Is lab grade distilled water more guaranteed to be neutral pH? Because I tested some random distilled water from walmart and it was like 5.5. I then went down a rabbit hole and learned that distilled water is so pure that it just sucks up carbon from the air.
Not only the CO2, but also the glassware you put the water in for measuring can very significantly alter the pH. Some scientists I know systematically screened different, presumably clean, containers because of this effect before progressing with their experiments.
I had a labmate who insisted on ph testing distilled water. Not because he was concerned about contamination, but because it was part of the ritual.
Is lab grade distilled water more guaranteed to be neutral pH? Because I tested some random distilled water from walmart and it was like 5.5. I then went down a rabbit hole and learned that distilled water is so pure that it just sucks up carbon from the air.
Not only the CO2, but also the glassware you put the water in for measuring can very significantly alter the pH. Some scientists I know systematically screened different, presumably clean, containers because of this effect before progressing with their experiments.
maybe it introduces some critical contaminant (many such cases)
“We switched brands of litmus paper and now everything’s in shambles!”
I used to do a similar ritual, and it was really reassuring. Might be an autistic thing for me though lol.