Chemistry

Sophie & Na Yeong

Ideas for Experiment:

Buffering capacity of soil/water Acidity of soil/water Testing for heavy metals eg. lead, iron

Qualtity of water can be determined by testing the water sample for:
 * Nitrates -- Using litmus strip
 * Nitrites
 * Hardness -- using liquid soap (minerals in hard water react with soap) OR hardness testing kit
 * pH level -- using electronic pH probe
 * Turbidity -- using turbidity testing kit
 * Bacteria
 * Lead II -- by precipitation reaction with Cl- (precipitate = PbCl2)
 * Pesticides
 * Chlorine
 * Phosphate -- using phosphate testing kit

**CHEMISTRY**
Aim : To compare the quality of the water at Ho Tay to the tap water by testing the each water sample for unsafe quantities of contaminants including nitrates, phosphate, lead II, pH levels, hardness and turbidity.

Equipment/materials :
 * Two 500mL plastic bottles
 * Two 80mL beakers
 * Two stirring rods
 * A phosphate testing kit
 * A nitrate testing kit
 * 10g of NaCl
 * An electronic pH probe
 * A turbidity testing kit
 * A hardness measuring probe

Hypothesis : IF the water sample from the Ho Tay is tested for pollutants including nitrates, phosphate, lead II, pH level, and turbidity and compared to the test results of the distilled water THEN
 * there will be higher concentration of nitrates (around 21 to 40 ppm) in lake water which means the water cannot be used for drinking purposes BECAUSE the major sources of nitrate include animal wastes, industrial wastes, fertilizers, and animal feedlots, which are commonly found to be used near the lake.
 * there will be higher concentration of phosphate in lake water BECAUSE the major sources of phosphate include industrial discharge, large confined livestock stormwater, and urban stormwater.
 * there will be higher lead concentration in lake water BECAUSE the major sources of lead include corrosion of metal containing lead, which in this case would be the bridge over the lake.
 * the pH level of Ho Tay water will be lower than that of distilled water which means the water is acidic BECAUSE of the frequent acidic rain in Hanoi.
 * the turbidity value will be higher for lake water BECAUSE the water does not look clear.

Data Collection


 *  **
 * ||  || Trial 1  || Trial 2  || Trial 3  || Average  ||
 * Nitrate concentration /mg L-1 || (±10 mg L-1) || 0  || 0  || 0  || 0  ||
 * Phosphate concentration /mg L-1 || (±1 mg L-1) || 0  || 0  || 0  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">0  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Presence of lead II ||  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">pH level || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±0.1) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.7  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.8  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.8  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.8  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Turbidity /NTU || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±0.1 NTU) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">18.1  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">18.2  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">20.0  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">18.8  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Total hardness /ppm || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±2 ppm) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">116  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">120  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">118  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">118  ||


 * <Lake water> **
 * ||  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Trial 1  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Trial 2  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Trial 3  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Average  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Nitrate concentration /mg L-1 || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±10 mg L-1) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">0  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">5  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">3  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Phosphate concentration /mg L-1 || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±1 mg L-1) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">4  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Presence of lead II ||  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">No  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">pH level || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±0.1) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.2  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.4  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.3  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">6.3  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Turbidity /NTU || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±0.1 NTU) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">59.3  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">59.1  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">58.8  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">59.1  ||
 * <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Total hardness /ppm || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">(±2 ppm) || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">92  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">96  || <span style="font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">96  || <span style="background-color: #ffff00; font-family: Tahoma,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">95  ||