Removal of Hardness of Water Using Precipitation and Complexation Methods

8 test tubes were then labelled A-H, 1ml of DCPIP was added to each of the test tubes. 2ml of NaHCO3 was added tubes A through G.

The color of the solution was turning slightly into yellow and the color of the iron strip into white.

The Vitamin C turned to a red/orange color with no physical/chemical reaction. For the salt the solution turned to an orange color with no physical/chemical reaction. With the Alka-Seltzer, the solution turned to a brown color with no reaction as well. Last but not least, the Baking soda turned to an orange/brown color with no reaction.

The mixture was heated at 120°C using an aluminum block and was stirred gently. After all of the solid dissolved, it was heated for 20 additional minutes to ensure the reaction was complete.

1 litmus paper, red - in bag 2"x 3", Copper (II) Carbonate in Vial, 1/2 Full

Hard water is an annoying thing that most of the American face one time or the other. According to a US geological survey, hard water is found in more than 89.3% of the country. water is a universal solvent meaning it can dissolve more substance than any other solvent, that being said water from the rain is soft water, free from any mineral but as the water basses through the air it picks up carbon dioxide and other impurities in the air, and once the water reach the ground it start to dissolve mineral and change into a hard water with mineral such as Ca+, Mg+ [1].

When the red Co(NO3)2*6H2O crystal was added to the white NH4 crystal, and water was added to dissolve, the solution turned blue in color. As the solution was nixed, the color changed to that of a blue-purple and a blue precipitate formed. When the 6 M NH3 began to be added, the color shifted to dark purple color after 15 mL of ammonia and the amount of the precipitate was less. After 20 mL of ammonia, the solution became a red brown with very little of the blue precipitate. After 30 mL of ammonia, the solution was similar in color to an iodine solution, a dark brown-red, almost black in color. At this point there was no visible precipitate on the surface of the solution. After 40 mL of the ammonia had been added, the solution was the same iodine like color as before. When closely examined, there was a black precipitate that had settled on the bottom of the beaker. At this point, hydrogen peroxide, 3% H2O2, was added to solution. After 4 mL of the H2O2 was added, the solution was the same color and the precipitate had not changes. After 8 mL of the H2O2, there was not noticeable change. After 12 mL of the H2O2, the solution was slightly redder in color but the precipitate had not changed. After 15 mL of H2O2, the solution was the same color and no changes had occurred to the precipitate. At 17 mL, the solution began to effervesce slightly, though there

* By using the dropper and measuring cylinder, 7 ml sodium carbonate solution was added to the test tube

Heavy precipitate emerged immediately and solution turned white in color; solution then became opaque and turned light, bright blue in color.

Distillation is perhaps the one water treatment technology that most completely reduces the widest range of drinking water contaminants. Without safe water or sanitation, people are trapped in a cycle of poverty and disease. Across the developing world, millions of women are wasting precious time collecting dirty water, children are dying from preventable diarrheal diseases, and communities have open sewers running through them. Salt water is desalinated to produce fresh water suitable for human consumption or irrigation. Salt water makes a person thirstier and eventually would make you suffer from dehydration. 2.5 billion People in the world do not have access to adequate sanitation, one in three of the world’s population. Using desalination can help lower this number by a ton because it can open these people to a cleaner and more sanitized life. There are varying degrees of salinity in water, which affects the difficulty and expense of treatment, and the level of saline is typically measured in parts per million (ppm). The U.S. Geological Survey provides an outline of what constitutes saline water: 1,000 ppm – 3,000 ppm is low salinity, 3,000 ppm – 10,000 ppm is moderate salinity, and 10,000 ppm – 35,000 ppm is high salinity. Water that contains saline levels less than 1,000 ppm is generally considered fresh water, and is safe to drink and use for household and agricultural purposes. For a reference point, typical ocean water contains about 35,000

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?

0.5% of copper sulphate solution was added by drop at a time and and the test tube was shaked continuously.

4. Spot the solution on a TLC plate and check with UV light to see

Whether we realize it or not, water is surrounding us in different forms everywhere. Water actually makes up about 70% of Earth. Water is overall known as a good solvent that dissolves minerals it comes in contact with. As water moves through earth, it dissolves minerals and holds them in solution. The amount of metal cations, such as Calcium (Ca^2+) and Magnesium (Mg^2+) in water became known as water “hardness”. Water hardness can be detected by white residue and crystal like rocks when heated. Understanding water hardness is important to us because it has proven to create problems both in our households and in industry (1). These problems lead to expenses for homeowners and industry owners, they will end up spending money on expensive cleaning chemicals and machinery cleaners. In our household we water hardness pop up as soap scum in our dishes and in our laundry. Hard water also produces scale which, in industry and again in households can narrow pipes, block tubes, cause problems in brewing facilities, and can produce problems in farmland. The greater the presence of Calcium and Magnesium in water defines its hardness. For example a water sample with a large concentration of these two cations, along with smaller amounts of other polyvalent cations, is considered to be hard. (1, 2) And a sample with a smaller concentration of the cations is considered soft. Below is a table of the determination of water hardness scale.

"Water is the driving force of all nature," said by Leonardo Da Vinci. In fact, water is the key source for life. Yet in all honesty, humanity has destroyed it, through carelessness. Over the decades, water has been polluted with toxins and heavy metals. Instead of treating water like a luxury, water is being treated as if it were worthless, when in reality it is extremely precious and very valuable. To continue, this experiment took place to discover new and innovative methods that purify water. As a matter of fact, research has demonstrated that aquatic plants and charcoal have the potential to purify water. Society can benefit from this information by utilizing it to purify water. For example, aquatic plants can purify bodies of water,