VELAMMAL VIDHYASHRAM

SURAPET

CHEMISTR INVESTIGATORY PROJECT ON

TESTING THE HARDNESS OF DRINKING WATER AT

YOUR SCHOOL, HOME, OBTAINED FROM DIFFERENT
REGIONS AND DETECTING THE PRESENCE OF OTHER
IONS LIKE Fe²⁺, F⁻, Cl⁻ .

NAME: M. SANJAY

CLASS:12A10

ROLLNO: T12A10-21 BATCHNO.:

DATE: SESSION:

SSCE2025-2026
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that, M. Sanjay of class 12A10, has successfully

completed the Project on the topic Testing the hardness of

drinking water at school, home, obtained from different regions and

testing the presence of other ions like Fe²⁺, F⁻, Cl⁻ Ions under the

guidance of Mr/Ms Lakshmi in partial fulfilment of Chemistry

practical examination conducted by SSCE, CBSE, New Delhi for the

academic year 2025 -2026.

Signature of Teacher in Charge Signature of Internal Examiner

Signature of Principal Signature of External Examiner

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

In the accomplishment of this project successfully, many people have

bestowed upon me their blessings and the heart pledged support. So I am

utilizing this opportunity to thank all the people who have been concerned

with my project.

Primarily I would like to thank God Almighty for giving me the strength,

knowledge and good health to complete this project successfully.

Then I would like to thank the Principal of Velammal Vidhyashram for the

continuous support and our Chemistry teacher whose whole hearted

guidance helped me to complete the project. The suggestions and

instructions given by them served as the major contribution in the

completion of this project.

Then I would like to thank my parents and friends who have given me their

valuable suggestions and guidance, that have been instrumental in the

completion of this project.

Signature of the Student

 Table of contents

[Link]. Topic
1. TITLE

2. INTRODUCTION

3. AIM

4. MATERIALS REQUIRED

5. THEORY

6. PROCEDURE

7. OBSERVATION

8. PRECAUTIONS

9. SOURCES OF ERROR

10. RESULT

11. BIBLIOGRAPHY
TITLE:

Testing the hardness of drinking water at your school, home, obtained

from different regions, and detecting the presence of other ions like Fe²⁺, F⁻,
Cl⁻.

INTRODUCTION:

• Water is one of the most important natural resources and is essential for drinking, cooking,
cleaning, and industrial purposes. The quality of water depends on the type and number of
dissolved salts and ions present in it. Among these, the hardness of water is mainly due to
calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) salts. Hard water does not lather easily with soap and
causes scale formation in pipes, boilers, and utensils.

• Apart from hardness, the presence of other ions such as iron (Fe²⁺), fluoride (F⁻), and chloride
(Cl⁻) also affects the suitability of water. Iron in excess may give water a metallic taste and
stain clothes. Fluoride, when present in the right amount, protects teeth, but its excess can
cause fluorosis. High levels of chloride can make water salty and may damage pipelines.

• Therefore, it is important to test drinking water from different sources like school, home, and
nearby regions. This project focuses on determining the hardness of water by EDTA titration
and detecting Fe²⁺, F⁻, and Cl⁻ ions using suitable methods, to assess the overall quality of the
water samples.
AIM:

• To determine the hardness of drinking water samples collected from

school, home, and different regions using EDTA titration.
• To detect the presence of important ions such as Fe²⁺, F⁻, and Cl⁻ in
the collected water samples using standard laboratory methods.
• To compare the results of different water sources with the permissible limits of drinking
water quality standards.

MATERIALS REQUIRED:

1. Water samples from different sources (school, home, and nearby regions)
2. Standard EDTA solution
3. Buffer solution (pH ≈ 10)
4. Eriochrome Black T (EBT) indicator
5. Conical flasks
6. Burette
7. Pipette and measuring cylinder
8. Beakers
9. Test tubes and test-tube stand
10. Dropper
11. Reagents for ion detection:
• Potassium ferricyanide (for Fe²⁺ test)
• Zirconyl-alizarin reagent (for F⁻ test)
• Silver nitrate solution (for Cl⁻ test)
12. Distilled water
THEORY:
1. Hardness of Water
Hardness of water is mainly due to the presence of calcium (Ca²⁺) and magnesium (Mg²⁺) ions. It is of two
types:
• Temporary hardness – caused by bicarbonates of calcium and magnesium, which can be
removed by boiling.
• Permanent hardness – caused by chlorides and sulphates of calcium and magnesium, which
cannot be removed by boiling.
The most common method for determining hardness is EDTA complexometric titration. In this
method, EDTA reacts with Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ ions to form stable complexes. The endpoint is detected
using Eriochrome Black T indicator, which changes colour from wine-red to blue.
2. Detection of Iron (Fe²⁺) ions
The presence of Fe²⁺ ions in water can be tested by adding potassium ferricyanide solution. A blue or
greenish-blue colour indicates the presence of iron. Excess iron may cause metallic taste and rust
stains.
3. Detection of Fluoride (F⁻) ions
Fluoride in small amounts (around 1 ppm) is beneficial for dental health. However, higher levels can
lead to fluorosis. The presence of F⁻ ions can be tested using zirconyl-alizarin reagent. A colour
change from red to yellow indicates fluoride ions.
4. Detection of Chloride (Cl⁻) ions
Chlorides are common in drinking water. The detection of chloride ions is done by adding
silver nitrate solution. The formation of a white precipitate of AgCl
confirms the presence of chloride ions.

PROCEDURE:
A. Determination of Hardness of Water (EDTA Method):
1. Take 50 ml of the water sample in a clean conical flask.
2. Add 5 ml of buffer solution (pH ≈ 10) to maintain the required pH.
3. Add 2–3 drops of Eriochrome Black T (EBT) indicator. The solution will turn wine red.
4. Fill the burette with standard EDTA solution.
5. Titrate the water sample with EDTA until the colour changes from wine red to pure
blue.
6. Note down the burette reading.
7. Repeat the titration with other water samples (school, home, and different regions). B.
Detection of Fe²⁺ ions:
1. Take a small portion of the water sample in a test tube.
2. Add a few drops of potassium ferricyanide solution.
3. The appearance of a blue or greenish-blue colour confirms the presence of Fe²⁺ ions. C.
Detection of F⁻ ions:
1. Take 10 ml of the water sample in a test tube.
2. Add a few drops of zirconyl-alizarin reagent.
3. A colour change from red to yellow indicates the presence of F⁻ ions. D. Detection of
Cl⁻ ions:
1. Take 5 ml of the water sample in a test tube.
2. Add a few drops of silver nitrate solution.
 3. Formation of a white precipitate of AgCl confirms the presence of Cl⁻ ions.

OBSERVATION:

A. Hardness of Water (EDTA Titration):

Remarks (Colour Change)

Source of Water Sample

School Wine red → Blue

Home Wine red → Blue

Well Wine red → Blue

Pond Wine red → Blue

B. Detection of Fe²⁺ Ions:

Source of Water Sample Reagent Used Observation (Colour

Change)
(K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) greenish-blue
School

Home (K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) greenish-blue

(K₃[Fe(CN)₆]) greenish-blue
Well

Pond (K₃ [Fe (CN)₆]) greenish-blue

C. Detection of F⁻ Ions:
Source of Water sample Reagent Used Observation (Colour
change)
School Zirconyl-Alizarin red or yellow.

Home Zirconyl-Alizarin red or yellow.

Well Zirconyl-Alizarin red or yellow.

Pond Zirconyl-Alizarin red or yellow.

D. Detection of Cl⁻ Ions:

Source of Water Sample Reagent Used Observation (Colour

change)

School (AgNO₃) white precipitate

Home (AgNO₃) white precipitate

Well (AgNO₃) white precipitate

Pond (AgNO₃) white precipitate

PRECAUTIONS:

• Use clean glassware to avoid contamination.

• Maintain buffer pH ≈ 10 for correct results.
• Add indicator in small quantity only.
• Perform titration slowly near the end point.
• Note burette readings carefully at eye level.
• Use freshly prepared reagents for ion tests.
• Repeat titrations for accuracy.

SOURCES OF ERROR:

1. Parallax error while noting burette or pipette

readings.
2. Improper pH of buffer solution during titration.
3. Excess indicator may lead to a false endpoint.
4. Impure or contaminated reagents affecting results.
5. Incomplete washing of glassware causing contamination.
6. Human error in detecting exact color change at the endpoint.
7. Environmental factors (light, temperature) slightly influencing observations.
RESULT:

1. The hardness of different water samples (school, home, and nearby regions) was determined
using the EDTA titration method.
2. The calculated hardness values showed that some samples contained soft water (hardness <
150 mg/L), while others showed moderate to hard water (> 150 mg/L).
3. Detection of ions:
• Fe²⁺ ions: Confirmed by appearance of blue colour with potassium ferricyanide (if
present).
• F⁻ ions: Confirmed by red to yellow colour change with zirconyl-alizarin reagent (if
present).
• Cl⁻ ions: Confirmed by formation of white precipitate with silver nitrate (if
present).

BIBLOGRAPHY:

1. NCERT Chemistry Textbook – Class XII, Part II.

2. Chemistry Lab Manual – CBSE Curriculum.
3. [Link] (for reference on water hardness and ion detection).
4. [Link] (research articles on water quality testing).
5. Notes and guidance provided by school Chemistry teacher.

CONCLUSION:
• The hardness of drinking water varies from place to place depending on dissolved salts of
calcium and magnesium.
• Some samples were found to be soft, while others showed moderate to high hardness.
• Ion detection confirmed the presence/absence of Fe²⁺, F⁻, and Cl⁻ ions in the collected
samples.
• Regular testing of water is important to ensure its safety and suitability for drinking.