EXPERIMENT NO.

- 7

AIM:-

To determine the hardness of the given sample of water.

APPARATUS:-

Burette, pipette, conical flasks, funnel, beaker, stand etc.

MATERIALS:-

Ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (E. D. T.A.), chrome black T, buffer solution.

THEORY:-

Hard water are generally those waters that require considerable amount of soap to produce foam , produce
scale in hot water , pipes , heaters, boilers , and other units . Hardness is not objectionable from the point
of view of public health within some unit which are always high than that what normally the water
having. But it is the major problem for the industry as hard water from scale in boilers. They have to treat
the water to get zero hardness .For consumers hard water becomes uneconomical as it consumed more
soap and fuels.

It is derived largely from soil on which or through it waters flows. The salts of subsurface or rock
formation dissolve in it giving hardness. It is mainly caused by bi-carbonate, carbonates, sulphates, and
other compound of calcium and magnesium. But calcium compounds are the great source of hardness.
Generally surface is softer than the ground water, as ground water is flowing through various strata
having lime stone.

It is normally expressed in terms of cocoa .Methods used for determination of

hardness are as follows:-

a) By calculation

b) Complex metric or EDTA method.

But for this special case last method is adopted .In this method the sample is titrated
against EDTA. The divalent cations cause the total hardness combining with organic compound
EDTA to form stable complex ions.

M++ + EDTA (MEDTA) complex

To know all the ion causing hardness have been complexed or not indicator “chrome black T” is used

M++ + C.B.T. (M.CBT)

 (MCBT) gives wine red complex colour. The change point of the titration is distinct blue colour from
wine red colour. The sharpness of end point increases with increase in pH value but at higher pH value
CACO3 and Mg(OH)2 of the divalent ions will be precipitated and indicators also changes colour . To
maintain the pH value constant buffers are added. The titration should be completed within 5 min. in
order to minimize the tendency of formation of precipitates.

PROCEDURE:-

1. 25 ml of the sample was pipette into flask and diluted with 25 ml of distill water. Buffer solution
NH4 OH was added to maintain pH at above 10.

2. Chrome black T was added to the sample giving wine red colour.

3. Then it is thoroughly shaken.

4. Then it is titrated against EDTA until appearance of blue colour.

5. Read the reading of the burette and find the amount of EDTA used.

CONCLUSION:-

The hardness of the given sample is 112.00 ppm .Both U.S.P.H.S. and W.H.O. does not specify any rigid
units. Generally from 0 to 50 ppm hardness containing water is said to be soft, b/w 50 to 100 moderate
and b/w 100 to 200 ppm hard water. So water in this case is moderate.

OBSERVATION AND CALCULATIONS:-

Observation Burette reading Mean

No. Initial Final Difference Difference

1.
2.
3.

Hardness as ppm of CACO3 = ml of EDTA X 1000/ ml of sample = ppm .