Lactic Acid Test Lab Report

A table to show the pH of certain solutions

Solution Test 1 Test 2 Test 3 Average

Distilled water 7.7 7.9 7.8 7.8

2.5 g NaHCO3 (Sodium bicarbonate) 8.1 8.3 8.3 8.2

10ml of 0.85% lactic acid 3.1 3.2 2.9 3.1

5g NaHCO3 (Sodium bicarbonate) 8.1 7.9 8 8

Dry ice 4 4.1 4.2 4.1

Solid NH4Cl 6 6.8 6.5 6.4

0.1M HCl 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.4

Compare the increase or decrease of pH in different solutions to the pH of the distilled water.

According to the research done in the Literature Review, acidosis is usually caused by a buildup of lactic acid in the body due to muscle exertion. In comparison to the average pH of the distilled water, the average pH of the lactic acid solution decreased significantly in pH.

Similarly, acidosis is caused when there is a buildup

In comparison to the average pH of the distilled water, the average pH of the HCl solution has decreased the most out of the solutions tested, which proves that an increase in this acid in the body raises the pH of the blood.

In order to determine whether excessive crying increases or decreases the pH of the blood, one needs to analyse the readings of the solution containing the dry ice This solution will give an accurate conclusion because when one cries excessively, the person tends to hyperventilate which causes a lack of carbon dioxide in the body. Due to the lack of carbon dioxide in the body, it opposes the results obtained, which shows that excessive crying increases the pH of the blood and therefore causes alkalosis.

Similarly, severe asthma causes shortness of breath which in theory decreases the CO2 in the body. Looking at the results as well as the findings for the mechanism of severe crying, one can see that the shortness of breath cause by severe asthma causes alkalosis, which is when the pH of the blood is too

Antacids are taken in order to neutralize the acids in your stomach to prevent heartburn. Looking at the results, one can see that the key component of antacid composition, NaHCO3, increases the pH of the blood because it forms a base and a weak acid that won’t affect the pH. In turn, taking a few antacids are fine because the body will counteract the mechanism by decreasing the pH of the blood, but if one takes too many antacids, the body won’t handle the change and will then allow the pH of the blood to increase, causing alkalosis.

The use of an IV injection of lactated ringers is a definite cause of alkalosis because the injections counteract acidosis caused by renal failure as well as an increase of acids in the body. When looking at the results, one can see that an increase in the acidic salt, NH4Cl, increases the pH so in theory, the lactated ringer injections need to counteract this. This then proves that the IV injections of lactated ringers in excess will cause alkalosis. One needs to take caution when administering this as an increase in lactate in the body is not