In a lab experiment, we experimented with 1% glucose solution and Sorenson's solution to determine pH levels and whatnot; the other part of the lab was to determine which one, if either, was a buffering solution. According to the notes my instructor gave us, a buffers are mixtures of chemicals (a weak acid and its conjugate base) that prevent a change in the number of available hydrogen ions or hydroxyl ions in solution (in other words, it helps maintain the pH of the solution.)
So we first measured the pH of the 1% glucose solution after every 10 mL of HCl added until there were 50 mL of HCl added total. We then did the same thing, but instead of glucose we used Sorenson's solution, and added HCl to that until 50 mL total were added. The thing that confused me though was that the pH level of each solution rose at somewhat the same increments as each other. Should this have happened? Because I don't see how one could determine which one was a buffering solution just based off of these numbers because they both rose at almost the same rate.
Your going to have to take a look at a titration curve to understand what you did. But providing your data may allow someone to give you a better answer.
I had to think about your question for a bit. Usually, you add a strong base to see an increase in the pH for a titration, but in this experiment you added a strong acid and saw an increase in the pH; this should not have been the case. It seems as though you were adding a strong acid to a basic buffer solution and you should have seen small decreases in the pH, because the buffer shifts the equilibrium to resist the change in pH. I believe what you were measuring is the pOH, which should have increased with the addition of the strong acid, but only incrementally. I am not sure because you did not provide data, but your experiment was to see which solution was a better basic buffer. If that is the case, then the one that resisted the change in the pOH.
To determine whether a solution is a buffering solution, you need to understand how buffers work. A buffer is made up of a weak acid and its conjugate base. When a strong acid or base is added to a buffer solution, the buffer components react with the added acid or base to minimize changes in pH.
In your experiment, you compared the pH changes of the 1% glucose solution and Sorenson's solution when HCl was added. To determine which one, if any, is a buffering solution, you should have observed that one of the solutions experienced less of a change in pH compared to the other. This would indicate the presence of a buffer system.
From what you described, if both solutions exhibited a similar rise in pH at almost the same rate, it suggests that neither solution acted as a buffering solution in response to the addition of HCl. This could be due to the absence of a weak acid and its conjugate base in both solutions, or the concentration of the buffer components might not have been sufficient to prevent changes in pH.
To accurately determine if either solution is a buffering solution, you can consider performing an additional test. Try adding a small amount of a strong acid or base (such as a drop of 0.1 M HCl or NaOH) to both solutions and monitor the change in pH. If one of the solutions resists changes in pH, it suggests the presence of a buffering system.
Remember, a buffering solution should show minimal changes in pH with the addition of small amounts of acids or bases. If both solutions consistently show significant pH changes, it indicates the absence of buffering capacity.