Effect of Buffers on pH Levels

Effect of Buffers on pH Levels   Abstract A buffer is a solution that helps keep the pH of other solutions at a steady level with the addition of limited acids or bases. The purpose if this experiment was to figure out how to create an optimal buffer and to determine how effective buffers are at stabilizing the pH of different solutions. An optimal buffer was made after calculating the [H+] levels and determining how much weak acid and conjugate base was needed to test when added to beakers containing either acidic or basic solutions. The results found that the buffers helped get the solutions closer to a neutral pH and were found to be effective pH stabilizers. Introduction In the real world, pH levels are important in the function of many life processes. For instance, the average human bodys average pH level is approximately 7.4, and if there are any changes to that pH at all, no matter how small it may be, one would eventually get sick and die, since the human body is not meant to handle such a large fluctuation of pH levels. These pH levels are the measurement of Hydronium ions (H3O+) in a solution and are measured on a pH scale going from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral, anything less than 7 would be considered acidic, and anything greater than 7 would be considered basic. One might wonder how a persons pH levels do not change so easily, and the answer is because of a solution is known as a buffer. The main function of buffers is to help keep pH levels steady when a certain amount of acids or bases are introduced in a solution. Once a buffer has reached its limit, the solution will exponentially increase or decrease, depending on if a base or an acid were used, respectively. In the graph shown, it depicts how the buffer helps to keep the pH levels steady for as long as it can, but when too much base is added, the buffer will reach its capacity and the excess base will cause the pH to rise quickly, while an addition of excess base will cause the pH to drop quickly. Buffers are made from weak acids or bases paired with their conjugate bases or acids, and weak acids and bases are used because they do not disassociate fully in a solution and the hydrogen or hydroxide (OH) ions will mostly stay connected to the other molecules, unlike strong acids or bases that will completely dissociate into either the hydrogen or hydroxide ions. A good weak acid to use is acetic acid (CH3COOH), which is commonly found in vinegar. Another thing to keep in mind is how this relates to Le Chateliers Principle, which means for acetic acid that if a base were added, the equilibrium would shift to the right to want to produce more hydrogen ions, and if an acid were added, the equilibrium would shift left to want to produce more conjugate base. Lastly, a good buffer should have equal amounts of a weak acid and a conjugate base, which is done experimentally. Materials and Methods Materials used: Three 250 mL beakers One 50 mL graduated cylinder One 10 mL graduated cylinder An unknown weak acid Ka=[CH3COO]/[CH3COOH] pH=-log[H+] [H+] =10-pH Ka=([H+]*[WA])/[HWA] Procedures: Obtain three 250 mL beakers, and a 10 mL and a 50 mL graduated cylinder. To the first beaker, add a pipette bulb of the unknown weak acid and 110 mL of distilled water. Measure 50 mL of the acid solution and add it to each of the remaining two beakers, and then wash it out and keep the beaker. Label one beaker [HWA], or acid, and the other [WA], or conjugate base. Fill burette with an NaOH solution and add two to three drops of phenolphthalein indicator to [WA] beaker and titrate solution using base in burette to indicator end point, which will be signaled through a pink color change, so HWA will be converted to WA. Determine the volume of base added to [WA] beaker during titration and add that same volume of water to the [HWA] beaker so that the [HWA]=[WA]. Make an optimal buffer by mixing 20 mL of [HWA] and 20 mL [WA] in the third beaker. Prepare pH meter by standardizing it with standard solutions of pH 4 and 7. Take pH of optimal buffer and calculate [H+] from pH reading. Determine Ka value and show calculations to TA, and a new buffer will be assigned to be made. Using assigned buffer, determine [H+]. Use Ka equation to determine volume of conjugate base needed when 10 mL of acid is used, and use Ka value from step 10, [H+] value from pH, and 10 mL to replace [CH3COOH] to find volume of [CH3COO] needed. Make a new buffer using these volumes in a clean beaker, then take the pH of the new buffer to see how close the found pH is to the assigned value. Get two 50 mL beakers and add 5 mL of new buffer to one beaker and 5 mL of distilled water to the other. Add five drops of NaOH to each beaker and read pH for each one and record both. Thoroughly wash out small beakers and repeat step 13. Add five drops of HCl to each beaker and read pH for each one and record both. Clean up and turn in data sheet. Results: Data and Calculations 0.10 M NaOH added to 50 mL of acid mixture: Initial Burette Reading mL Final Burette Reading 34.7 mL Volume of NaOH Added 16.3 mL pH of Optimal Buffer 4.7 Ka of Unknown Weak Acid 2*10-5 10-4.7=2*10-5=Ka Assigned pH of new buffer to make: 4.85 New Buffer Data: [H+] needed 1.41*10-5 Ka: [H+]=(Ka/[H+]) 1.42 [A]:[HWA]=(Ka/[H+]) 1.42 Volume of A 14.2 mL Volume of HWA 10 mL pH of New Buffer 4.84 (2*10-5)/(1.41*10-5)=1.42 Test of New Buffer: pH of Distilled Water with Acid 2.88 pH of New Buffer with Acid 4.5 pH of Distilled Water with Base 10.9 pH of New Buffer with Base 5.18 Discussion/Conclusion In conclusion, the results determined that the buffer was effective at stabilizing the pH of both solutions containing distilled water and either an acid or a base added. The results also showed that the new buffer pH was very similar to the assigned pH, indicating that the overall reactions in this experiment were precise and accurate. A buffer is a solution that controls the pH of other solutions it is added in from fluctuating, and it is made by mixing equal amounts of a weak acid with its conjugate base. The reason it needs to be a weak acid because it will not dissociate fully when added in a solution, so the hydrogen ions will mostly be intact and not free floating. This would be able to help the pH of the solution in which it is added stable when combined with the conjugate base that is formed when the hydrogen ion dissociates from its original molecule from which it was connected.   The Ka of the weak acid used in this experiment was determined after titrating NaOH to the acid mixture until the indicator turned light pink and then taking the pH reading of the titrated solution and using the 10-pH formula to find [H+] which equaled the Ka of the weak acid. The new buffer was then made when the newly assigned pH was taken, the [H+] needed to achieve that new pH was determined, the Ka value by the needed [H+] value was divided, and the decimal for the product was moved one decimal place to the right, since the amount of HWA needed was 10 mL, and the pH was then determined from that solution, and it matched very closely to the assigned pH. Lastly, although not major, there was one experimental error that occurred when the solutions prepared in the first part of the lab were accidentally disposed of early, but a new solution was made again which was the same pH of the previous solution, so that error did not affect the overall results of this experiment.

External or Internal Disaster in Organization

Different Business is affected by internal and external factors. These aspects have significant influences on the way business organisations are operating. One of these is the so-called disasters in an organization.Disasters may be considered as external if the forces happens from the external environment of the organization, like globalization, global financial crisis, technological changes and others while internet disasters are those that happens inside the organization like failure to provide quality service, inability to market the products and service well, inability to handle risks which affects the overall performance of the organization.Primarily, the goal of this paper is to consider an internal disaster from one of the most controversial organizations in the market, i. . the case of Enron. Internal Disaster Aforementioned, one of the most talked-about issues and disasters in the industry is the auditing as well as accounting failure of Enron. It is considered as the larges t bankruptcy and stock collapse (Fox 2003). Before the company faced this issue, Enron has been considered as a major American energy industry. The events or disasters that resulted to the bankruptcy and collapse started long before anyone had suspected fraud and anomalies at the industry.In this disaster, two names have been noted: Arthur Andersen and Enron. One of the disasters that challenged the company is the inability of the management to anticipate the wrongdoings of Arthur Andersen. The disasters are centered in auditing aspects just before Enron filed bankruptcy. For example in 1996, Andersen’s audit report regarding Waste Management finances were discovered to be irrelevant and materially false that results in inflation of Income of the company by over $1 billion in the middle period of the 1990s.On the other hand, in 1997, it has been found out by the SEC that Sunbean has used accounting tricks to create false profits and sales and Andersen’s role in this di saster is that he signed-off these financial reports event after an industry partner flagged them. Herein, the company faced major disaster of partnering or hiring an auditing and consulting industries which is distrustful and irresponsible. Although the company has not been aware, Enron still has some plans to prevent such issue.However, the initiative of the company when it comes to their financial audit has been very weak that it leads to their major bankruptcy. To be able to solve this kind of disaster, Enron management has provided disaster plans by identifying the root f the issue. After knowing the problem about Arthur Andersen, the management immediately seeks third party assistance to clear the issue by making Andersen pay for the scandals and anomalies he has done.On one hand, another disaster faced by the company is in line with the inefficient and strategic decision making approach and also having ambiguous and vague firm economic and practice aims. Although Enron has so me management plan, the company has not been able to execute this plan well. For instance, The CEO of Enron had various product plans which needed major financial support; the organization during that period was also going through major disasters in their international businesses.In addition, it was not until Enron was financially unstable did the company starts to do something. So as to resolve this kind of disaster, the organization implemented different approaches. However, the strategy of the company only went from one major disaster of loss to the other. Because of the failure of the management of the organization to have strategic decision making, this lead to major disaster of investments and partnerships, the organization’s growth slowed down . As a result more of its inabilities and failures had grown more apparent (Zellner et al. 2001).Bankruptcy and various cases against the company had resulted to their bankruptcy. In addition, various employees of the organizatio n had lost their college funds, life savings, and pensions along with the collapse of the company. Herein, it can be said that the management of Enron must be able to have strategic decision making for the future to continuously sustain the strength of the company. In order to solve this disaster, the organization has been able to initiate a proper and strategic decision-making of the company.Herein, the company’s decision should be made made strategically by identifying first the pros and cons of the decision that they made. The management sees to it that everybody should agree to the decision so that further conflict or risks within the company would not arise. Good decision making can be attributed as one of the vital factors that will help the business to achieve its core mission and objective. This alternative is helpful in a way that it can make the company more competitive and survive in the marketing environment. ConclusionThere are many lessons that can be learned fr om the case of Enron and Arthur Andersen. It can be concluded that, based on the case of Enron, it is important that every individual in the business field should know how to manage or to handle disasters, specifically internal disasters in order for the business to achieve success and to be able to managed it effectively. In our case, it is important that the lessons learned from Enron and Arthur Andersen scandal should serve as enlightenment in making an efficient risk management manual

Case Assignment The US Economy - 1338 Words

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Essay Case Study- General Hospital - 972 Words

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