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Determination of the Acid Concentration in Juice

Cameron Nguyen

University of West Florida

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Abstract

Organic Acids provide juices with their flavors, color, and smell. In this experiment, the

concentration of monoprotic and diprotic juice was determined. The concentrations were

determined using sodium hydroxide to titrate each juice and then the data was analyzed to

determine the concentrations.

Introduction

An acid-base titration is the most common way to determine acid concentrations in solutions. In

most lab titrations an indicator is used to display a drastic color change in the solution, however

with dark solutions like juices a different method had to be used. The concentration can be

determined by analyzing the pH change in correlation to the amount of sodium hydroxide added.

It was hypothesized that cranberry juice would show a higher concentration of acid than any

other juice. This came as the result of cranberry juice being noticeably tarter than other juices.

Experimental

First, the MeasureNet station was turned on and brought to the calibration page by navigating

from the main menu to pH/mV and then to calibrate. The ambient temperature of the room was

measured and input into the station. The pH probe was rinsed with deionized water and 10.0 was

inputted for the pH of the buffer on the station. The probe was submerged into the 10.0-pH

buffer and was recorded until the value stopped fluctuating. The probe was rinsed off with

deionized water and the process for the 10.0-pH buffer was repeated using a 4.00-pH buffer.

After calibration was complete the probe was rinsed again with deionized water and properly

stored in its original container until further use. On the MeasureNet station setup was selected

and limits were set for each axis, y ranging from 0.0-pH to 14-pH and x ranging from 0.0 to 950.

The display was selected to confirm these values the titration could then be completed. A 100mL
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beaker was placed on a scale and then tared. After that, 25mL of grape juice was measured out

and recorded in Data Table 2. A stir bar was added to the beaker and placed in the middle of the

stir plate. A 50 mL buret was rinsed with a portion of sodium hydroxide and drained, then it was

attached to a ring stand. The buret was filled with sodium hydroxide up to 0mL and recorded in

Data Table 2. A drop counter was positioned 2 cm below the buret and the electrode was rinsed

with deionized water and then submerged in the juice. 0mL is entered for the initial reading in

the MeasureNet then the start button is pressed to begin recording data. The stirrer is turned on to

the lowest setting and sodium hydroxide is dripped from the buret at a rate of 1 drop per second.

The recording is stopped when the graph levels off after a spike in pH. The final buret reading is

recorded, and the experiment is repeated for the cranberry juice.

Data, Observations, and Calculations

Figure 1. The pH change of cranberry juice in correlation to sodium hydroxide volume.

Volume (mL) vs. pH

12

10

6 Veq
pH

4
pKa1
2

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Volume (mL)
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Figure 2. The pH change of grape juice in correlation to sodium hydroxide volume.

Volume (mL) vs. pH

12

10

6 Veq
pH

4
pKa1
2

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
Volume (mL)

The volumes of sodium hydroxide of each equivalence point in figure 1 and figure 2 were

converted to moles of acid by multiplying by stoichiometric ratios. The moles of acid were then

multiplied by their molar masses to determine grams of acid. Then the grams of acid were

divided by the total mass of the juice sample and multiplied by 100 to find the content of acid per

100g of juice.

Results and Discussion

The experiment concluded with the cranberry solution containing 1.83g of acid per 100g of juice

and the grape containing 0.576g of acid per 100g of juice. The data support the hypothesis that

cranberry juice contains a higher concentration of acid than other juices. The cranberry juice

contained almost four times the amount of its respective acid than the grape juice did. This data

serves to show how the tart taste of cranberry juice hinted at the amount of acid it contains

compared to other juices. The experiment ran fairly smoothly with the only problem being the

confined space of the 100mL beaker.