Acid Base Lab

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In this experiment, the hypothesis if acid(HCI) or base(NaOH) is added to a biological solution(liver), then the pH of the liver solution will respond more like a buffer was tested. This hypothesis is supported by the data collected in the experiment. The liver when either the acid or base was added acted like that of a buffer not distilled water. The buffer tested in this lab when the NaOH was added started out at around 9.95 pH and gradually increased an average of .04 every drop until around 10 drops where the pH level was around 10.57. This is where the amount of base exceeded the buffers capacity and had an increase from the average to be around 11.5 pH at 25 drops. This was the same results for when the Acid(HCI) was tested. The solution …show more content…
The Distilled water however, had a different reaction the the two solutions. When the acid was added the starting pH level was 7.43. and then jumped quickly down to 6.68 by three drops but then smoothed out an averaged around a .2 pH drop until 9 drops. At this point it had another huge drop to 4.09 at 10 drops. The water ended up having a final pH level of 2.06 at 30 drops. These kind of results are very similar to the water's reaction to the base. The distilled water started out at 6.4 pH but by three drops drastically increased to 10.84 pH. The water then averaged around a .2 pH increase for the rest of the drops of base added ending up with a final pH level of 12.07 after 30 drops. The liver acted like that of a buffer more so than the distilled …show more content…
At this point just like the buffer the liver was getting to be saturated with base. The ph level quickly rose a lot more than the average, increasing to a final pH level at 7.94 at thirty drops of base. The different pH levels were a direct result of what buffer, if any, was tested. A buffer is a natural protein found in living organisms used to maintain a stable internal environment, or homeostasis. They do this in order to keep certain outside changes from affecting different vital reactions that use enzymes that only work in certain ranges. In this lab the buffers that were tested are used to keep the pH level stable. These are important because balance is needed in order for different chemical and metabolic functions to work. The buffers help because living organisms while eating are exposed to different pH levels seen in different foods. The buffers then help keep stable the ph levels in the Stomach, small intestines, and other areas which all need different ph levels in order to break down and absorb the nutrients from the