Determination of Phosphoric Acid in Cola Beverages A Colorimetric and pH Titration Experiment for General Chemistry Joe Murphy University of Alabama, University, AL 95486 A recently published general chemistry laboratory manual’ describes an experiment for the colorimetric determination ‘of phosphate in water supplies. The procedure relies on the intense yellow chromophore forrned when phosphate reacts, ‘with ammonium molybdate and ammonium metavanadate. Another popula lab manual? describes a similar experiment tusing a slightly modified color reagont. Both of these proco- M, 1.08 X 10°¢M, and 1.01 x 104M, and thus, the undiluted sample contained (5.06 + 0.09) X 10-? Mf HPO, “The pH of the same undiluted decarbonated cola was 2.46. Using the first aed dissociation constant for phosphoric acid, , this measured pH is shown by simple eal- ‘culation to correspond to 6.07 X 10-* M HPs, which is ex- actly the same concentration obtained by the colorimetric analysis. This demonstrates that phosphoric acid must be the strongest aid present in the cola, since any other acids present ‘appear to have negligible influence on the pH. The titration, curve (Fig. 2) is qualitatively what one would expect for the titration of a dilute solution of phosphoric acid, and two ‘equivalence points are quite evident. The initial concentration ‘of HsPO, calculated from the first and second equivalence points, however, is 9.4 X 10-8 M and 5.8 X 10~* M, respec tively. The deviation of these results from that obtained from colorimetry or the initial pH measurement is easily rational. ied by inspection of the cola can label which reveals that other acids and bases, eg. citric acid, are also present in the cola ‘This points out the much greater selectivity ofthe colorimetrie ‘method, which detects only the phosphor acid, Nevertheless, the deviation of the titrimetric results is small enough that phosphoric acid must clearly be the major acid present, Discussion ‘The results presented above for Pepsi-Cola® are typical, and similar data are obtained from Caca-Cola® and other brands, ‘A small variation between brands is detectable, but this is, usually no more than the variation between different bottles or eans of the same brand. As an added sidelight to this ex periment, the students learn that not even a colorimeter and pH meter can tell the difference between the leading colas (at least with respect to HPO, content)! Volume 60 Number May 1983 421