Demonstration: The Difference Between pH and Alkalinity 

I am a pool company owner(member of the family)! Never heard it explained so simply. Great demonstration.

Hey Thanks Steven! If you're ever interested in checking out some of our pool gear, here ya go! hannainst.com/catalogsearch/result/?cat=0&q=pool

Hi Maria. We typically wouldn't recommend adding sodium bicarbonate in aquariums.

Hanna Instruments, Inc. what would you recommend?

@@Marlene5018 Depending on your fish and set up, you may want to try using an alkaline buffer. You don't want to make drastic changes, which can shock your fish, but slowly dose and keep testing until you have your preferred range.

Hanna Instruments, Inc. Thanks a lot!

@@Marlene5018 Our pleasure!

I think this is an excellent question, so much so I started looking around and found this: www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/acidbaseeqia/buffers.html anyone interested should check it. it is a simple explanation, and also has detail. Here are the Cliff notes. Answer: Yes. explanation: A buffer solution has to contain things which will remove any hydrogen ions or hydroxide ions that you might add to it - otherwise the pH will change. The Buffer can be a weak acid and one of its salts, or a weak base and one of its salts. Thanks for asking that question!

@@Lensvoodoo Thanks alot .....

Hey John! Great point. Many of our electrodes are temperature compensated with a sensor built in. But if not, it's best to always calibrate before hand to ensure you're getting an accurate reading based off the sample or solution you're testing.

That's what he didn't explain, baking soda is used up in the reaction. I gathered from Wikipedia how it reacts with vinegar: Sodium bicarbonate reacts with acetic acid (found in vinegar), producing sodium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide. Sodium acetate is the sodium salt of acetic acid. It is that stuff in those rechargeable hot packs with a clicker inside. Apparently it's a food additive as well. A solution of sodium acetate and acetic acid can act as a buffer to keep a relatively constant pH level.

Glad it was helpful! You are welcome!

pundlik vaidya

Hi There! If the test doesn’t change to pink, there could be a few things going on that are causing you to not reach your endpoint. 1. Check the expiration dates of all chemicals being used. 2. Have enough drops of the indicator been added? 3. Enough titrant may not have been added, or the titrant strength may need to be adjusted. 4. Your sample size may be too large, so you may not be reaching your endpoint. 5. The pH of your sample could already be outside of the range of the titration. The change to a pink color indicates that you have reached the end of the titration.