pH Lab Report

Objective: In this experiment, you will investigate five substances and identify them as acids or bases.

Pre-Lab Questions
1. What is the pH range for an acid and what is the pH range for a base? Less than 7 lets you know that
there is acidity, if it is greater than 7 that means it is a base.
2. What does a low pH indicate about the hydronium ion concentration present in a substance? This can
indicate higher concentrations of hydrogen ions in the present substance.
3. What does a high pH indicate about the hydronium ion concentration present in substance? This can show
lower concentrations of hydrogen ions in the present substance.
4. How does an acid-base indicator determine the approximate pH of a substance? You can describe how
litmus paper works or how a color-changing solution works. An acid-base indicator determines the pH of a
substance depending on the color of it. This is because of the chemical reactions between the
substance and the indicator.

Hypothesis
Hypothesize whether you think each of the following substances will be an acid, a base, or neutral.
Substance Bleach Detergent Eye drops Lemon Juice Tea

Predicted pH Base Base Acid Acid Acid

Data
Substance Initial color of Final color of pH range on test Acid/Base/Neutral
solution solution strip

Bleach Light green Yellow 12/14 base

Detergent greenish blue 8/10 Base

Eye drops Blue blue 7 netural

Lemon juice yellow redish 1/3 acid

Tea brown purple 4/6 acid

Analysis and Conclusions

1. Place the five substances in order of increasing pH—from most acidic to most basic. (5 points)
Lemon juice, tea, eye drops, detergent, bleach.

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2. Orange juice has a pH of 4. What color would you expect the paper test strip to be after it is dipped in a
sample of orange juice? (1 points)
As a result of it having such a low pH level, I think that it would turn red.

3. Tear–free shampoos are advertised as having a pH similar to that of human tears. What pH would you
expect tear–free shampoos to be? Use evidence from the lab activity to support your response. (5 points)
I think that you can expect it to be neutral because human tears are about neutral and eye drops since
they dont irate a persons eyes.

4. Using your data, what is the approximate hydronium ion concentration and hydroxide ion concentration in a
cup of tea? Which is higher? (Refer back to the chart of pH if you need to.) (4 points)
Hydronium ion concentration is 5 and hydroxide ion centration is a 9 which means it is higher.

5. Using your answer in 5, how would the hydronium ion concentration and hydroxide ion concentration
compare if a substance had a lower pH than tea? (5 points)

They compare since hydronium is 10 and hydroxide ion is 12, that means they are base.

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Virtual School.