The Use Of Citric Acid From Citrus Fruits As Substitute For Weak Electrolyte In Conductance Measurement

Conductance measurement has found a wide range of applications in the chemical industries. One of such measurements involves titration of strong electrolyte and weak electrolyte. Conductance measurement of strong electrolyte (Sodium chloride, NaCl) and weak electrolyte (Acetic acid, CH3COOH) from their graphical analysis showed a positive correlation coefficient (r) which is an indication that a linear relationship does exist according to Kohlrausch law for strong electrolyte, and Oswald dilution law for weak electrolyte. The pH and conductivity readings of the citrus investigated (orange, grape, lime, lemon, and tangerine) were used to compute the concentration, molar conductivity, and 1/Ʌ respectively which was later used for the correlation and graphical analysis. The correlation coefficient (r) showed a strong positive correlation for all the citrus investigated and was significant except for orange that showed a weak positive correlation (r = 0.2798) which was not significant. This is an indication that a strong linear relationship does exist for all the citrus investigated as proposed by Oswald dilution law for weak electrolyte except orange. Citric acid was found to be concentrated in lime and lemon and citrus fruits can conduct electric current.