Our project deals with the pH levels, we make an artificial rainbow to measure the acidity levels of pH. On the rainbow tube it is measured strong and weak acids. The pH was introduced by Sorem Peder Lauritz, a Danish chemist in 1909, and over the years until 1924 the pH got a definite measurement . The meaning of pH is power of hydrogen. . In the pH rainbow tube we created, some colors were observed to have formed, and each color has an acidity. If it's red, the pH is 4.0, orange is pH of 5.0, yellow is a pH of 6.0, light green is a pH of 7.0, dark green is a pH of 8.0, Blue is a pH of 9.0, and Purple has a pH of 10, pH was the slow changeover from the old color-change tests for indicating the degree of acidity or basicity to electrical methods. pH will affect the rate a solution is made, and on our environment many reaction s occur. pH, affects everything that surrounds us, the air, the plants, our body, the oceans, in summary all of our ecosystem. "pH affects most chemical and biological processes in water, and it is one of the most important environmental factors limiting the distribution of species in aquatic habitats. Different species flourish within different ranges of pH, with the optima for most aquatic organisms falling between pH 6.5-8. U.S. EPA water quality criteria for pH in freshwater suggest a range of 6.5 to 9. Fluctuating pH or sustained pH outside this range reduces biological diversity in streams because it physiologically stresses many species and can result in decreased reproduction, decreased growth, disease, or death.
Even small changes in pH can shift community composition in streams because pH alters the chemical state of many pollutants, such as copper and ammonia, changing their solubility, transport, or bioavailability. This can increase exposure to and toxicity of metals and nutrients to aquatic plants and animals."
Information received from: http://www.epa.gov/caddis/ssr_ph_int.html