E. You decided to investigate if the new wave of Vitamin Water is pH neutral: ne
ID: 836442 • Letter: E
Question
E. You decided to investigate if the new wave of Vitamin Water is pH neutral: neither too acidic nor too basic. Using BTB (bromothymol blue), you select five flavors of Vitamin Water to test. Three of the flavor-samples turn a murky green, indicating the likelihood of acid/base balance. Of the two remaining, one turns slightly yellow, while one remains blue. What can you assume about the acid/base content of these particular flavors of Vitamin Water? F. You have read that a new brand of hair tonic is supposed to contain lead (an ingredient in Grecian Formula). Devise a simple test to confirm the presence or absence of lead in that hair tonic.
Explanation / Answer
E
We have interpreted our data, so far, to be that when Bromthymol Blue is mixed with an acid it will turn yellow and that if it is mixed with a base it will turn/remain blue. I must interpret that the Vitamin Water that remained blue is more heavily weighted in its bases than its acids. Likewise, we can assume that the Vitamin Water that turned yellow is more heavily weighted in its acids that its bases.
F
Well since we know that when lead, or at least lead nitrate, is mixed with potassium iodide it will turn into a bold yellow color, in which the mixture looks solid and cloudy and will eventually precipitate a white/yellowish solid, the best test I can come up with the current knowledge is as follows: I would mix an even amount of the hair tonic with potassium iodide and wait and see if a similar reaction occurred. If it turned into a bold yellow or formed a precipitate or both, I would assume that lead is indeed within the hair tonic. If nothing or something entirely different happened, I would assume that there is no lead in the tonic.
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