CHMG 146-01

Jacob Palmerio
October 3, 2015

Acid-Base Equilibrium and Buffers

Purpose:
The lab was performed to compare the theoretical value of pH with the range determined from
the use of indicators. A pH meter was then used to determine an actual value for the pH so that
it could be compared to the aforementioned methods.
Procedure:
Followed the experimental procedure as per the laboratory manual.
All of the solutions were tested with one indicator at a time rather than testing one solution with
all of the indicators at a time.
Data:
Calculated and Experimental pH Measurements of Selected Aqueous Solutions
Indicator

HC2H3O2

C2H3O2-

H3PO4

H2PO4-

HPO42-

PO43-

NH3

Thymol Blue

yellow

blue

blue

blue

blue
blue

red/
orange
yellow
yellow

yellow

Bromcresol Green

yellow/
orange
yellow
yellow

Bromcresol Purple

yellow

purple

yellow

yellow

Bromothymol Blue
Cresol Red

yellow
yellow
clear
2.88

blue
red
clear
8.88

yellow
orange
clear
1.62

yellow
yellow
clear
4.67

2-3

7-9

0-2

3 -5

8 -10

10 - 12

10 - 12

5-6

6-8

7-8

2.98

7.48

1.70

4.67

9.27

12.40

11.10

6.42

7.05

7.72

Bromophenol Blue

Phenolphthalein
pH from
calculations
pH range via
indicators
pH from meter

blue
green

NH4+

NH4C2H3O2 unknown E

yellow
yellow
yellow
blue
blue
blue
blue
blue
blue
blue
blue
blue
blue/
blue
blue
green
purple purple purple purple/
purple
purple
red
blue
blue
blue
green green/blue
blue
red
red
red
yellow
yellow orange/red
pink magenta magenta clear
clear
clear
9.94
12.7
11.1
5.13
7.15
~

Standard Buffers and Colorimetric Analysis Data

Indicator Used in Experimentation: Cresol Red
pH

Color

6.00

gold yellow

6.40

gold yellow

6.80

gold yellow

7.20

orange yellow

7.60

red orange

8.00

red

8.40

pink / purple

8.80

purple

Unknown E

pale red

Estimated pH based on Color: 7.9

Data of the Buffer Solution
mL of 0.100
M H2PO4-

mL of 0.100
M HPO42-

0.8

49.2

Concentration
of H2PO4- (M)

Concentration
of HPO42-

Theoretical
pH

Measured pH
values
8.52

2 1 0

9.84 1 0

9.0

9.12

Results and Conclusions:

The lab was performed to determine the pH of solutions and buffers with the use of calorimetric
analysis and a pH meter. The technique of colorimetric analysis yielded pH ranges which the
calculated pH values resided in. This technique was a success for finding the range of pH
values, when considering the theoretical values, but many indicators are needed and the
technique can not get more accurate than a range. To determine the pH range, the range from
one indicator was found, such as phenolphthalein, then the range from another, like cresol red,
and then the overlap range was determined. The overlap was compared to another indicator in
this manner to continue narrowing the range to the smallest reasonable difference possible. For
example, the HC2H3O2 solution was clear for phenolphthalein , so the pH range is from zero to
eight. It was yellow for cresol red, which would have a range from two to seven, which is
contained in the previous range so is the new pH range for the solution. The solution was then
yellow for bromothymol blue, which would imply a pH range from zero to six. This and the

previous range overlap from two to six, which becomes the new range. This continues until all
the indicator data are considered. According to the determined pH ranges, the solutions ranked
from most to least acidic are as follows: H3PO4, HC2H3O2, H2PO4-, NH4+, NH4C2H3O2, C2H3O2-,
HPO42-, PO43-, NH3, where NH3 and PO43- have the same range. This is consistent with the
calculated pH values, except that NH3 is suppose to have a lower pH than PO43-. PO43- was the
only solution whose range was not in agreement with the calculated value. However, the pH
values in the table from the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and Physics, Weast, R.C., Ed., CRC
Press, Cleveland, OH, pp D-136 to D-137 only went to twelve. If they are extrapolated to
fourteen then this solution would be in agreement. The pH meter that was used had to be
calibrated by cleaning the node with distilled water and then measuring the pH of three
standardized solutions, with pH values of four, seven and ten, so that the meter could be
calibrated when measuring unknown pH values. The node of the meter was washed before
each measurement so that the previous measurement did not affect the next. When measuring
pH values, the meter did not settle on a single value, which required estimating the measured
value of the pH meter. This would alter all values of pH determined from the pH meter, not only
making it difficult to know the exact pH, but would also explain deviations from calculated pH
values. However, It was able to supply a measurement value to compare with the determined
pH of unknown E through the use of buffers. To determine the pH of unknown E, cresol red was
used because the pH range of this solution was seven to eight and cresol red has three different
colors in this range; it is yellow from six to seven, orange from seven to 8.8 and is expected to
become slightly red as the pH nears a passes 8.8. Compared to the colors of the standardized
buffers, the pH of unknown E was estimated to be 7.8 with a pale red color, which was between
the colors of a value 0f 7.60 and 8.00. The pH value of 7.8 is in agreement with the range from
the testing with all of the indicators and is close to the value of 7.72 from the pH meter. The pH
of unknown E, to two significant figures is likely 7.7. This is within the range from the indicators
and the true value likely resides within 7.72 and 7.80, based on the data from the pH meter and
cresol red indicator. The pH meter is likely to be more accurate than the colorimetric analysis,
so 7.7 is likely accurate to two significant figures. The assigned buffer pH was 9, and the acid
with the closest pKa was H2PO4- with a value of 7.21, which has the conjugate base HPO42-. The
importance of the close pKa value comes from the Henderson-Hasselbach equation, which
states that the pH of a buffer is equal to the pKa of the acid plus the base ten logarithm of the
ratio of initial concentrations of the acid to the conjugate base. Therefore, if the initial
concentrations are equal, the pH equals the pKa. From this equation, the ratio of initial
concentrations can be solved for in order to make a buffer with the desired pH. 0.8 mL of 0.100
M H2PO4- and 49.2 mL of 0.100 M HPO42- were mixed to make the buffer. After creating the
solution, the pH reported from the pH meter was about 0.48 below the desired pH. After adding
a few drops of 0.10 M NaOH(aq), the measured pH reached 9.12, which has an absolute
difference from the desired pH of 0.12. This lab reduced significant errors by using two methods
of measuring pH to compare the measured value to the theoretical value. A titration with a
standardized solution could have been performed to have another data point for a pH value, but
this lab produced results that were almost all in agreement, which means the technique used
was successful. Theoretical calculations of pH can be very accurate and there are many ways
to measure the pH to test the similarity between measured and theoretical.