TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 17 (2012) pp 073-077
DOI 10.1007/s00897122418a

Analysis of Mineral Water: A General Chemistry Laboratory Experiment

Ali Bazzi*, Krisanu Bandyopadhyay, Judith Bazzi, and Ogie Stewart

University of Michigan-Dearborn, Department of Natural Science, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, Michigan, USA 48128-1491, abazz@umd.umich.edu
Received March 14, 2012. Accepted April 28, 2012.

Published: 1 June 2012

Abstract. The experimental procedure and student results for the analysis of several mineral water brands in a multi-section general chemistry course are presented and discussed. Four commercial mineral water brands were analyzed for total dissolved solids (TDS), total water hardness expressed as ppm of calcium carbonate_, and pH. These are important and regularly monitored water quality parameters. Gravimetry, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) complexometric titration, and pH measurements were applied to real-world samples that are familiar to students. In addition to its daily life relevance, this laboratory experiment provided a milieu for general chemistry students to evaluate the precision of multiple data sets and to establish a connection between their laboratory experience and topics covered in lecture such as acid-base, buffer, complex formation, and stoichiometry and concentration unit conversion. Overall, the students’ results for all parameters had good precision and were in reasonable agreement with the published values.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; general chemistry; mineral water; analytical chemistry; gravimetry; EDTA titration; total dissolved solids

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: abazz@umd.umich.edu)

Article in PDF format (96 KB) HTML format

Supporting Materials:

© The Chemical Educator 1996-2015