Ph conductivity - Lab Report Example

The colour change in observed in each of the solutions was recorded and later used to determine if the solutions were either basic or acidic. From the experiment on PH, it was observed that despite the different outputs of the indicators the colours and digital signatures tally with standard conventions even when verified against an electronic PH probe. Conductivity measurement can be utilized in the surveillance of purity of feed water, quality control of drinking water and process water. It estimates the total number of ions in a solution or directly measures the constituents of the sample.

Conductivity instrumentation is highly reliable, low cost and very sensitive (Gray, 2006 p.1). The conductivity of water provides information on its chemical composition as it is directly linked to the concentration of ions and their mobility (Dalmas, n.d, p. 1). From figure 1, it is observed that as the concentration of ions in a solution increases so does the conductivity. Conductivity measurements are based upon the Measurement of electric current flowing between parallel plates of fixed size and fixed separation distance (leveling, 2002. P. 1).

Electrical conductivity is dependent on the PH, temperature and dissolved carbon dioxide. Conductivity can either be intrinsic or extraneous. It has been reported that soil solutions presenting high concentrations of sodium chloride with electrical conductivity of between 6 to 10 mmho/cm can be associated with a 50% decline in rice yield and in addition high PH of alkaline soils induces zinc deficiency (Breemen and Moorman, p.121). pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of the solution and is measured by determination of the concentration of hydrogen ions (H+) or hydroxyl ions (OH-) present in the solution.

The assembly of a pH meter comprises of a pH sensitive electrode that is commonly made of glass, a reference electrode, and a temperature element that