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How do Biological Buffers change pH When An Acid or Base is Added?

Reece Rizzetta

Chapin High School

Honors Anatomy

Mrs. Latham

September 6, 2017
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Introduction

Buffers are molecules that give or receive protons in order to counterattack changes in

pH. The purpose of biological buffers is so control pH in the body so enzymes do not

lose their shape and become useless. Acids or bases are what cause changes in pH, in

this lab, the acid is HCl and the base is NaOH. The controlled variables are the buffers

used or the substances that the acid or base was put into, these would be: Tap Water,

Sodium Bicarbonate, Buffer with a pH of 7 and Living Tissue (Liver). The independent

variable was the number of drops of acid or base that was put into the substance while

the dependent variable was the change in pH. The purpose of this lab is to demonstrate

how buffers resist changes in pH. If an acid or base is added to a buffer then there will

be little to no change in pH. An example of a biological buffer in the human body is

HCO3-. Ketones are produced whenever there is too much sugar in the blood, they are

naturally acidic causing a drop in pH in someones blood due to the release of an H+

molecule. They are countered by HCO3- to make H2CO3, that way the pH can stay

placed but sometimes the body cannot keep up with the amount of ketones causing

ketoacidosis which may lead to death.

Materials and Methods

Materials should be in a list that is in alphabetical order. Your procedures should be

written in paragraph form and in steps that are easy to repeat! You should show that

you are including a control group!


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Materials

50 mL beaker

0.1 M NaOH

0.1 M HCl

buffer solution

forceps

graduated cylinder

living tissue

pH paper

Sodium Bicarbonate solution

Tap water

Procedure

In this lab, the change in pH will be measured by adding an acid or base to a

substance. To start, pour 20 mL of each test substance into a beaker. Measure the

initial pH of the substance. Record the results in Table 1, which consist on the

substances, whether HCl or NaOH is used, the number of drops in a 5 drop increment

until 30 drops is reached and lastly the total change in pH per substance. After the

initial pH is recorded add one drop of 0.1M HCl or NaOH and swirl after each drop,

check and record the pH of each substance after 5 drops until 30 drops are reached

then record the total change in pH for each substance. Clean the beakers and repeat

the steps again with the other chemical not used (either HCl or NaOH)
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Results

Your data tables should go first, then calculations (show the formulas used and your

work) and your graphs (from EXCEL) should be inserted last. Your graphs should have

a meaningful title, each axis labeled, and a key if appropriate. Your data tables and

graphs must include a title, a description (including figure numbers).

Change in pH using NaOH Data Table

Total

NaOH 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Change

Tap Water 7 7 8 9 9 10 10 3

Buffer 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 0

Sodium

Bicarbona

te 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 0

Living

Tissue 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 0

Change in pH using HCL Data Table

Total

HCl 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Change

Tap Water 7 6 6 5 4 3 3 4

Buffer 7 7 7 7 7 7 7 0

Sodium 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 0
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Bicarbona

te

Living

Tissue 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 0

Change in pH using NaOH Calculations:

Final - Initial = Change

Tap Water: 10-7 = 3

Buffer: 7-7 = 0

Sodium Bicarbonate: 9-9 = 0

Living Tissue: 6-6 = 0

Change in HCl Calculations:

Initial - Final = Change

Tap Water: 7-3 = 4

Buffer: 7-7 = 0

Sodium Bicarbonate: 8-8 = 0

Living Tissue: 6-6 = 0

Average Change of Each Substance For All Groups:


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(Sum of pH changes per group/ number of groups + sum of pH changes per group for

other compound/ number /2)

Water: (4+3+2+4+5+4) / 6 = 3.6666667 + ((5+4+5+3+3+4) /6) /2 = 3.83333333

Buffer: (1+0+0+0+0+0) / 6 = .166666666 + ((1+1+0+0+0) /6) /2= .25

Sodium Bicarbonate: (1+1+0+0+0+0) / 6 = .333 + ((1+1+0+0+0+0) /6) /2 = .33333

Living Tissue: (3+1+1+2+0+0) /6 = 1.166 + ((5+1+0+0+0+0) /6) /2 = 1.0833333


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Sodium

Water Buffer Bicarbonate Liver

3.833333333 0.25 0.4166666667 1.083333333


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Discussion

You should refer to the hypothesis (accept or reject it) and use your data (i.e. figure #3

shows) for support. Include the reason you reject or fail to reject your hypothesis(es)

(i.e. statistical data). You also need to include potential problems with the lab and how

the lab could be improved! HUMAN ERROR is not sufficient for this section. A

description of human error would suffice (i.e. incorrect measuring,). REMEMBER NOT

TO USE THE WORDS I, WE, ME, MY, OUR

The hypothesis, if an acid or base is added to liver (buffer) then there will be little to no

change in pH, was correct. This can be seen in the first 2 sets of data, change in pH

using HCl and NaOH. Both sets of data show how neither acid or base changed the pH

of the living tissue, while in both sets of data, the water which contained no buffers saw
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changes in pH. The purpose of this lab was to show how biological buffers help

maintain pH so enzymes in the human body can properly function. The response of the

living tissue to the addition of acid and base was more similar to the buffer solutions

because the buffer solution had no change in pH just like the living tissue whereas the

water displayed chances in pH. Buffers are a combination of a weak acid and a

conjugate base or vice versa. This is why the solution worked so well is because it

soaks up the extra H or OH molecule which counters the extra acid or base. What was

learned in this lab was that the human body uses buffers to regulate pH. Regulating pH

is important because without it the human body could not properly function. Enzymes

would begin to become deformed and not be able to do its job and the body could not

performs its reactions fast enough causing possible death. An example of buffers

maintaining homeostasis, is when the body releases ketones, which let out an H+

molecule making the blood acidic, buffers release HCO3- which counteracts the H+

molecule maintaining the pH of the blood but without these buffers the blood would

become too acidic causing ketoacidosis which can lead to death.


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WORKS CITED

Chaudhuri, J., Dr. (n.d.). Ketone Body Metabolism. Retrieved September 8, 2017, from

http://srmuniv.ac.in/sites/default/files/files/KETONEBODYMETABOLISM.pdf

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