CH 2: General Chemistry Laboratory

Department of Chemistry
Ateneo de Manila University

Experiment 9:
pH OF COMMON SUBSTANCES AND COMPOUNDS
URGENT TO BRING:
GROUP = those sharing the same sink):
Please bring small amounts of the following
(ideally liquid and colorless):
Feminine wash, sprite/7-up, vinegar, sugar, calamansi juice, shampoo, detergent etc.
INDIVIDUAL
One common household item not in the list
OVERVIEW

any advertisements today use

the term pH, usually
accompanied by the suggestion
that the pH of the advertised product is
controlled and, therefore, the product is
mild and safe to use. Maynilad Water and
the University pools use pH to tell if there
is enough chlorine to make water safe.
Farmers, food corporations and sugar
companies use pH to see if the soil they
grow on food on is right for the crop. Dole,
DelMonte, Lipton, Coca-Cola, Pepsi,
Magnolia, Nestle and so many more
carefully control the pH of their teas, soft
drinks, and fruit juices. Datu Puti, Silver

Swan and others must monitor the pH of

their vinegar.
The pH scale takes its name from
the words potential of hydrogen. It is a
scale used to measure the acidity or
alkalinity of a solution. The pH scale uses a
range from 0 to 14, with 7.0 indicating
neutrality. Numbers beginning at 7.0 and
moving toward 0 indicate acidity, while the
numbers beginning at 7.0 and moving
toward 14 indicate alkalinity, so the scale
divides acids from bases. We owe the
concept of pH to Danish chemist S. P. L.
Srensen, who introduced it in 1909

INTRODUCTION

hat does the term pH mean? The

term pH is a measure used to
indicate just how acidic a substance or a mixture is. It is defined mathe-

matically as the negative logarithm of the

hydrogen (hydronium) ion concentration. The
basis for the pH scale is the ionization of
water.
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CH 2: General Chemistry Laboratory

Department of Chemistry
Ateneo de Manila University

Water ionizes according to the equation:

H3 O

2 H2 O

OH

The case of pure water, the concentration of

the hydronium ion (and the hydroxide ion) is
0.0000001 M (molar or moles per liter) or 1 x
10-7 M. To simplify and avoid writing down
very small numbers or exponents we can use
the definition of the term pH to obtain the
[H3O+], M

pH

[OH-_], M

pOH

1 x 100

1 x 10-14

14

1 x 10-1

1 x 10-13

13

1 x 10-2

1 x 10-12

12

1 x 10-3

1 x 10-11

11

1 x 10-4

1 x 10-10

10

1 x 10-5

1 x 10-9

1 x 10-6

1 x 10-8

1 x 10-7

1 x 10-7

1 x 10-8

1 x 10-6

1 x 10-9

1 x 10-5

1 x 10-10

10

1 x 10-4

1 x 10-11

11

1 x 10-3

1 x 10-12

12

1 x 10-2

1 x 10-13

13

1 x 10-1

1 x 10-14

14

1 x 100

METHODOLOGY
Apparatus required

Test tubes

Reagents needed
Hydrochloric acid (HCl) solutions:
1 x 10-1 1 x 10-2 1 x 10-3
10-4

10-5

0.01 M

pH
pH is a measure
used to indicate just
how acidic a
substance or a
mixture or the
negative logarithm
of the hydrogen ion
concentration.

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solutions:

1 x 10-1 1 x 10-2 1 x 10-3
1 x 10-4

10-6

1x
1x
1x
Sodium chloride (NaCl) solution

value of 7 for both the

pH and pOH of pure
water. The relationship
between pH and
hydrogen ion concentration and pOH and
hydroxide ion concentration is shown at
right.

1 x 10-5

1 x 10-6

Wide range indicator

Test solutions (to be announced by the
Instructor)

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CH 2: General Chemistry Laboratory

Department of Chemistry
Ateneo de Manila University
To be brought by the students
GROUP = those sharing the same sink:
small amounts of colorless liquids such as: Feminine wash, sprite/7-up, vinegar, sugar, calamansi juice,
shampoo, detergent etc.
INDIVIDUAL One common household item not listed

HYDROCHLORIC ACID and SODIUM HYDROXIDE

are VERY CORROSIVE.
Do not SPILL or SPLASH. If you get any on your hands,
RINSE IMMEDIATELY and CALL THE INTRUCTOR.
IF YOU SPILL, CALL THE INTRUCTOR.

VIDEO to WATCH

Colorful Chemistry of Acids and Bases

http://youtu.be/Ko5iDMYzwWE
Pretty cool science from MIT!
Watch this its all about acids and bases!
pH Level Experiment using Household Items
http://youtu.be/Mt1A8uewjvs
A chemistry teacher tests pH at home using Red Cabbage juice. His son is great!
Chemistry Facts: What Does Ph Stand For?
http://www.ehow.co.uk/video_4958904_chemistry-facts-what-does-ph.html
A simple discussion of pH and litmus and rec cabbage as an indicator
Look at the related videos too on acid and bases and indicators. Clear and interesting and short
Good website to visit:

About.com: pH of Common Chemicals / Acids & Bases

http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/phtable.htm
Acids, Bases and pH / Learn about Acids and Bases
http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbase1/tp/Acids-Bases-And-Ph.htm

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CH 2: General Chemistry Laboratory

Department of Chemistry
Ateneo de Manila University

Experiment 9:
pH OF COMMON SUBSTANCES AND COMPOUNDS
Name _____________________________
Locker # __________ Table No._______

Section __________________
Date ____________________

OBSERVATIONS
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
DATA and RESULTS
Table 1. pH of Standard Solutions
[H3O+] (M)

[OH-] (M)

pH

Color

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CH 2: General Chemistry Laboratory

Department of Chemistry
Ateneo de Manila University

Table 2. pH of Common Substances and Mixtures.

QUESTIONS
1. What is an indicator? What is it made of?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
2. How does acidity or basicity cause the change
in color of indicators?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
3. If you are given a colored substance as a
sample, how would you measure the pH of that
sample?
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________

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