ACS Chemistry Laboratory Supplement

Project-Based Labs

HorsePower
Introduction
You have been hired by company to solve a problem associated with their new product under
development, a drink called HorsePower. The company plans to market this drink, which is
somewhat similar to Gatorade used by human athletes. HorsePower is specifically designed to
rehydrate racehorses after a race or heavy workout. Each drink contains a weak acid to add
tartness and retard spoilage, a sugar for quick energy and sweetness, and some mixture of
sodium, calcium, and chloride ions. The total concentration of the dissolved solids must match
the osmotic pressure of a horses bodily fluid (equivalent to 9 grams of sodium chloride/liter of
solution). This allows the drink to be easily absorbed. For test-marketing purposes, the company
plans to have three similar versions of the drinks.
The original formulation of the drink used acetic acid as the weak acid, but horses did not
care for the vinegary odor. To replace the acetic acid, the production manager substituted one of
three common odorless food acids. The acids used were malic, fumaric, or tartaric acids. The
new formulations were tested on horses and it was found that although the horses eagerly drank
the new drink, they seemed listless and drank a large amount of water shortly after consuming
the drink.
Your team has been called in to determine what is wrong with the new drink formulation and
how the problem can be corrected. Your team began by asking how the drinks are produced. The
manager said that the company buys prepared sterile sugar solutions and then mixes in the ionic
compounds and the food acids at their plant. Depending on the availability and cost, the
company buys a 3.5% solution by weight of fructose, sucrose or glucose. Your tasks are to
determine the problem with the drink and to suggest a new formulation for the drink that solves
the problem.

Project Tasks
Some of these tasks will be accomplished experimentally and some by library or web-based
research in appropriate resources.
1. Carry out initial tests to determine the acidity, identify the sugar, and determine amount
of dissolved salts in your sample of HorsePower.
2. Accurately determine the concentration of each important component in your sample of
HorsePower.
3. Use appropriate resources as needed to find additional information to help solve the
product problem.
4. Support discussion and suggestions for reformulation with experimental data, explaining
results in a way they are understood by the product design team.
Learning and Performance Objectives
1. Realistically assess which tests can or cannot be performed with available chemicals and
equipment.
2. Determine the identity and concentration of acid present, using either macroscale or
microscale titration techniques.

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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Identify the sugar used in your sample of the drink.

Analyze for the concentration of chloride ion in your sample of the drink.
Utilize repeat determinations in designing the experimental plan.
Demonstrate understanding of dilution processes.
Understand how the ion concentration of the drink influences its osmotic pressure and
therefore, its properties.
8. Use experimental results to solve the HorsePower product problem and make
recommendations to the manufacturer.
9. Handle potentially damaging and/or carcinogenic solutions safely.
Resources Available
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Suggestions for determining acidity of a solution

Suggestions for detection and identification of sugars in solution
Chemical basis for chloride ion determination
Strategies for determining chloride ion concentration
Directions for preparation of AgNO3 solution
A method for preparing chromate indicator

Reports
1. Planning sheets are to be completed as directed by your instructor.
2. The final report for this project should follow the basic guidelines given previously.
Be sure to include:
a. observations and other results from all group experiments.
b. identification of all components in your sample of HorsePower
c. supporting reasons for your identification, based on reported experimental
results.
d. discussion of the reasons why your sample of HorsePower was not successfully
rehydrating the race horses
e. suggestions for improving the product.
3. Be sure you support your discussion and suggestions with data from the various aspects
of the project.

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Project-Based Labs

Materials Available: Chemicals

250-mL sample of one of the proposed reformulated HorsePower drinks
Pure samples of all the compounds that could be in the drink
Acids: fumaric, malic, tartaric
Sugars: sucrose, fructose, glucose
Salts: calcium chloride, sodium chloride
Preparation of standard base: potassium acid phthalate, sodium hydroxide, phenolphthalein
indicator (or other acid-base indicators requested by student teams)
Chloride titration: silver nitrate, potassium chromate, sodium bicarbonate
Preparation of Benedicts solution: sodium citrate, anhydrous sodium carbonate, copper sulfate
pentahydrate
Safety Information
Silver nitrate solid is a corrosive material. Silver nitrate solutions turn black in strong light.
If you spill silver nitrate on yourself and do not wash it off promptly and thoroughly, it will
temporarily stain your skin black.
Potassium chromate is a strong oxidizing agent and a suspected carcinogen. Discard the solid
residue and dichromate solution in the designated disposal container.

Techniques you may need to study

Acid-base titration, including small-scale techniques
Use of volumetric glassware, including pipets
Testing solutions for type of sugar present
Testing solutions for chloride concentration
Optional: Use of a polarimeter, CBL equipment

Resource: Determining Acidity of a Solution

The easiest way to determine the acidity of a solution is to use a pH meter. Although
instrument design varies, they all are used the same way. The meter is first calibrated by
measuring a buffer solution of known pH. Typically two or three buffers are used. The common
ones are pH 4, pH 7, and pH 10. After calibration, the pH electrode is rinsed off with distilled
water and then placed in the sample to be tested.
To determine how much acid and therefore which acid is present in a solution sample, titrate
an aliquot (a known volume, often 25.00 mL) of the solution with standard base solution. If
enough pH meters are available, you may want to continuously monitor the titration. Titrate the
aliquot in a beaker while a pH electrode is in the beaker. After each addition of titrant, the
volume of titrant added and the pH is recorded. Typically titrant is added 0.5 mL at a time until

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the pH is about 4. Then it is added in about 1-drop increments until the pH is about 9. The titrant
can then be added in increments of 0.5 mL until the pH is about 11.
The simplest procedure is to titrate until an endpoint is reached, signaled by an indicator
color change. Choice of indicator is important, however, and one must be chosen that changes
color in the range of the expected endpoint for a weak acid/strong base titration.
Optional: Another alternative is to use either that pH or conductivity probe with CBL
(computer-based laboratory) equipment. Although not always available in general chemistry
laboratories, your instructor will advise you if you have access to this equipment and if so, give
you directions for its use.
Resource: Detection and Identification of Sugars in Solution
Sugars are most often detected by their reaction with Benedicts solution. This solution is a
mixture of copper sulfate and a buffer needed to maintain a constant pH. A positive test is
indicated by a white precipitate that may turns orange as the solution is heated in a hot water
bath. Each of the possible sugars reacts differently when reacted with Benedict's solution. One
doesnt react at all. The possible sugars in the drink can be identified by comparing the reaction
of the unknown sample with the reaction of a known sample of the pure compound.
To perform this test, place 5 mL of Benedicts solution in a test tube. The tube is heated in a
boiling water bath. Add 5-10 drops of the sugar solution to the warm Benedict's solution and
continue heating for a few more minutes. Observe and record all results.
If Benedicts solution is not available in the laboratory it can be prepared by dissolving
17.3 g sodium citrate and 10. g anhydrous sodium carbonate in about 60 mL of water. After
dissolution, dilute to 85 mL. Dissolve 1.73 g of copper sulfate pentahydrate in 10 mL of water,
and dilute to 15 mL. Slowly add the copper sulfate solution to the first solution with constant
stirring. This preparation yields 100 mL of Benedicts solution.
Another alternative to determining sugar content is by using a polarimeter. Although not always
available in general chemistry laboratories, your instructor will advise you if you have access to
a polarimeter and if so, give you directions for its use.
Resource: The Chemical Basis for Chloride Ion Concentration
The chloride ion concentration of a solution is often determined by titrating chloride ion with
known concentration of silver ion to form an insoluble silver chloride precipitate. The end point
in the titration is detected with chromate ion. When a mixture of chloride and chromate is titrated
with silver nitrate, silver chloride precipitates first because it is less soluble than silver chromate.
The solution mixture should be constantly stirred or swirled to avoid clumping of the silver
chromate precipitate and therefore indicating a false endpoint. After the chloride ion in solution
has precipitated as white silver chloride, the first excess of silver ion precipitates silver chromate,
which is dark red. The permanent appearance of the red precipitate signals the endpoint of the
titration.
Equations:

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Ag+ + Cl AgCl(s)

white precipitate

2Ag+ + CrO42 Ag2CrO4 (s)

red precipitate

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Project-Based Labs

Resource: Preparation of AgNO3 solution

In a small clean beaker, weigh accurately enough silver nitrate to prepare 250. mL of 0.1 M
solution. Dissolve AgNO3 in a small amount of distilled water and then quantitatively transfer
the solution to a 250-mL volumetric flask and dilute to the mark. Silver nitrate solution will
decompose on exposure to light, so store the solution in a brown bottle and in the dark.
Caution: Silver nitrate solid is a corrosive material. Silver nitrate solutions turn black in
strong light. If you spill silver nitrate on yourself and do not wash it off promptly and
thoroughly, it will temporarily stain your skin black.
Resource: Chromate Indicator
You will need 1 mL of 5% Potassium chromate for each titration. Prepare only what you
think you will need. Caution: Potassium chromate is a strong oxidizing agent and a suspected
carcinogen. Discard the solid residue and dichromate solution in the designated disposal
container.
Resource: Strategies for Chloride Ion Determination
If determining the chloride concentration in an unknown solution, it is a good idea to run a
quick trial titration. To do so, add a 25 mL sample of the solution to a clean 125 mL Erlenmeyer
flask. Then add about 0.5 grams of NaHCO 3 and 1 mL chromate indicator solution. Titrate with
the silver nitrate solution with constant stirring until the first permanent appearance of redorange in the yellow solution. If you are not sure what to look for as an end point, run a blank by
substituting 2 grams of CaCO3 in 25 mL of distilled water plus some sodium chloride solution
for the unknown solution. Titrating this with a few drops of silver nitrate will show you what the
end point should look like. After this first trial titration, adjust the amount of solution to be tested
so that at least 20 mL of the silver nitrate solution is needed to reach the end point. Now titrate at
least three samples to determine the samples chloride concentration.
The microscale approach is less accurate, but much faster and less expensive than a
standard titration. Obtaining good results requires counting drops very accurately. To each of 3
wells in a well plate, add exactly 25 drops of unknown chloride solution, 5 drops of 0.5 molar
NaHCO3, and two drops of chromate indicator solution. Titrate the individual sample with
0.050 M AgNO3 solution. Add the AgNO 3 solution drop-by-drop, with stirring after the addition
of each drop. If stirring is not done after each drop, the transient red precipitate tends to clump
and does not readily disappear. The titration is complete when the red orange precipitate no
longer disappears when the mixture is stirred. The sample should require at least 20 drops of
AgNO3. If less is required, adjust the amount of chloride unknown sample.

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HorsePower: Planning Sheet 1

To be completed before starting experimentation.

Project-Based Labs

Group Name

State the overall purposes of this project in your own words.

1. What ions and molecules could be present in your sample of HorsePower? Give both names
and formulas for each possible ion and molecule, including charges on all ionic species.

2. Which ions and molecules will you need to test for to help solve this problem? Will these
tests need to be qualitative or quantitative? Explain.

3. Is the type of acid used important? Why or why not?

4. Is the type of sugar used important? Why or why not?

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5. What do you think is making the horses so thirsty after drinking HorsePower?
Hint: Consider why the osmotic pressure, a measure of ionic concentration, is an important
consideration for a sports drink.

6. Outline a procedure you will use to determine acid concentration of the drink. Plan how
many determinations you will make, and what equipment and chemicals will be used to
obtain the most accurate results.

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HorsePower: Reflection and Planning Sheet 2
To be completed after the first laboratory period.

Project-Based Labs
Group Name___________________

State the purposes of this weeks lab in your own words.

1. Give the results of your acid concentration determinations. What do you consider the margin
of error in these determinations?

2. Outline a procedure for identifying the sugar in your sample of the drink. Plan how many
determinations you will make, and what equipment and chemicals will be used to make the
identification.

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3. Outline a procedure for determining the osmotic pressure, expressed as g NaCl / L of drink.
Plan how many determinations you will make, and what equipment and chemicals will be
used to obtain the most accurate results.

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HorsePower: Reflection and Planning Sheet 3
To be completed after the second laboratory period.

Project-Based Labs
Group Name___________________

State the purposes of this weeks lab in your own words.

1. Give the results of your sugar determinations. How certain are you of your identification?

2. Give the results of your osmotic pressure determinations. What do you consider the margin
of error in these determinations?

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3. You now should have enough information for your group to develop an initial hypothesis
about the problem with HorsePowers formulation. State your hypothesis and decide what
additional experimentation must be performed to confirm your analysis.

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HorsePower: Reflection and Planning Sheet 4
To be completed after the third laboratory period.

Project-Based Labs
Group Name___________________

State the purposes of this weeks lab in your own words.

1. Discuss your groups results for the various analytical procedures used. Are there any
experiments that should be repeated? If so, perform those tests and report the results.

2. Decide how to best tabulate and interpret the results to identify the problem with
HorsePower. Outline the presentation you will make to the manufacturer.

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3. Outline your groups suggestions for changing the formulation of HorsePower. Give
justification for your choices, and carry out any experiments needed to test your suggestions.

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