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Hard Water Lab Report Essay

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Lab Report: Hard Water Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to determine whether a liquid is hard water or not. Background: Hard water is the water that has a high amount of mineral in it, usually Ca2+ and Mg+. These cations enter the source of water by leaching from minerals within a wet underground layer of water- bearing rock, or an aquifer. According to the WHO, hard water is not harmful to human’s health but it’s a serious problem in the water industry. Household plumbing and appliances are also greatly affected by hard water conditions. Some of the effects include clogged pipes, water heater inefficiency and hard scaling. Hard water is also linked to decreased water flow or water pressure and seized (frozen) valves in faucets, …show more content…

“Chemistry Workbook”, page 52-53. Data Table: | Tap water from Elk Grove | Well water from Wilton | # of drops EDTA 1st time | 16 | 28 | # of drops EDTA 2nd time | 16 | 29 | # of drops EDTA 3rd time | | | Average result | 16 | 28.5 | Data Analysis: 1) Which water sample had more Ca/Mg? Relatively, how much more? The well water from Wilton has a larger amount of Ca 2+/Mg 2+ compared to the Elk Grove tap water. Relatively, it’s approximately twice harder because 28 drops of EDTA is added to Wilton well water in order to make it turns blue while it only take 16 drops to changes color of Elk Grove tap water. 2) EDTA is often added to shampoo. Can you suggest why? EDTA is added to shampoo to take away the calcium and magnesium that exists. The shampoo will then lather and creates more bubbles; that’s greater to bathe in. 3) Pots and pans used for boiling water often develop a coating of scale in homes that use hard water. What might this scale be? The scale might be magnesium and calcium. After the water reaches its boiling point, all the water molecules would turns into gas evaporates, left the solid magnesium and calcium at the bottom of the pans. 4) Why might the water of one region be much harder than another? The water of different region has different hardness level because water comes from different sources of underground aquifers. The amount of

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