
his experiment is depicted below.
Strong acids – so long as they are not very dilute – have a pH range of 0-3
Strong bases – so long as they are not very dilue – have a pH range of 12-14

a) Which test tube (A or B) contains the strong acid?

b) Which test tube (A or B) contains the strong base?

c) What indicator was used in both

test tubes?
Post Lab Question:
After all this is Chem 112 and this is an Acid/Base Lab in the guise of Indicators. You had to know that a weak acid
or base calculation would come into play somewhere and of course the much loved ICE Table 

A Chem 112 students ultimate nightmare. While checking the pH of

a 1.066M aqueous ammonia solution using an indicator to check the
range and a pH meter to determine the exact pH, the batteries in the
pH died. What a way for a Friday – before a holiday weekend –
lab to finish. The TA informed the students that no batteries of the
type needed were available in the laboratory but if they could wait for
an hour that the TA could aquire a battery from their research lab.
The students indicated that they had a bus to catch and that they
would go to another sections lab the following week and finish the
lab then. They of course did no such thing, but simply calculated
what the pH should have been when writing up the report. The poor
TA was none the wiser.

Look I had to fill this space with text, hense the absurd story :)
1. Now for the real question. What pH should the pH meter have read and what indicator were the students using?
For full credit you must show work and correctly complete the ICE Table.

NH3(aq) + H2O(l)  NH4+ + OH-

In calculating the pH you can either use the exact method- ie solve the quadratiac – or if you are lucky you may be
able to use the approximation method.

pH

Indicator Used: