FREE ESSAY ON STUDY OF PH

STUDY OF PH

The Study of pH
pH is the measure of H+ (a proton) a concentration of a solution. In order to understand
pH, a scale has been designed, this scale ranges from 0 to 14. Anything from 0 to 6.99 is
acidic, a substance that increases hydrogen ions concentration in a solution, such as
lemon juice. If the scale ranges from 8 to 14 would be determined as a basic solution, a
substance that reduces the hydrogen ions concentration in a solution, an example of this
would be ammonia. If the solution concentrate has a pH of 7 this would be neutral, such
as pure water. Although pH can be determined in various ways, the most common ways to
indicate pH are by using indicator papers. One type of paper is called litmus paper, this
paper merely tells you whether it is acidic or basic, it does not establish what the pH
may be. pH paper, which is another type you may use, can actually approximate the actual
pH of a solution. 
pH measure is important to many biologists in order to study the effects an acidic
solution may do to the environment. For example, as stated in, Biology the 4th edition
book (p. 50), "Some scientists have observed and experimented and confirmed that acid
precipitation is harming both terrestrial and fresh water Eco systems." I attempted to
experiment with some solutions, I used lemon juice, antacid, coke , aspirin, and ammonia.
I believe that lemon juice and ammonia are strong solutions so they will be acidic. The
remaining solutions I believe will be basic.
Determining pH
The prepared solutions were filled in a beaker and placed on a counter top for the
purpose of experimentation. I used red and blue litmus paper to determine whether the
solution was a base or an acid. Before starting my experiment I recorded my test
substances I would be using, I tore of a small piece of blue litmus paper and dipped into
my solution number one a recorded the color. I repeated this step and recorded the colors
as I went along to each different solution. I then preformed the same experiment with my
red litmus paper. This paper determines the approximate pH of a solution. I dipped the
paper in each of the solutions and recorded the color and I then compared the color to
the pH color key code, which establishes the pH.
Results 
Solution No. Solution Litmus TestBlue/ Red pHydrionpH pH bypH meter
1 Lemon Juice R - R 1 2.58
2 Coke R - R 3 3.00
3 Aspirin R - R 3 3.02
4 Antacid B - B 8 8.59
5 Ammonia B - B 7 9.33
Conclusion
As stated above in my hypothesis the lemon juice did turn out to be acidic, although the
ammonia actually turned out to be a basic solution. Coke and Aspirin were determined to
be acidic and ammonia and antacid turned out to be basic solutions. The experiments
coincided with each other, the blue litmus paper said antacid and ammonia are basic and
the remaining solutions lemon juice, coke and aspirin were acidic. The red paper, which
determines the pH more approximately also, determined the same results.
References
Campbell, Neil A. Biology 4th edition, The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc.,
California.
DeYoe, Hudson R. ed. General Biology Lab Manual 3rd edition, Kendall/Hunt Publishing
Company, Iowa. pp. 37-39.