The Titration of Apple Juice and Pineapple Juice with

Sodium Hydroxide to Determine the Acidity Levels

Mackenzie Nitz, Paige Showers, and Darius Willis

Macomb Mathematics Science Technology Center

Honors Chemistry

Section 10B

Mrs. Hilliard, Mr. Supal, Mrs. Kincaid Dewey

24 May 2017
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Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………….....2

Review of Literature………………………………………………………......4

Problem Statement…………………………...……………………………...11

Experimental Design…………………………...…………………………....13

Data and Observations…………………………...………………….…...…16

Data Analysis and Interpretation………………………………...…….…...26

Conclusion…………………………………………………………..…...…...35

Acknowledgements.……………………………………………………….....38

Appendix A: Sample Calculations……………………………………...…..39

Appendix B: Logger Pro……………………...…………………………...…42

Works Cited…………………………………………….………………..........43

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Introduction

More than two-hundred thousand cases of acidosis are reported in the United

States each year, and more than fifteen million adults suffer daily from heartburn. Juices

containing a high acidity level are potentially hazardous to the health of people with

acidosis. Calculating the molarity of various juices is critical when trying to decipher

which beverages are safe to consume on a daily basis. This experiment was performed

to determine which juice, pineapple or apple, is better to consume for those who have a

low tolerance for acidic beverages. It was hypothesized that the pineapple juice would

be more acidic than the apple juice.

The titration of the apple and pineapple juices was performed to determine how

acidic each juice is by finding the volume of sodium hydroxide, a strong base,

necessary to neutralize the juice. The volume of sodium hydroxide at the equivalence

point was used to find the molarity of acid in the juices, which would indicate the acidity

level. The pineapple juice required a higher volume of 1.0 M sodium hydroxide solution

to neutralize the acid in the juice, meaning it was more acidic. After the molarities were

found, a two-sample t test confirmed the hypothesis that was formed.

The acidity of beverages is important to consider in everyday life due to the

various health problems presented by beverages containing a high acidity level. These

health problems include acidosis, which produces symptoms such as heartburn and

acid reflux. If issues caused by consuming an abundance of acid were more well

known, it is likely that people would purchase less acidic juices as a healthier option.

Drinking low acidity level juices such as apple juice, or diluting acidic beverages with

water to lower the acidity could help combat issues caused by a high acid diet. Gaining

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knowledge on determining which juices are healthy choices contributes to the health of

a large group of adults who suffer from the effects from the over-consumption of acid.

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Review of Literature

The purpose of this lab is to determine the concentration of acid in juice

beverages such as pineapple juice and apple juice using titration. These beverages

contain citric and malic acid, which have weak acidity levels. The amount of acid in

these juices will be found by using phenolphthalein as an acid-base indicator along with

sodium hydroxide solution to neutralize the acid in the juice, as the sodium hydroxide is

a base. The data found using titration will be analyzed to discover the concentration of

acid in the given beverage. The topics that will be further explored during this research

project will be titration, the science behind acids and bases, and how the pH of different

substances affects their acidity.

This experiment uses titration to determine the concentration of acid in juices.

Understanding pH and indicators is necessary to understand titration. Indicators are

used to determine if a solution is an acid or base by changing the color of the solution.

There are many different types of indicators such as phenolphthalein (weak acid),

cabbage juice, litmus (weak acid), methyl orange, and bromothymol blue. In the

experiment, phenolphthalein will be used as an indicator to calculate the equivalence

point. Once the equivalence point, or point of neutralization between the acid and base,

is reached, the volume of sodium hydroxide can be used to calculate the

concentration/acidity of the juice. With the help of phenolphthalein and the pH scale, the

results of the titration can be used to find the concentration of a base or an acid. The pH

scale is a negative logarithm scale meaning that for every one unit decrease on the pH

scale, the concentration of H+ increases by a factor of ten. The scale rates acids and

bases one to fourteen; acids are rated less than seven, bases are rated greater than

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seven, and seven means that the solution is neutral. The pH scale is pictured in Figure

1.

hhttps://cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/636594447202648065/1240/10/scaletowidt

Figure 1. The pH Scale

The primary acid found in the apple juice is malic acid, while the primary acid

found in the pineapple juice is citric acid. The concentration of these acids in the juices

will be tested for in this experiment.

Phenolphthalein is an acid-base indicator that changes color when a change in

the pH level of a substance is detected. When the pH of a given substance reached a

level greater than eight, a light pink color will begin to appear. The intensity of the pink

increases as the pH level increases. The color of the solution after the phenolphthalein

is put in can also help determine how acidic or basic the solution is. The color changes

most rapidly when it reaches the equivalence point. In this experiment, the

phenolphthalein will be added into pineapple and apple juice, and based on the acidity

of the given juice the phenolphthalein will turn to various shades of pink. The

phenolphthalein scale can be seen in Figure 2.

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http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c123/indicator.html

Figure 2. The Phenolphthalein Indicator Scale

Acids in varying concentrations are found in fruit juices, such as apple and

pineapple juice. The concentration of acidity will be tested for in samples of pineapple

juice and apple juice using different amounts of the base sodium hydroxide. Solutions

become acidic when water is split apart and the hydrogen ion combines with negatively

charged elements. Acids are ionic compounds, which means that they contain both a

positively charged and a negatively charged ion. Bases are molecules that can split

apart in water and release hydroxide ions. The concentration of hydroxide ions in a

basic solution determines the strength of the base.

To find the concentration of the acid and the pH of the juice, titration will be

performed. Titration is the addition of an acid to a base or vise versa to the point of

neutralization. The setup of a titration lab is shown in Figure 4. In the buret will be the

titrant, sodium hydroxide and in the flask will be the analyte, the juices combined with

the phenolphthalein. Appendix A, Figure 1, shows how the dilution of the sodium

hydroxide was calculated.

The control that will be used for the lab is the average amount of pH that can be

found in pineapple and apple juices. The average pH level for apple juice ranges from

2.9 to 3.3 on the pH scale, and pineapple juice has a pH of about 3.5 on average. In the

lab, “Acidity of Beverages,” the initial pH of the pineapple juice that they used was 3.65

(Acidity). In this lab, one milliliter of sodium hydroxide was added to every trial, and in

result the pH level steadily increased. Overall, the average level of pH for pineapple out

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of all forty-one trials that they ran was approximately 7.66. From these results, it can be

concluded that an increase in volume of NaOH resulted in an increase in pH level.

In the beaker will be the analyte of the experiment, the juice, and the indicator,

phenolphthalein. The titrant will be added in drops to the analyte until the acid and base

have an equal mole ratio. When this point of neutralization, known as the equivalence

point, is reached the phenolphthalein will react and turn the mixture pink. The

phenolphthalein turns pink in the presence of a base, or at the neutralization point, due

to a structural change to the molecule's structure. When the phenolphthalein is in an

acid, as it begins in the juice, it’s structure has a central five membered ring. However,

when the acid is neutralized by a base, such as sodium hydroxide, the middle of the

structure opens up because a hydrogen atom is lost and the molecule’s shape becomes

more flat. The structure of the phenolphthalein molecule before and after neutralization

is shown in Figure 3.

http://www.digipac.ca/chemical/mtom/contents/chapter3/phenolphthalein.htm

Figure 3. Phenolphthalein Before Equivalence Point and at Equivalence Point

In Figure 3 above, the open structure gives more freedom to the electrons and

allows the spectrum that the molecule can absorb to transmit red light. This ability to

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transmit red light allows the color of the phenolphthalein and the mixture it is in to

appear reddish-pink.

Understanding titration is a very important part in comprehending this

experiment, as all results are found by conducting titration.

http://sachiacidbase.weebly.com/titrations.html

Figure 4. Titration Experimental Setup

As the titration is occurring, the data being measured will be entered into a graph,

known as a titration curve. A titration curve is a graph on the effect of the ratio between

the pH value and the volume of the titrant, sodium hydroxide. This type of graph has a

few distinguishing factors. The first is the actual curve of the graph as shown in Figure

5, (titration curve of pineapple from “Acidity of Beverages” lab) which has a very distinct

shape.

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Figure 5. Titration Curve

All titration curves will also have the independent variable or x-axis as the

amount of the titrant and the dependent variable or y-axis as the pH value of the

solution. It is easy to determine the equivalence point using a titration curve. The

equivalence point is easily identified as the point where the pH is at seven, or where it is

neither an acid nor base (neutral). The equivalence point is labeled on Figure 5, as well

as the end point. In order for one to understand not only how to perform titration, but to

accurately analyze the results, titration curves must be fully understood and created

with precision. The equation shown in Appendix A, Figure 2, will be used to calculate

the molarity of the juice, so that the concentration of the acid can be found.

In the labs, “Determining the Phosphoric Acid Content in Soft Drinks” conducted

by Vernier Software and Technology and “Acidity in Beverages” conducted by Flinn

Scientific Incorporated, a similar experiment was executed and researched. Many

differences can be noted between the two labs mentioned and in this lab that will be

conducted. In the “Determining the Phosphoric Acid Content in Soft Drinks” lab, soft

drinks such as decarbonated soda were tested with sodium hydroxide to decipher their

level of phosphoric acid, whereas in the lab that will be conducted by this research

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group, pineapple juice will be tested using sodium hydroxide to determine the acidity of

the juice using the pH scale. In the other lab analyzed, “Acidity in Beverages,” white

grape juice, pineapple juice, and orange juice was tested for their acidity, while in this

lab pineapple juice and apple juice will be used. Clearly, this experiment will not be

conducted exactly as those it was based off of, as the differences have been pointed

out here, but will loosely be structured off of them.

In addition to the differences detected between the lab that will be researched by

this group and the two alternative labs done by others there were similarities detected

as well. Some of these similarities include using the same one of the same beverages,

pineapple juice, as well as testing for acidity using the method of titration. Also, this lab

will use phenolphthalein as the acid-base indicator as did the “Acidity in Beverages” lab.

In both of these labs and the one being conducted now, a pH sensor is used to

determine the pH.

In conclusion, this lab will incorporate the concepts of acids and bases, pH, and

titration. Based on the results of other labs conducted, an increased volume of NaOH

should result in an increased level of pH. To recap, the acid-base indicator of

phenolphthalein will be added to the juice being used, either pineapple or apple, and

then various concentrations of sodium hydroxide, or NaOH, will be added. Then, the pH

level based on the concentration of acid in the juice will be determined using a pH

sensor, attached to a Logger Pro.

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Problem Statement

Problem Statement:

To determine the molarity of the acids in both pineapple and apple juice to decide

the pH level through the titration of 1.0 M sodium hydroxide until the equivalence point

is reached.

Hypothesis:

The pineapple juice will have a higher pH level than the apple juice once the

titration process is complete. The pineapple juice will require a higher volume of sodium

hydroxide to reach neutralization because it will have a higher concentration of acidity

than that of the apple juice.

Data Measured:

The volume of 1.0 M sodium hydroxide will be measured in milliliters, and the

acidity levels of the pineapple and apple juice will be measured using a pH sensor. The

independent variable will be the varying amount of sodium hydroxide that will be added

to the juice and phenolphthalein indicator. The dependent variable is the pH of the juice

based on the acidity. The juice being tested will be put into a 500 milliliter beaker and

the phenolphthalein acid-base indicator will be added to the juice sample. This allows

the juice to change color when a titrant is added. After the acid-base indicator is added,

various quantities of sodium hydroxide, a base, will be added to the juice. The juice will

then experience a change in color, and a pH sensor will be used to determine the pH

level of the juice. This process will be repeated with the alternate juice, and the data will

be collected to perform the titration. To analyze the data, a two sample t-test will be

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conducted to compare the results of the treatment, sodium hydroxide, on both of the

juices.

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Experimental Design

Materials:

500 mL Beaker 40 g Sodium hydroxide, NaOH, 1.0 M

1000 mLBeaker Sensor clamp
100 mL Graduated Cylinder Support stand
50 mL Buret Buret clamp
5 mL Pipet Scoopula
Logger Pro 4 oz Filter Funnel
pH probe Buchner Funnel
Vernier LabQuest 1 gal Distilled Water
Flash Drive 1.5 L Dole 100% Pineapple juice
2 oz Phenolphthalein indicator solution 1.5 L Meijer’s 100% Apple juice

Procedure:

1. Set up the support stand and using buret clamp, attach buret to stand.

2. Unscrew the lid of the sodium hydroxide solution by rotating lid counterclockwise.

3. Slowly fill the buret by placing funnel into buret and slowly pouring into funnel
until the 0 mL mark is reached.

4. Slowly pour 100 mL of juice being used into the graduated cylinder.

5. Pour juice from graduated cylinder into 500 mL beaker.

6. Insert pipet into phenolphthalein bottle and squeeze until the liquid has filled the
pipet then release the grip on the upper part.

7. Add 5 drops of the phenolphthalein indicator into the beaker containing the
juice by squeezing the pipet until five drops fall into juice.

8. Place the beaker containing the phenolphthalein indicator and juice directly
under the buret.

9. Put the pH probe in the juice and attach to sensor clamp.

10. Rotate stopcock on the buret one time and record volume of NaOH solution
shown on the buret on LoggerPro as described in Appendix B.

11. Repeat Step 10 until the graph on the Logger Pro appears to have an ‘S’ shape.

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12. Determine the equivalence point of the juice by using the pH probe connected to
the Logger Pro. If unsure how to use Logger Pro or using for the first time, visit
Appendix B for instructions.

13. Remove the pH probe and collect the data shown on the Logger Pro.

14. Pour juice solution into the sink and rinse glassware with sink water as well as
pH sensor with distilled water for the next trial.

15. Record results in a data table and observations in an observations table.

16. Repeat steps 1-15 until desired number of trials are complete.

Diagram:

Figure 6. Materials

In Figure 6, all materials used for this experiment are shown.

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Figure 7. Titration Setup

In Figure 7, a photo of the titration setup is shown. In the photo is the buret, buret

clamp, ring stand, sensor clamp, beaker, and pH sensor, all used in the titration

process.

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Data and Observations

This experiment includes the titration of apple and pineapple juice using a

sodium hydroxide solution. During experimentation, the volume of sodium hydroxide

that was added to the juices at the equivalence point was recorded. Using this volume,

the molarity of the malic acid in the apple juice and the citric acid in the pineapple juice

was then calculated and put into a data table along with the volume, as shown in Tables

1 and 3.

Table 1
Volume of NaOH and Molarity of Apple Juice
Apple

Volume of 1.0 M Molarity of Malic

Trial NaOH Added Acid in Juice
(mL) (M)

1 4.50 0.045

2 4.90 0.049

3 4.00 0.040

4 5.00 0.050

5 4.00 0.040

6 4.50 0.045

7 4.30 0.043

8 4.10 0.041

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9 4.20 0.042

10 4.60 0.046

11 4.40 0.044

12 4.10 0.041

13 4.20 0.042

14 4.20 0.042

15 4.10 0.041

Avg. 4.30 0.043

Table 1 shows the data collected for the apple juice trials. The highest molarity

was 0.05 M and the lowest was 0.040 M, giving a range of 0.010 M. The average

molarity of the apple juice was 0.0434 M. The average molarity of the apple juice is

about 0.0531 M lower than that of the pineapple juice molarity, meaning that the

pineapple juice is more acidic than the apple juice.

Table 2
Observations of Apple Juice Titration

Apple

Trial Observations

1 Pink/orange to dark pink to red.

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2 Turned pink slowly, then to light red.

Turned pink quickly then bright red.

3

4 Turned pink then red.

5 Quickly turned pink then deep red.

6 Turned pink then red.

7 Changed quickly to pink then transparent dark red.

8 Turned light red then deeper red.

9 Turned light red quickly then to deep red.

10 Gradually turned light red then red.

11 Turned red then darker red.

12 Turned light pinkish/red then red.

13 Quickly turned light red then darker red.

14 Turned red then deeper red.

15 Turned red quickly then clearer red.

Table 2 shows the observations made for the apple juice trials. The apple juice

tended to turn to red quicker than the pineapple juice.

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Table 3
Volume of NaOH and Molarity of Pineapple Juice
Pineapple

Volume of
Molarity of Citric
1.0 M NaOH
Trial Acid in Juice
Added
(M)
(mL)

1 9.10 0.091

2 10.00 0.100

3 8.90 0.089

4 10.30 0.103

5 10.10 0.101

6 9.30 0.093

7 9.90 0.099

8 9.60 0.096

9 9.80 0.098

10 9.70 0.097

11 10.50 0.105

12 9.50 0.095

13 9.30 0.093

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14 9.20 0.092

15 9.60 0.096

Avg. 9.70 0.097

Table 3 shows the data that was collected for the pineapple juice trials. The

highest found molarity for the pineapple juice was 0.105 M, and the lowest was 0.089

M, giving a range of 0.016. The average molarity for the pineapple juice was 0.0965 M.

The molarities for the pineapple juice were high, meaning that the pineapple juice is

relatively acidic.

Table 4
Observations of Apple Juice Titration
Pineapple

Trial Observations

1 Started pinkish and ended darker red.

2 Gradually turned light pink then red.

3 Turned murky pink then pinkish-red then red.

4 Slowly changed to pink then darker.

5 Turned pink then bright red/pink.

6 Turned pink slowly then to light red.

7 Gradually turned light pink then red.

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8 Slowly turned pink then red.

9 Turned pink slowly, then to light red to clearer light red.

10 Gradually turned light pink then murky red.

11 Turned light red then foggy red.

12 Slowly turned light red then darker.

13 Slowly turned murky red then solid light red to red.

14 Turned light red then darker.

15 Turned red then deeper red.

Table 4 shows the observations made during each of the pineapple trials. The

characteristics of the pineapple juice during each of the trials were relatively consistent,

with the juice changing colors gradually from the bright yellow of the pineapple juice to a

murky light red due to the phenolphthalein.

Figure 8. Apple Titration Curve

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Figure 8 shows the s-shaped titration curve for one of the apple juice trials. See

Appendix A, Figure 2 for the molarity calculation.

Figure 9. Pineapple Titration Curve

Figure 9 shows the s-shaped titration curve for one of the pineapple juice trials.

Figure 10. Apple Derivative Titration Curve

Figure 10 shows the derivative titration curve for one of the apple juice trials. The

equivalence point is represented by the highest point on the curve.

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Figure 11. Pineapple Derivative Titration Curve

Figure 11 shows the derivative titration curve for one of the pineapple juice trials.

The highest data point on the curve represents the equivalence point of this particular

trial.

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Figure 12. Juice Before Titration

Figure 12 shows the juice before the titration was completed. The color begins as

a clear-yellow shade and will change throughout the titration process.

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Figure 13. Juice After Titration

Figure 13 shows the juice after the titration was completed. The color ends as a

clear pink-red shade. This change occurred because the phenolphthalein reacted to the

change from an acid to a base.

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Data Analysis and Interpretation

Introduction:
In this experiment, titration was used to determine the molarity of apple juice and

pineapple juice. The titrant of the experiment is sodium hydroxide (NaOH), and the

analytes of the experiment are the juices. By inserting data points that recorded both the

volume of NaOH added and the pH of the juice into a Logger Pro, a derivative graph

was created that would calculate the volume of NaOH added at the equivalence point.

Using this volume, the molarity of the juices was then calculated and compared. The

units used were milliliters (mL) to measure the volume of sodium hydroxide solution,

and M, which is molarity.

A two-sample t test which compares two sample means to each other and does

not require σ, or the population standard deviation to be known was used for this

experiment. A two-sample t test would be an appropriate statistical test for this

experiment because the molarities of the apple and pineapple juice, which are samples

from two independent populations, are being compared to each other. When choosing

the type of statistical test, it was also important that the population standard deviation

did not need to be known, because neither the molarity of the pineapple or apple juice

had a standard known value. Also chosen to analyze the data collected was a

descriptive analysis. This was chosen to be completed along with a two-sample t test

because the number of trials was limited so it was important to ensure that the data was

uniform enough to conduct a statistical test with.

This data is known to be reliable as well as valid for a few reasons. First was

control. The experimental design was followed exactly for every trial and was executed

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in consistent conditions with the same researchers executing the same steps every trial.

There was also a control in each trial, the amount of juice, that remained the exact

same for each trial. The second reason this data is known to be reliable is the repetition

that occurred through conducting many sets of trials. The last reason is the

randomization that was completed to ensure that the data would not have lurking

variables. Randomization, completed on a calculator, was used to determine the order

of the trials. The control, repetition, and randomization that occurred while collecting this

data was done to best certify that this data is reliable and valuable.

Descriptive:

The descriptive portion analyzes the reliability of the data collected from the

experiment. The assumptions that must be met before performing a statistical test were

checked to check for normalcy amongst the data. A boxplot and normal probability plots

were also created to eradicate the possibility of the presence of outliers or unreliable

data.

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Figure 14. Box Plot

Figure 14 shows a boxplot of the molarities of both of the juices in comparison to

each other. The pineapple juice data is shown on the upper half of the plot and the

apple juice data on the lower half of the plot. Clearly, the pineapple juice consistently

had a higher molarity than the apple juice. The pineapple juice averaged a higher

molarity of 0.054 molarity, found by subtracting the average molarity of the apple juice

from the average molarity of the pineapple juice. The distribution of the apple juice was

found to be right skewed, meaning that the tail of the box plot is on the right. The range

of the apple juice molarities is 0.01 M.The distribution of the pineapple juice molarity

was found to be fairly symmetric and the range was found to be 0.016. Neither of the

ranges are very large, considering the differences between the two sets of data. This

also supports the statement that the data was consistent because the trials varied very

little in volume. Neither of these datasets have any outliers, which prove that the data is

fairly and the conduction of the experimental design was consistent.

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Figure 15. Apple Juice Normal Probability Plot

Figure 15 above displays the normal probability plot for the apple juice data. The

data on this normal probability plot which roughly forms a line suggests that the sample

data comes from a normal population.

Figure 16. Pineapple Juice Normal Probability Plot

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Figure 16 above displays the normal probability plot for the pineapple juice data.

The data on this normal probability plots forms almost a perfect line, with nearly every

point touching the line. This plot strongly suggests that the data comes from a normal

population.

Statistical Test:

Before conducting this two-sample t test, three assumptions must first be met.

The first condition is that the sample size must be greater than or equal to thirty or that

the sample can be qualified as normal through a graphing method. Since both sets of

data only included fifteen data points, it must first be shown that the data is normal

before one can continue any further in conducting a statistical test or analysis. By

looking at Figures 15 and 16, it can be concluded that both samples are normally

distributed. Another assumption that must be met is that the data has to come from two

simple random samples from two independent populations. The pineapple juice and the

apple juice are independent from each other due to the fact that they have no effect on

each other. The last assumption to be checked is that both samples are no more than

one tenth the size of their populations. While the exact amount of both apple and

pineapple juice in the world cannot be known, it can be safely reasoned that the liter

and a half of each juice used for the experiment is significantly less than one tenth of all

apple and pineapple juice in existence.

Ho: µ1 = µ2 Ha: µ1 < µ2

Figure 17. Null and Alternative Hypotheses

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Figure 17 shows the null hypothesis as well as the alternative hypothesis. The

null hypothesis, Ho, is that the average molarity of the apple juice will be equivalent to

that of the pineapple juice. The alternative hypothesis, Ha, is that the average molarity of

the apple juice will be less than the average molarity of the apple juice. The higher the

molarity of the juice, the more acidic it is.

To analyze the results of this experiment, a two-sample t test was conducted.

The test was conducted by plugging in the necessary values into the calculator function

and getting results, as shown in Table 5 below and also by plugging in the values into

the equation. The work done by hand gives the same results as the calculator function

and is shown in Appendix A, Figure 3.

Table 5
Two-Sample t Test Results

Table 5 shows the results of the two-sample t test that was ran to compare the

molarities of the pineapple juice and the apple juice. The null hypothesis, H o, is rejected

because the p-value of 0.0000 is less than the alpha level of 0.05. There is evidence

that the pineapple juice has a higher molarity than the apple juice on average, thus

making it more acidic than the apple juice. If the null hypothesis is true, that is if the true

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mean of the pineapple juice is equal to the true mean of the apple juice, there is about a

0.0000 percent chance that the pineapple juice will have an average molarity this much

greater than the average molarity of the apple juice by chance alone. Since these

results are so unlikely to occur by chance alone, it can be concluded that the pineapple

juice is more acidic than the apple juice.

In Table 5 above, the t-value of -37.5074 represents the amount of standard

deviations the p-value is away from the mean. The degrees of freedom, 24.6343,

represents the different distributions for each sample size. In this calculation, x̅1 is the

mean of the apple juice and it’s 0.0434. Also, x̅2 = 0.09653 is the pineapple juice mean.

Both of the x-bar values were found by adding together all of values for that juice and

dividing by fifteen, the total number of samples. Finally, the standard deviation for each

juice, sx1 and sx2, depicts the amount that the average juice molarity deviates from the

true mean. The standard deviations were calculated with a formula in Appendix A,

Figure 3. The denominator of the sample calculation is the standard deviation and is

explained in the anchor for the calculation. The standard deviation of the apple juice

was 0.00308 and 0.00454 for the pineapple juice meaning that on average, a trial for

apple deviates 0.00308 molarity from the mean molarity for the samples and that on

average, a trial for pineapple deviates 0.00454 molarity from the mean molarity for the

samples. The n-values for each is fifteen because that is the number of trials that were

run for both the apple and the pineapple juice.

Once the two-sample t test was conducted, a p-value graph was created. A p-

value graph visually shows the p-value that has been calculated by symmetrically

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shading the area under the curve that will equal the p-value. The p-value graph found

for this set of data is shown below in Figure 18.

Figure 18. P-Value Graph

Figure 18 shows the p-value graph for the two-sample t test conducted. Since no

shading is visible at tail ends of the curve, it is almost impossible that the null

hypothesis, that pineapple and the apple juice are equally acidic, is true.

Interpretation:

Through conducting the descriptive analysis and a two-sample t test, many

conclusions were made. By administering the descriptive analysis and creating the

boxplot of the data and the normal probability plots of both samples, a few observations

were made. By looking at the box plot, it is clearly shown that the acid in the pineapple

juice has a much higher molarity than the acid in the apple juice. This supports the null

hypothesis that the pineapple juice would be more acidic than the apple juice. Both of

the normal probability plots are used to prove the fact that the data is normal. Since

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both data sets roughly form a linear pattern with strong correlation, it can be concluded

that both samples come from a population that is normally distributed.

From conducting the two-sample t test, the original hypothesis of the experiment

was proved to be true. The conduction of the statistical test rejected the null hypothesis

because it was found that there was a 0.0000 percent chance of the results having a

difference this extreme. There was significant evidence within the data that the

pineapple juice is indeed more acidic than the apple juice because of the higher

molarity. Since results this extreme are so unlikely to occur by chance alone, it can be

concluded that the pineapple juice is more acidic than the apple juice. This supports the

hypothesis of the experiment that the pineapple juice will have a higher molarity and will

be more acidic than the apple juice.

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Conclusion

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the molarity of the acids in

apple juice and pineapple juice by method of titration to establish which juice has the

lowest level of acid. The hypothesis of the experiment was that the pineapple juice

would have a higher pH than the apple juice, meaning that it would take a greater

number of moles of sodium hydroxide solution to reach the equivalence point in

pineapple juice than in apple juice.

The data supports the hypothesis and was accepted. The two-sample t test

validates that the pineapple juice had an average molarity significantly larger than the

average molarity of the apple juice. The volume at the equivalence point was used to

find the molarity of acid in the juices, which would indicate the acid content. At the

equivalence point, an average volume of 4.340 milliliters of sodium hydroxide was

added to the apple juice and 9.653 milliliters to the pineapple juice. The citric acid in the

pineapple juice required a substantial amount of sodium hydroxide solution as a result

of its high concentration of acid. Therefore the apple juice is a better option when

attempting to prevent acidosis as opposed to the pineapple juice due to the lower

amount of acidity that it contains.

The titration curve for the apple juice indicates that the malic acid is weaker than

the citric acid due to the placement of the start of the curve. Since the titration curve for

the apple juice begins higher on the y-axis than the pineapple juice titration curve, it can

be concluded that the pineapple juice is the stronger acid. The y-axis represents the pH

of the juice and a higher pH indicates a weaker solution. Also, it can be seen in the

titration curve that the pineapple juice took more of the base to neutralize because the

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middle region of the titration curve for the pineapple juice is longer than the middle

region of the titration curve for the apple juice. Since the the center of the titration curve

represents the equivalence point of the juice, it can be seen the pineapple juice required

more sodium hydroxide to neutralize the acid it contained. These observations allow the

conclusion that the pineapple juice is more acidic, therefore less healthy, to be made.

There were some minor errors during the execution of the experiment. Inaccurate

readings of the buret by roughly one tenth of a milliliter may have occurred resulting in

the wrong volume recorded for the equivalence point. An incorrect volume of sodium

hydroxide could have been entered into the Logger Pro and for some of the trials, there

were delays between the reading of the pH sensor and the recording of the volume of

sodium hydroxide. These errors could have impacted the results for the equivalence

point by making it either too high or too low due to incorrect entries.

As a whole, this experiment was conducted well. Three factors, control,

randomization, and repetition, assured that it was run properly. The exact replication of

the setup and the use of the same amount of juice in each trial created consistency

shown throughout the data. The randomization of trials made sure that the results were

consistent considering that not all were run on the same day in the exact same

environment and reduced the chance of potential effects of the lurking variables. Lastly,

repetition was achieved by conducting multiple trials of each juice. Though

measurements and observations were done to the best of the experimenter's ability,

mistakes made and lurking variables had an effect on them. The experimental design

aided in the use of the Logger Pro when finding the equivalence point as this was not a

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previously known skill. While the experiment may not have been flawless due to

uncontrollable variables, it can still be considered an accurately conducted experiment.

If further research was to be completed, there are a few things that could be

changed to improve the results. The titration of this experiment was conducted using a

buret that measured to the tenths of a decimal place to dispense the sodium hydroxide.

To get more accurate results, it would be ideal to use a buret that measured to a more

accurate decimal place allowing more significant figures to be confidently used when

calculating molarity. To achieve more precise results, the volume of sodium hydroxide

could be measured and recorded more often during titration. This would yield a more

accurate volume of sodium hydroxide at the equivalence point providing a more

accurate molarity. To conduct further research, the molarities of other juices, such as

orange or lemon juice, could be found. Other bases could be used in titration or other

acid base indicators to induce the color change. While the experiment was conducted

fairly accurately and consistently, there are improvements that could be made to better

the results and provide a deeper understanding of the molarities of multiple juices.

From a medical standpoint, a better understanding of the concentration of acid in

juices will be vital in helping those with acidosis that should stray from acidic beverages.

This knowledge could also benefit people with heartburn or acid reflux issues that need

to avoid juices containing a high molarity of acid, such as pineapple juice, which has a

high concentration of citric acid. Other juices such as apple juice, however, are better

beverage choices due to the lower concentration of malic acid. Consuming a higher

concentration of acid results in a greater risk of developing issues with the lungs and

kidneys keeping the body’s pH balance in check.

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Acknowledgements

The researchers would like to thank Mrs. Hilliard for her guidance and support as

well as the use of her laboratory and materials. The researchers would also like to thank

Mr. Supal for his assistance while writing the paper. Finally, the researchers would like

to thank Mrs. Dewey for her guidance on the Data Analysis and Interpretation section.

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Appendix A: Sample Calculations

Dry Stuff Equation

g = (MW)(V)(M)

g = (40)(1)(1)

g = 40

Figure 1. Dry Stuff Equation

In Figure 1, the equation for solving for the amount of sodium hydroxide to add to

the water is shown. The amount of sodium hydroxide, in grams, is found by multiplying

the molecular weight of the compound by the volume of the water in liters and the

molarity of the compound. The molecular weight of the sodium hydroxide, forty, is

multiplied by one for the one liter of water and one for the molarity of the sodium

hydroxide.

Molarity Equation

The formula shown below was used to calculate the volume of the NaOH solution

added to the juice. Figure 2 shows how the formula was used.

M1 • V1 = M2 • V2

M1 • V1 = M2 • V2

1 • (0.91/1000) = M2 • 0.1

0.00091/0.1 = M2

M2 = 0.091

Figure 2. Molarity Equation

Figure 2 shows a sample calculation of how the molarity was found for

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the volume recorded in the first trial, which was pineapple juice. M1 represents the

molarity of the sodium hydroxide, V1 represents the volume of the sodium hydroxide

added to the juice, M2 is the molarity of the the acid in the juice and is solved for in this

equation, and V2 is the volume of the juice. The molarity is found to 0.091.

Two-Sample t Test

In order run a two-sample t test, the means, standard deviations, and size of both

samples must be known.

Figure 3. Two-Sample t Test Sample Calculation

The figure above shows a sample calculation of a two-sample t test. In the

equation, x̅1 is the mean of the apple juice and it’s 0.0434. The pineapple juice mean

is represented by x̅2 = 0.09653. The standard deviations, s1 = 0.00308 and s2 =

0.00454, were squared and divided by the sample size, n1 and n2, which was fifteen

for both juices. The known values, the means and standard deviations of the juices as

well as the sample sizes, were plugged into the formula to get a t-value of -37.5074,

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which is equivalent to the previously calculated t-value in Table 1. The p-value was

found to be 0.0000.

Appendix B: Logger Pro

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Materials:

Flash Drive pH Sensor

Logger Pro Vernier LabQuest

Procedure:

1. Power on device by pressing button on top left corner.

2. Plug the brick of the cord into an outlet and the small, round end into the side of
the logger pro.

3. Plug the pH sensor into the top of the logger pro.

4. Tap mode in the right upper corner of the logger pro.

5. Change to Events of Entry.

6. Name the event NaOH and make the units mL, then press OK.

7. Click collect on the graph tab and press the green play button to begin collecting
data.

8. Press keep to save a point on the graph by putting in the amount of mL that has
been used.

9. Continue to collect data until there is a noticeable S-shaped curve.

10. Click the red stop button to stop collecting data.

11. Click on the table tab and click “New Calculated Column.”

12. Change the name to “D1.”

13. Press select equation and choose “ 1st Derivative”, then click OK.

14. Click on file, then save the file as the trial number.

15. Save the file onto the H drive, as well as a flash drive.

16. Eject flash drive.

17. Unplug the cords from the device and return materials to the box.

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