LABORATORY TECHNIQUES: 4º ESO

PRACTICE NUMBER 7:
Reactions: Determination
of acidity or basicity

ASF 19 and OTL 20

INDEX
1- PROPOSED PROBLEM
2- THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE
3- TOOLS NEEDED (LABORATORY INSTRUMENTS AND
PRODUCTS)
4- PARTICULAR RULES
5- PROCEDURE
6- ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS
7- POSSIBLE ERRORS
8- EXTRA INFORMATION
9- REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

1- PROPOSED PROBLEM

The objective of this practice is to detect the acidic or basic character of

different substances

2- THEORETICAL KNOWLEDGE

2.1- Acidity and basicity indicators

Many common substances have acidic or basic properties. The determination of

its nature is easily carried out by "indicators" that are substances that vary its
colour according to the nature of the solution in which one they are added.

Colour added with an acid Colour added with abase

Universal indicator Red Blue
paper
Phenolphthalein Colourless Red
Bromothymol blue Yellow Blue
Methyl orange Red Yellow

In this practice it will be checked if several common substances are acidic,

basic or neutral, using for them indicator papers.

2.2- Measuring volumes with a pipette

2.2.1-Pipetting technique
 First step: The first step of a good pipetting technique is to select the
most suitable pipet for the volume to be measured. It is precisely this
volume that determines the pipette to be used: the volume to be
pipetted must be as close as possible to the maximum capacity of the
pipette. Furthermore, it should be considered that the minimum
 volume that a pipette can accurately dispense is approximately 10%
of its capacity.
 Second step: The next step is to fit the device that will be used to
create vacuum and suction onto the mouthpiece of the pipette. In our
case we will use a rubber bulb.
 Third step: The pipette should be filled to just above the start of the
scale graduation (being careful not to contaminate the bulb) and then
gradually adjusted, in front of the eyes and upright, to the point exact
scale graduation (usually 0).
 Fourth step: Once the volume is adjusted, the pipette containing the
liquid to be dispensed is transferred to the container where the liquid
will be deposited. At this moment, the pear is gently pressed at the
point that will allow the liquid to escape, keeping the pipette in a
vertical position and with its tip resting on the container.

2.2.2- Pipettebulb

It is a device used to create vacuum and suction in the pipette. These pears
have three basic working points or valves:

- Point nº 1: By exerting pressure on it, the air is removed from the pear
- Point nº2: It serves to suck the liquid
- Point nº 3: It serves to expel the liquid

At the bottom of the pear is where the pipette is attached.

The correct use of this device requires practice to adjust the manual force that
must be used to apply pressure. If at any time your bulb gets wet with the liquid
to be dispensed, it will stop working because it will not be possible to exert a
vacuum. To proceed, it is necessary to dry the pear well beforehand.
3- TOOLS NEEDED (LABORATORY INSTURMENTS AND PRODUCTS)

- Test tube rack

- 5 test tubes
- Labels to tubes
- Universal indicator paper (with pH scale)
- Vinegar
- Lemon juice
- Milk
- Cola soft drink
- Water
- Pipette filler / pipette bulb
- Beaker

4- PARTICULAR RULES

In adittion to the general ones:

-The test tubes are made of very thin glass so we will have to be careful
-Except for labelling, the tubes are never removed from the rack
-In case of contact with mucosus membranes and eyes, notify the teacher
-Before we leave we wash our hands

5- PROCEDURE

FIRST LESSON

1- Prepare the test tubes:

I place the tubes in the same row of the rack and prepare a label for each tube:
vinegar, lemon juice, milk, water and cola

2- We pipette using water ( I pour water into the beaker)

SECOND LESSON

1- We check that we have all the material:

5tubes, roller, 5 strips of indicator paper and kitchen paper to support the
indicator paper

2- Without removing the tube from the rack, we pipet the water into the
prepared test tube (using the beaker for this)

3- We carry out the identification of pH with the indicator paper, noting the
results in the table. To do this, we introduce a piece of paper into the test tube
and after a few seconds we remove it and leave it to dry on kitchen paper

4- Once the measurements of the 5 tubes have been written down the papers
are wrapped in kitchen paper and thrown into the wastebasket
5- We do not empty the test tubes, we wash our hands in the faucets at the
entrance.

6- We answer the questions raised

6- ANALYSIS OF THE RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

1- Complete de table

SUBSTANCE INDICATOR NATURE COMMENTS

PAPER (color and
number)
Vinegar Red and pH 1 Acid The vinegar was
the most acidic and
marked the red
clearly, but in one
of the extremities of
the paper a more
orange tone could
be distinguished
Lemon juice Orange and pH 2 Acid Like the vinegar, it
was quite acidic,
but the orange
color stood out,
although it had
some red dots.
Milk Light green and pH Acid The milk is no
5 longer so acidic,
and it was the only
one in which we
were completely
sure of the color
and number that it
was.
Cola drink Orange and pH 2 Acid The tail has a
and 3 characteristic and
that is that within
that same liquid
there are two pHs,
the one of the liquid
that is more at the
bottom since it
does not have as
much gas as the
upper part.
Water Green ant Ph Acid With the water we
between 5 and 6 were quite doubtful,
since it had a hue
that was a mixture
between pH 5 and
6
2- Why do the indicator papers change color depending on the acid or
basic character of the substances? Look for information about it and
explain it in detail.

The change in color of the indicator is due to the fact that by increasing or
decreasing the acidity or alkalinity of the solution, a structural chemical change
is generated that causes the number of protons of the element to increase or
decrease.
The indicators have a very simple behavior. These elements are made up of an
acid form or a weak basic form with a general form. Being in substances, if it is
ionized by an increase or decrease in acids or bases, a reaction will be
triggered creating a conjugated form producing a new element that stains the
solutions.
https://farbe.com.mx/como-funcionan-los-indicadores-de-
ph/#:~:text=El%20cambio%20de%20color%20del,del%20elemento%20aumenten%20o%20disminuyan.

3- Observe the pH that is indicated on the packaging of a shampoo. Is it

acidic or basic? Learn about the importance of this information for hair
care. Includes images of labels, advertising,... in which this information is
reflected.

An acid shampoo is the best for hair because we will obtain shinier hair and
tighter cuticles in the long term, it is best to use a solid shampoo with a pH
between 4.5 and 6 to obtain these benefits but without irritating the eyes, since
it is common for shampoo to enter when we rinse.
Your scalp and skin have a pH between 5 and 5.5, so it is ideal to keep it that
way with similar products and not be aggressive with sudden changes.

https://www.ahua.com.mx/post/qu%C3%A9-ph-debe-tener-mi-shampoo

4- ¿Qué es un pH-metro? Explica que es y para que se usa, así como su

evolución histórica y principio de funcionamiento, e incluye imágenes y
precios de diferentes modelos.

WHAT IS IT?
The pH meter is a sensor used in the electrochemical method to measure the
pH of a solution.
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH-metro
FOR WHAT DO YOU USE IT

A pH meter measures the activity of the hydrogen ion in aqueous solutions,

indicating its degree of acidity or alkalinity expressed as pH.
https://www.aragon.es/-/laboratorio-agroambiental-equipos-antiguos-
phmetro#:~:text=Un%20pHmetro%20o%20medidor%20de,y%20un%20electrodo%20de%20referencia.

OPERATING PRINCIPLE

Measures the voltage between two electrodes, the electrode being an electrical
conductor for non-metallic parts. Once this is done, the voltage values are
transformed into pH levels.
https://www.galileoequipos.com/blog/que-es-un-
phmetro/#:~:text=El%20funcionamiento%20del%20pHmetro%20es,transforman%20en%20niveles%20de
%20pH.

PRICES AND IMAGES

7- POSSIBLE ERRORS

In this practice, we only had one failure, which was that one of the team
members was not there the day the objectives were written down, the particular
rules... and the other member wrote all that down on a piece of paper that he
lost, so we had to ask another classmate

8- EXTRA INFORMATION

THE PH IN THE HUMAN BODY

While we were measuring the pH of the milk, we asked ourselves if the pH was
important for the human body and after looking for information we realized that
it is important, and that the ideal pH level in the blood should be between 7.35
and 7.45, but air pollution, bad eating habits or stress acidify the body and alter
this pH, the blood reacts and steals the nutrients it needs from the rest of the
vital organs to compensate for the imbalance.

9- REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

-https://www.gob.mx/issste/articulos/el-equilibrio-del-ph-en-el-
organismo?idiom=es#:~:text=El%20nivel%20id%C3%B3neo%20del%20pH,vitales%20para%20compensar%20el%20d
esequilibro.