Name:

Date:

Subject:

Water Quality Testing

Objectives

Objective 1: ASWBAT describe what water quality testing is.

Objective 2: ASWBAT describe what pH and total dissolved solids (TDS) are and how they are measured.

Objective 2: ASWBAT perform a simple water quality test for pH and total dissolved solids.

On a scale of 1 – 3 how well can you meet this objective now.

(1 – Not at all 2 – I know it a little bit 3 – I know it very well)

Highlight your choice.

Objective: 1

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2

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Objective: 2

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Objective: 3

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3

Key Vocabulary Words

On a scale of 1 – 3 rate how well you know the vocabulary words below.

(1 – Not at all 2 – I know it a little bit 3– I know it very well)

Water Quality

1

2

3

Concentration Levels

1

2

3

Parts Per Million (ppm)

1

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3

pH Test (Acidity)

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3

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

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2

3

Pre-quiz

1. What is hydrology?

Answer:

2. What is the water cycle?

Answer:

Water Quality Testing

Water quality describes how safe your water is for drinking. The water we get in our homes is usually very safe to drink, but it almost always contains some contaminants. Water Contaminants are things that are in the water. They can be almost anything. Some examples are harmful bacteria, minerals, nitrates, or dissolved metals. Although your drinking water may look and taste good, it may contain harmful contaminants. While some contaminants at some concentration levels are considered safe, others may be capable of causing a wide range of health problems. For this reason, it is very important to know the amount and kinds of contaminants that are in your drinking water. You can find out how clean your water is by testing it. Water quality testing is a variety of tests that can tell you what’s in your drinking water.

1. What is water quality?

Answer:

2. What is a water contaminant?

Answer:

3. Name two examples of contaminants that may be found in your drinking water.

Answer:

4. What is water quality testing?

Answer:

Video: - Career Focus: Water Technician

Concentration Levels

Concentration level describes how much of a particular contaminant is in the water. Because contaminants can be harmful in small amounts, they are measured in parts per million. This can be abbreviated as ppm. This tells you how many parts of the contaminant there are per 1 gram of water. 1 ppm means that there is 1 millionth of a gram per gram of water. For example, if the amount of lead in the water is 6 parts per million, this means that for every gram of water there are 6 millionths of a gram of lead. So, if you had 10 grams of water there would be 60 millionths of a gram of lead. The higher the ppm the more of the contaminant there is in the water.

1ppm = 1/1,000,000g per 1g of water

1. What does concentration level tell you about the contaminant?

Answer:

2. What are contaminants in water measured in?

Answer:

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS)

Many different solids are dissolved in the water. These solids can be minerals, metals, or nutrients like nitrates or phosphates. Most of these solids are completely natural and some are the result of human activity like fertilizer run off from farms or pollutants from factories or from our homes. Most of these solids are completely harmless in small amounts, but some of them can become toxic at higher levels.

When you measure Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) you are measuring how much solid material is dissolved in the water. TDS is measured in ppm. You will almost never find water that has no dissolved solids. Most water has at least a little bit, even if it has been “purified”. Low TDS levels are harmless, but they can become harmful at high concentration levels. Over 500 ppm is considered dangerous.

Article: 6 Things that Shouldn’t Pollute Your Drinking Water

https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/six-things-shouldnt-pollute-your-drinking-water

TDS Levels Chart

1. What does Total Dissolved Solids measure?

Answer:

2. What is TDS measured in?

Answer:

3. What contamination level is considered dangerous for drinking water?

Answer:

Action! – Let’s test some water samples for Total Dissolved Solids.

Procedure

1. Unplug the electrode protective sleeve.

2. Press the ON/OFF button to turn meter on.

3. Place the electrode end of the meter in the water sample.

4. When the number stabilizes, press the HOLD button and take out of the sample.

5. Record the TDS number.

Water Sample

TDS (ppm)

Owen’s Tap Water

Gabe’s Tap Water

Office Tap Water

Drinking Fountain Water

pH (Acidity)

pH is a measure of how acidic/alkaline water is. The range goes from 0 - 14, with 7 being neutral. pH of less than 7 indicates acidity, where as a pH of greater than 7 indicates a base or alkalinity. pH is really a measure of the relative amount of free hydrogen and hydroxyl ions in the water.

1. What is pH?

Answer:

2. What is the range of numbers used to measure pH?

Answer:

3. What pH is considered neutral?

Answer:

4. If a liquid has a pH of less than 7, then it is acidic or alkaline?

Answer:

5. If a liquid has a pH of greater than 7, then it is acidic or alkaline?

Answer:

Video: pH Scale

https://www.brainpop.com/science/matterandchemistry/phscale/

Video: Acids and Bases https://www.brainpop.com/science/matterandchemistry/acidsandbases/

User: springstone

Pass: greatwhite

Action! – Let’s test the pH of several common liquids.

Procedure

1. Dip pH test strip into the liquid you are testing (The color will change instantly)

2. Remove the test strip.

3. Compare the color of the strip to the pH color chart.

4. The color will tell you the pH of the water.

5. Record your results in the data table.

Liquid

pH

Acid or Alkaline?

Tap Water

Ketchup

Salad Dressing

Heavy Cream

Apple Cider

Lemonade

pH Color Chart

Quiz

Directions: Answer the following questions to see if you met the objectives.

1. What is water quality?

Answer:

2. What is a water contaminant?

Answer:

3. What does concentration level tell you about the contaminant?

Answer:

4. What are contaminants in water measured in?

Answer:

5. What does Total Dissolved Solids measure?

Answer:

6. What is TDS measured in?

Answer:

7. What is pH?

Answer:

8. What is the range of numbers used to measure pH?

Answer:

9. What pH is considered neutral?

Answer:

10. If a liquid has a pH of less than 7, then it is acidic or alkaline?

Answer:

11. If a liquid has a pH of greater than 7, then it is acidic or alkaline?

Answer: