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Chemistry IA –Risma Remsudeen

Research Question:
How does an increase in temperature (from 30°C to 70°C at 10°C intervals) affect
the concentration of dissolved oxygen (in ppm) in 250.0 cm3 tap water heated in a
water bath for 300 seconds as measured by the number of moles of sodium
thiosulfate reacted in an iodine-­­sodium thiosulfate titration of the Winkler’s
method.

Introduction:
I have always been learning how global warming is taking place and how it causes a rise
in air and water temperature that leads to a high mortality rate of organisms. Due to my
passion for Ecology, I often read blogs and articles related to this topic. A recent blog I
read highlighted the issue of the high mortality rate due to a rise in temperature with an
example of salmon, my favourite fish. It stated that one reason for endangered species of
salmon especially in dams are due to its increase in temperature (Ives, 2017). According
to the blog, more than 250,000 sockeye salmon died as a result of increase in
temperature during last summer (Ives, 2017). Although I was aware that temperature
would affect the metabolic reactions in the living body, I only recently realised that there
were other factors why temperature would kill an aquatic species. This included the
depletion of dissolved oxygen levels in water with high temperatures
(Climatehotmap.org, 2011). This made me curious to find the relationship of
temperature and dissolved oxygen levels.

Background Information
Oxygen in Water
Free oxygen molecules present between water molecules in water are referred to as
dissolved oxygen (Environmental Measurement Systems, 2016).
Oxygen molecule has a symmetrical structure as shown in figure 1(a) and as a result, it is
non-­­polar. Yet, a London dispersion force and an induced dipole force is formed between
the free Oxygen molecule and the water molecule. This is because water molecule is
polar. Due to the high electronegativity of the Oxygen atom in the water molecule
compared to the hydrogen atoms, the shared electrons are more closer to the nucleus of
the Oxygen atom in Water than the hydrogen nuclei. Thus, the water molecule has a
negative dipole near the Oxygen atom and a positive dipole near the Hydrogen atom.
This polarity of water induces dipoles in the free Oxygen molecules due to random
movement of electrons in the molecule (Congress, 2016) as shown in Figure 1 (b).

Figure 1: Molecular Structure of Oxygen and Water molecules and the formation of LDF
(Congress, 2016)
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Winkler’s Method: (FISH 503 Advanced Limnology, 2017)
The Winkler’s method uses redox titration of Iodine and sodium thiosulfate in order to
measure dissolved oxygen levels in a solution (typically water). This method was used
due to the changes in colour that could help to easily identify the reaction of the
colourless oxygen (Web.colby.edu, n.d.). It indirectly measures the concentration of
dissolved oxygen through a series of reduction and oxidation reactions by using a fixed
ratio of the number of moles of the reagents in a stoichiometric calculation. The three
stages to the analysis are:

1. Manganese ion in a manganese salt (eg: manganese sulfate) is oxidized with the
hydroxide ion in an alkali (eg: alkaline potassium iodide) and the dissolved free oxygen
in the water to form manganese (II) oxide that appears as a black precipitate.
(Highlighted in yellow in the equation below)
2Mn2+(aq) + 4OH-­­(aq) + O2 (g)  2MnO2 (s) + 2H2O (l)

2. Sulfuric acid is then added to ‘fix’ the number of moles of oxygen as it dissolves the
manganese (II) oxide which then immediately is reduced by iodide ions from the
alkaline potassium iodide and the H+ ions in the sulfuric acid forming Iodine, changing
the colour of the solution to yellow-­­brown. (Highlighted in blue in the equation).
2MnO2 (s) + 4I-­­(aq) + 8H+(aq)  2Mn2+(aq) + 2I2 (s) + 4H2O (l)
The number of moles of Oxygen is now fixed.

3. The iodine formed in the reaction is then titrated with Sodium thiosulfate with the
thiosulfate ion which oxidizes iodine. As starch is an indicator of Iodine as it turns blue-­­
black in the presence of Iodine, starch is used in order to identify the volume of sodium
thiosulfate required to oxidize all the iodine molecules present in the solution.
4S2O32-­­ + 2I2  2S4O62-­­ + 4I-­­
By carrying out stoichiometric calculations using the volume of Sodium thiosulfate used
to calculate the volume of iodine liberated in step 2 and the manganese oxide produced
in step 1, the number of moles of Oxygen dissolved in water can be calculated leading to
the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water.

By combining the three equations given above, the stoichiometric ratio of the thiosulfate
ion and Oxygen is found to be 4:1 and this is therefore used to find the number of moles
of Oxygen that is dissolved in water and reacts with Manganese sulfate.

Variables:
Independent Variable: Temperature of 250.0cm3 tap water
-­­ The temperature is set by an electrical water bath at 30°C, 40°C, 50°C, 60°C and
70°C and was then checked using a thermometer just before reactants
(Manganese (II) Sulfate and Alkaline Potassium Iodide) were added.
-­­ A control apparatus was also set at room temperature of 25°C.
The room temperature was ensured to stay the same by setting a fixed
temperature using the air conditioner and by measuring the temperature of the
solution using a thermometer in between the experiments.

Dependent Variable: The amount of Oxygen dissolved in the tap water.

-­­ This is measured using the iodine-­­sodium thiosulfate titration in Winkler’s
method.
-­­ The amount of oxygen dissolved in the tap water can be calculated using the
volume of sodium thiosulfate that was reacted in the titration. (See
‘Calculations’)
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Control Variables:
Control How is it controlled?
Variables
Time the water The samples were kept in
samples were a water bath for 300
heated for seconds at the desired
temperature, measured
using a stopwatch.
Volume of 2 cm3 of 0.5 moldm-­­3
MnSO4 and MnSO4 and 2 cm3 solution
Alkaline KI of 0.5 moldm-­­3 alkaline KI
solutions added was added to each sample
to the sample using a graduated
volumetric pipette
Concentration of 0.5 moldm-­­3 MnSO4, 0.5
MnSO4 and moldm-­­3 KI and 0.5
Alkaline KI moldm-­­3 KOH were used
added to the throughout the
samples experiment.
Volume of 2cm3 sulfuric acid was
concentrated added to the samples
sulfuric acid using a 2 cm3 Pasteur glass
added to the pipette.
samples
Mass of Starch 1g starch was added to the
added to the yellow-­­brown solution
samples during the titration
Volume of Water 250.0 cm3 water was
used as samples measured using a
measuring cylinder
Type of water Tap water was used as
used water samples.
Environmental The experiment was
Pressure conducted in a controlled
lab with the pressure held
constant at 100kPa with a
set room temperature
fixed by an air conditioner
and by closing the
windows in the lab.
3
Why is it controlled?
Different amounts of heat (due to the
heating time) provided to the sample
may affect the dissolved oxygen in the
samples
A difference in the volume of MnSO4
and alkaline KI would result in an
unknown number of moles of iodine
that reacts in the titration. This would
make it impossible to find the moles
of dissolved oxygen in water using
stoichiometric coefficients in
reactions.
A difference in the concentration of
MnSO4 and alkaline KI would result in
the same effect as that of a difference
in volume of the solutions.
Although sulfuric acid can be added
in excess, it is important to keep the
volume similar across all the samples
to avoid difference in the total volume
of the solution which can affect the
concentration of Oxygen.
To keep the intensity of the colour of
the solution same in order to avoid a
difference in colour subjectivity.
With different volumes of water,
there would be a difference in the
number of moles of Oxygen dissolved
in the water which could impact the
concentration but there could also be
a difference in the amount of heat
absorbed with different amounts of
water.
Different types of water: whether
distilled or tap, have different
concentrations of Oxygen. Tap water
is known to have more oxygen
dissolved than distilled water.
With an increase in pressure,
solubility of Oxygen increases.
Therefore, pressure had to be kept
constant in order to avoid factors
other than temperature affecting the
solubility of Oxygen in water.
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Method:
This method has been adapted from the method used by the University of Idaho (FISH
503 Advanced Limnology, 2017) and the Montana State University (Environmental
Sampling, 2017). However, few changes were made due to certain problems that had to
be overcome:
-­­ 250cm3 Erlenmeyer flasks were used instead of BOD bottles as the BOD bottles
were not available (It was known that Erlenmeyer flasks cannot replace BOD
bottles although they were the best alternative that could have been used). When
doing this, I had to make sure that the flasks were kept closed most of the time.
-­­ Concentrations of the reagents were all changed from the method by University
of Idaho due to a preliminary experiment that was conducted where 0.5 moldm-­­3
manganese sulfate, 0.5 moldm-­­3 alkali potassium iodide and 0.05moldm-­­3 sodium
thiosulfate worked the best giving desirable results for the experiment. (There
were problems in finding the most suitable concentrations during the
preliminary experiment as many concentrations did not give enough changes in
colour and the final value after titration that was big enough to be graphed.)
-­­ Alkali potassium iodide (with potassium hydroxide) was used instead of alkali
iodide-­­azide as it served the purpose of the original reagent.

Preparation of the Standard Solutions and setting up of the titration apparatus:

1. On a top-­­pan balance, place a weighing boat and press ‘tare’. Measure 21.13g
manganese sulfate by adding it onto the weighing boat using a spatula.
2. In a 250cm3 volumetric flask, add the measured manganese sulphate and rinse
the weighing boat and the spatula with distilled water and pour it into the flask.
Add distilled water until the solution level reaches more than half of the curved
bottom. Make sure the level does not reach the neck of the flask.
3. Invert the flask several times until all the manganese sulphate powder has
dissolved. Add distilled water until the meniscus reaches the reference line on the
flask. 0.5moldm-­­3 manganese sulphate standard solution is prepared.
4. Repeat steps 1 to 3 with 20.75g Potassium iodide and 7.01g potassium hydroxide
added to another volumetric flask.
5. Repeat steps 1 to 3 for 3.1g Sodium thiosulfate to form 0.05moldm-­­3 sodium
thiosulfate solution.
6. For the titration apparatus, clamp a 50.00cm3 burette onto a clamp stand.
7. Rinse the burette with 30.00 cm3 sodium thiosulfate solution that was prepared.
Fill it with the 0.05moldm-­­3 sodium thiosulfate solution.

Heating the water samples:

8. Collect 250cm3 tap water using a 500cm3
measuring cylinder and pour it into an
Erlenmeyer’s flask. Ensure that the lid is closed as
soon as possible.
9. Fill half of an electrical water bath with tap water
and set it to 30°C (Safety: Do not touch the inside
of the water bath with hands directly). Wait until
the water bath heats up to the temperature set and
check the temperature using a thermometer.
10. Place the water sample in the flask in the water
bath and set a timer to 300 seconds. Figure 2: Water sample
11. Remove the water sample after 300 seconds. collected in a 250cm3
(Safety: Use a heat resistant rubber glove to take Erlenmeyer's flask
the flasks out)
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Reacting and fixing the dissolved Oxygen:
12. Using a graduated pipette, carefully transfer 2cm3 manganese sulfate to the water
sample. Ensure that the tip of the pipette is slightly below the surface level of the
water sample so that air is not introduced when
transferring.
13. Repeat step 12 with 2 cm3alkali potassium iodide
solution.
14. Close the flask with the lid and shake the mixture
until brown precipitates are visible.
15. Using a Pasteur Glass Pipette of 2 cm3, add 2 cm3 of
concentrated sulfuric acid. Ensure that the pipette
tip is just above the surface of the sample to avoid
introduction of Oxygen. Close the flask and invert
it many times until the precipitates dissolve as
shown in figure 3.
Figure 3: Sample after fixing
Titration:
the dissolved oxygen shown by
16. Place the solution in the Erlenmeyer’s flask under the dissolving of precipitate
the burette and note down the initial reading on
the burette. Now add the sodium thiosulfate
solution drop by drop until the brown colour in the solution becomes yellow.
17. Add 1g of Starch weighed using the top pan balance (as described in step 1).
18. Swirl the flask until the solution turns to a blue-­­black colour as shown in figure 4.
19. Continue adding the sodium thiosulfate solution drop by drop until the blue-­­
black colour disappears as shown in Figure 5
20. Note the final reading in the burette.
21. Repeat steps 8 to 20 with 40°C, 50°C, 60°C and 70°C and also repeat each
temperature 2 more times to get 3 results for each temperature.

Figure 4: End-­­point
Figure 5: Sample when colour of the titration
1g starch was added

Safety Issues:
1. According to Cleapps (Student Safety Sheet, 2016), Conc. Sulfuric Acid is
corrosive and can cause burns such that gloves must be worn when using the
sulfuric acid. In case of spill on the skin, quickly use a dry cloth to wipe the acid
and then wash with plenty of water. (Student Safety Sheet, 2016),
2. When heating the flasks in the water bath, take care as it may be hot. Do not
touch the water in the water bath nor on the sides of the water bath with bare
hands. Use heat resistant rubber gloves to take the flasks out of the water bath.
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Ethical Issue
A lot of water has been used in this experiment such that water that may have been
particularly in need by people in dry parts of the world is wasted. In order to handle this
issue, use a less volume of water for the sample to be tested.

Environmental Issue
A water bath was used which consumed a lot of energy. In order to deal with
environmental issues, turn off the water bath when it is not needed.

Raw Data
Table 1: Table showing all the measurements of the control variables

Concentration of the standard solution of MnSO4 /moldm-­­3 (±0) 0.50

Concentration of the standard solution of alkaline KI /moldm-­­3 (±0) 0.50
Concentration of the standard solution of sodium thiosulfate /moldm (±0)-­­3 0.05
Volume of tap water used as samples /cm (±2.5)3 250.0
Volume of Sulfuric Acid /cm3 (±0)** 2
Mass of Starch in each sample/ g (±0.01) 1.00
Time for heated the samples / s (±0.1) 600.0
Note: The concentrations of the standard solutions made (Manganese sulfate, Alkaline
potassium iodide and sodium thiosulfate) are given in table 1 instead of mass of the
chemicals used and the volume of water used to dilute it as the standard solutions are
pre-­­prepared solutions. Thus, it is also assumed that the uncertainties of the
concentrations of all standard solutions are ±0 moldm-­­3
** The uncertainty of the Pasteur glass pipette used for sulfuric acid is unknown and is
assumed to be ±0. Sulfuric acid is added in excess and uncertainty is not necessary.
Table 2: Raw data table for the titration in the Winkler's method

Temperature Volume of sodium thiosulfate that reacted in the titration/ cm3 (±0.05)
of the Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
sample /°C Initial Final Initial Final Initial Final
(±0.1) Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading
25.0* 15.20 18.90 32.60 36.70 17.40 21.30
30.0 3.10 5.90 13.70 17.30 22.40 26.20
40.0 7.30 11.00 17.40 21.30 29.70 33.20
50.0 26.20 29.70 25.70 29.30 36.50 40.00
60.0 29.40 32.60 7.60 11.10 19.40 22.60
70.0 41.00 43.70 43.70 46.70 0.50 3.30
*This was a control test at Room Temperature
Note: The temperature of the sample reflects the raw data containing the lowest number
of significant figures. Therefore, all the values calculated are rounded to 3 significant
figures.

Qualitative Observations:
-­­ When the standard solutions were made, the volumetric flask felt hot, suggesting
that exothermic reactions were taking place. This may also suggest that heat was
lost during the experiment such that the temperature was not kept constant.
-­­ When manganese sulfate and alkaline potassium iodide were added to the water,
it turned brown and when kept shaking, it formed precipitate.
-­­ The precipitate dissolved when conc. Sulfuric acid was added as the solution
turned to a clear brown colour.
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-­­ When titrated with sodium thiosulfate, the solution turned yellow-­­brown and
adding starch changed the colour to blue-­­black indicating that the solution
contained Iodine. However, it was hard to identify the end point
-­­ When starch was added, it was insoluble in the solution such that it made it
difficult to judge whether the solution had changed its colour during titration.
-­­ At times, when sodium thiosulfate was added in titration, the reaction was slow
that made it difficult to identify the end-­­point.

Processed Data
Table 3: Processed data table to calculate the moles of sodium thiosulfate that reacted
with the iodine in the sample.

Temperature Volume of 0.05moldm-­­3 Na2S2O3 Average vol. of 0.05 Moles of Na2S2O3

of the sample used as the titre/ cm3 (±0.10) moldm-­­3 Na2S2O3 used in the samples
/C (±0.1) Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 as titre/cm3 (±0.10) (×10!! )/mol
25.0 3.70 4.10 3.90 3.90 1.95
30.0 2.80 3.60 3.80 3.70* 1.85
40.0 3.70 3.90 3.50 3.70 1.85
50.0 3.50 3.60 3.50 3.53 1.77
60.0 3.20 3.50 3.20 3.20* 1.60
70.0 2.70 3.00 2.80 2.83 1.42
*Note: The non-­­concordant values are disregarded when averaging. Concordant results
are the values within 0.20cm3 difference from each other.

Calculation of the absolute uncertainty in the header row:

The uncertainty in the header rows is calculated by adding the uncertainties of the
raw data involved in calculating the value. For instance, for the volume of the titre
used at each trial, the uncertainty is calculated by adding the uncertainties of the
‘initial reading’ and ‘final reading’ in the raw data table. Therefore, the uncertainty of
the volume of 0.05moldm-­­3 sodium thiosulfate used= 0.05+0.05=0.10.
(For the uncertainties of the average volume of sodium thiosulfate and moles of
thiosulfate, see ‘Uncertainty in Raw Data’)

Examples of Calculations:
Calculations for preparing the Standard Solutions:
The mass required to make the standard solution of Manganese sulfate, alkali
potassium iodide and sodium thiosulfate was calculated using their Mr.
For example, to prepare 0.5moldm-­­3 manganese sulfate which when hydrated has the
Mr. of 168.90 in a 250cm3 volumetric flask, the Mr. was divided by 4 (as 250cm3 = 1
dm3 divided by 4) and then by 2 (as we need 0.5moldm-­­3 ). This gives the required
mass as 21.13g.
Note: All examples given are for the trial done at the room temperature, 25°C
1. Volume of 0.05moldm-­­3 Na2S2O3 used as the tire: (Trial 1 at 25°C)
Volume of titre = final reading – initial reading
= 18.90 -­­ 15.20
= 3.70 dm3
2. Average Volume of 0.05moldm-­­3 Na2S2O3 used as titre:
Average volume = Sum of the concordant volumes in all the trials
Number of trials with concordant results
!.!"!!.!"!!.!"
= = 3.90 dm3
!
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3. Number of moles of Na2S2O3 in the samples
No. of moles = concentration × volume
Concentration of Na2S2O3 = 0.05 moldm-­­3
Moles = 0.05moldm-­­3 × 0.00390 dm3
= 0.000195mols = 1.95×10!! mols
4. Number of moles of oxygen in the sample
As mentioned in the background information, 4 moles of S2O32-­­ is used when
manganese sulfate reacts with 1 mole of O2.
Therefore, when 0.000195 moles of Na2S2O3 is used in the titration,
!.!!!"#$
= 4.88×10!! moles of O2 are present in the samples.
!

Table 4: Processed data table to calculate the concentration of dissolved Oxygen in water
at different temperatures.

Temperature Moles of Na2S2O3 Moles of Oxygen Mass of Concentration of

of the sample in the samples in the samples Oxygen in the dissolved Oxygen
/C (±0.1) (×10!! )/mol (×10!! )/ mol water / g in water /ppm
25.0 1.95 4.88 0.00156 6.24
30.0 1.85 4.63 0.00148 5.92
40.0 1.85 4.63 0.00148 5.92
50.0 1.77 4.43 0.00142 5.67
60.0 1.60 4.00 0.00128 5.12
70.0 1.42 3.55 0.00114 4.54

5 Mass of Oxygen in 250cm3 water sample:

Mass = Moles × Mr.
Mr. of O2 = 32.00 gmol-­­1 (taken from the IB data booklet)
Thus, mass of O2 = 4.88 ×10-­­5 × 32.00
= 1.56 ×10-­­3 g
6 Concentration of dissolved O2 in ppm:
Mass of O2 in mg = 1.56 mg
parts per million means mass of a solute in mg per 1 dm3 solution
!.!"!"
Therefore, concentration = = 6.24 ppm
!.!"!" !

Table 5: Uncertainty table to calculate the uncertainties in the raw data due to
precision of apparatus

Temp % Vol. of % Vol. of % Vol. of % Ave. % Total

eratur uncerWater unce MnSO4 unce Alkaline unce Vol. of unce %
e /C tainty
sample rtai / cm3 rtai KI /cm3 rtai Na2S2O rtai uncert
(±0.1) /% s/ cm3 nty/ (±0.05) nty/ (±0.05) nty/ 3 /cm3 nty/ ainty/
(±2.5) % % % (±0.10) % %
25.0 0.37 250.0 1.0 2.00 3 2.00 3 3.90 3 10
30.0 0.33 250.0 1.0 2.00 3 2.00 3 3.70 3 10
40.0 0.25 250.0 1.0 2.00 3 2.00 3 3.70 3 10
50.0 0.20 250.0 1.0 2.00 3 2.00 3 3.53 3 10
60.0 0.17 250.0 1.0 2.00 3 2.00 3 3.20 3 10
70.0 0.14 250.0 1.0 2.00 3 2.00 3 2.83 4 10
Average Percentage Uncertainty 10
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The percentage uncertainties have been rounded to 1 s.f if uncertainty > 2 and to 2s.f
if uncertainty < 2.
The percentage uncertainty is calculated by !"#$%&'( !"#$%&'("&) ×100
!"#$%&"'"() !"#$%
For example, for 25C,
Percentage uncertainty of the temperature = !.! ×100 = 0.37
!".!
The total percentage uncertainty is then calculated by adding all the separate
percentage uncertainties. For 25C, total % uncertainty = 0.37+1+3+3+3 = 10.37
which is then rounded to 10 (1s.f) as it is greater than 2.
For the total absolute uncertainty shown in table 6, the total percentage uncertainty
for each temperature is multiplied with the concentration of Oxygen in the samples
and then divided by 100
For example, for 25C, the absolute uncertainty = !" ×6.24 = 0.624
!""
The absolute uncertainty with the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the 250.0cm3
water sample at each temperature is shown in table 6.

Table 6: Table showing the absolute uncertainties for each of the concentrations
of dissolved oxygen in the sample at different temperatures.

Temperature of the Concentration of dissolved

sample /C (±0.1) oxygen in water /ppm
25.0 6.24±0.624
30.0 5.92±0.590
40.0 5.92±0.590
50.0 5.67±0.565
60.0 5.12±0.510
70.0 4.54±0.455
Figure 6: The relationship between temperature and the concentration of
dissolved Oxygen in water

6.5
Concentration of dissolved Oxygen/ppm

6 y = -­­0.0344x + 7.1448
R² = 0.91932

5.5

4.5

4
25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 70
Temperature/°C
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Analysis of the Graph:
The graph shows that as temperature increases, the concentration of dissolved oxygen
decreases. There is a strong, negative correlation between the variables as shown by the
R2 value of 0.91932 which is very close to 1. There are no clear outliers in the graph and
hence, my results seem accurate.

Conclusion
The results of this experiment supports my hypothesis and explanation given in the
introduction and background information. There is a strong negative correlation
between temperature and the concentration of dissolved oxygen in water. The
concentration at room temperature is 6.24 ppm which when heated to a temperature of
60°C becomes 5.12 ppm. This supports the explanation that as temperature increases,
the free dissolved oxygen molecules gain more kinetic energy such that they move
faster. This would lead to a lesser possibility for the induction of dipoles by the polar
water molecules such that the free oxygen molecules are liberated.

Furthermore, this data seems to be reliable as the graph has an R2 value of 0.91932, a
value very close to 1, suggesting the strong relationship between my variables. This
makes me very confident with the result.
In addition, the percentage uncertainty of the results is 10% which is not a very large
uncertainty. This further makes me confident with the result. However, the uncertainties
that are present, may be caused due to the limited amount of repeats and
methodological errors in my experiment (See Limitations and Improvements).

The theoretical value found in the website of the Environmental Protection Agency
(Archive.epa.gov, 2012) is 8.24 ppm at 25°C (the temperature of the control trials)
whereas in my experiment, I got 6.24 ppm at 25°C. This may suggest that my experiment
result is slightly different to the theoretical value such that it may indicate unreliability
of my results to some extent.

To calculate the percentage error in this result:

!!!"#!$%&'( !"#$%!!"#!$%&!'()* !"#$%
% error =
!!!"#!$%&'( !"#$%
x 100
8.24−6.24
= ×100
8.24
= 24.3%

Since my random error is 10% and my percentage error for the experiment is 22%, it
may mean that my systematic error for this experiment would be 24.3% -­­10% = 14.3%.
This % error seems reasonable considering all the limitations of the experiment (see
‘limitations’). For instance, although I calculated the concentration of dissolved oxygen
in each of the samples at different temperatures, the results would have been influenced
by the uncertainties due to the precision of apparatus that has low uncertainty. When
possible, apparatus with high precision such as a burette and a 10cm3 pipette was used
in order to reduce the effect of uncertainties on the results. Thus, I am fairly confident
with my results.
To conclude, the results show that as temperature increases, oxygen concentration in
water decreases which could be a reason for the extinction of aquatic species such as
salmon with an increase in temperature as a result of global warming. Thus, this
investigation shows that it is important to limit the increase in atmospheric temperature
so that aquatic species get access to dissolved oxygen.
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Strengths
The strengths of this experiment lies on controlling many of the control variables as
mentioned earlier and by using many precise apparatus such as burette and pipette to
eliminate the possibility of high uncertainties and random errors due to the precision of
the apparatus. Another strength would be the careful selection of the range with respect
to the context as mentioned in the introduction so that the research question is
answered within the context.

Limitations and Improvements

Limitations Significance
Number of Repeats High significance: Only 3 repeats
for each were done with some of the
temperature temperatures having only 2
concordant results. The random
error could have been minimized
with a greater number of repeats.
The use of High Significance: Use of the
Erlenmeyer’s flask Erlenmeyer’s flask may have
instead of BOD increased the possibility of oxygen
bottle entering the flask and the sample.
BOD bottles would have prevented
exposure of oxygen to the sample.
Oxygen exposure High Significance: Oxygen may
was not controlled have dissolved in water during the
perfectly experiment such as when titrating
and transferring of liquid
Heat was lost in the High Significance: Temperature
experiment may have fluctuated that when the
result was taken, the temperature
may not have been the one when it
was checked using a thermometer.
The oxygen was not High Significance: Temperature
fixed right when the may have changed and oxygen
flasks were taken solubility would have changed
out of the water before fixing the oxygen.
bath.
The water bath’s The temperature of the waterbath
temperature was fluctuated when it was opened to
inconsistent take flasks out. This would mean
that the samples were not heated
at a constant temperature for 300
seconds
The end point of the The end-­­point of the titration was
titration was prone to bias as sometimes, the
subjective colour seemed to be light blue-­­
black/ purple which also looked
white.
Improvements
Do more repeats for each
temperature with more
number of concordant
results.
Use a BOD for titration
using Winkler’s method
Use a BOD bottle for
titration and also ensure
that the flask is kept
closed most of the time
so that the exposure is
lowered.
Insulate the bottles and
keep the lid closed at all
times.
Do the experiment
quickly
Use a more precise
apparatus such as a hot
plate which can heat the
samples at a constant
temperature
Use a colour chart and
mark the colour so that
the decided end-­­colour
can be compared with
the other trials.
 ALL TEXTS BELONG TO OWNERS
TAKEN FROM https://internalassessments.wordpress.com/
Risma Remsudeen 12
Limitations Significance Improvements
Reaction occurred Sometimes, the colour of the Add the titre slowly and
slowly that there sample after adding sodium swirl after adding each
was a change in thiosulfate changed with time drop. Allow time for the
colour sometime suggesting that a slow reaction solution to change colour
after the addition of may be taking place. and ensure that the colour
sodium thiosulfate would not change before
during the titration. adding more titre or
recording the results.
Tap water may The ions may also affect the Use distilled water but
contain other ions. reactions in the Winkler’s pump Oxygen to the
method such that the results maximum so that it would
obtained may not be exactly for contain oxygen and would
the dissolved oxygen in the avoid any ions that can
water. affect the results.

Further Experiments
Further experiment that could be done could be to find the effect of other factors
such as salinity and pressure on the oxygen level in water as the world pollution
affects the salinity of water.

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