WCL (Wet Chemistry Lab) sample |
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WCL (Wet Chemistry Lab) sample |
 Jun 26 2008, 07:50 PM
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#16
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 Administrator  Group: Chairman Posts: 13247 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1  |
Poll now closed, because that would be like...cheating
 Doug |
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Jun 26 2008, 07:54 PM
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#17
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 Interplanetary Dumpster Diver Group: Moderator Posts: 4045 Joined: 17-February 04 From: Powell, TN Member No.: 33 |
QUOTE (Juramike @ Jun 26 2008, 07:48 PM)  Nope. Not baking soda. That would hit a pH of 7 (neutral). More like sodium carbonate. Baking soda has a pH of 8 or 9. -------------------- |
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Jun 26 2008, 08:04 PM
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#18
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 Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2606 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
QUOTE (tedstryk @ Jun 26 2008, 02:54 PM) Baking soda has a pH of 8 or 9. I stand adjusted. I made a basic error. <ducks> -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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Jun 26 2008, 08:05 PM
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#19
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 3534 Joined: 1-October 05 From: Croatia Member No.: 523 |
QUOTE (Juramike @ Jun 26 2008, 10:04 PM) I made a basic error. Lol. -------------------- |
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Jun 26 2008, 08:20 PM
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#20
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Member Group: Members Posts: 341 Joined: 4-January 07 Member No.: 1555 |
QUOTE (TheChemist @ Jun 26 2008, 12:44 PM) High pH means that the salts involved have a "weak acid" part... As Mike said, CO3-- (carbonates) or any other weak acid would be a good candidate... May not be relevant here, but silica (SiO2) itself can be considered a weak acid, so that just freshly pulverized basalt (probably a major component of martian sand) will yield a mildly basic solution in contact with liquid water. You don't need a basic "salt" as such - any basaltic silicate mineral, olivine or pyroxene or plagioclase feldspar, will do. -- HDP Don |
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Jun 26 2008, 08:50 PM
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#21
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 373 Joined: 3-August 05 Member No.: 453 |
QUOTE (djellison @ Jun 26 2008, 02:50 PM) Poll now closed, because that would be like...cheating Doesn't matter much, since a pH of 8-9 was not one of the choices anyway Airbag |
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Jun 26 2008, 09:18 PM
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#22
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 521 Joined: 24-November 04 From: Heraklion, GR. Member No.: 112 |
DOI: 10.1306/74D70E75-2B21-11D7-8648000102C1865D
Dissolved Products of Artificially Pulverized Silicate Minerals and Rocks: Part II W. D. Keller, A. L. Reesman Journal of Sedimentary Research Volume 33 (1963) ABSTRACT Indeed, slightly basic pH (8.2 to 9.2) is reported by these authors for most silicate rocks. More recent literature anyone ? PS. It seems we were all biased by the "past acidic conditions" and the tons of sulfates at Meridiani :-) |
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Jun 26 2008, 09:29 PM
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#23
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Senior Member Group: Moderator Posts: 2606 Joined: 10-November 06 From: Pasadena, CA Member No.: 1345 |
I was biased by the prospect of acidic windblown dust or salts making up the top layer of the surface.
I guess that didn't pan out. <ducks and runs for cover> -------------------- Some higher resolution images available at my photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/31678681@N07/
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Jun 26 2008, 09:39 PM
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#24
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2740 Joined: 17-January 05 Member No.: 152 |
QUOTE (TheChemist @ Jun 26 2008, 09:18 PM) It seems we were all biased by... Except those of us who can barely remember from school which side of 7 is basic and which side is acidic, nevermind guessing what the conditions on Mars might be!  It may be worth stressing that at the briefing they pointed out that conditions may vary considerably with depth or with location on Mars. Today's result is likely just one data point rather than "the answer" to what the pH is on Mars. |
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Jun 26 2008, 10:31 PM
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#25
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 31 Joined: 28-May 08 Member No.: 4152 |
Apparently we're all going to be eating asparagus on Mars.
Stinky urine, anyone? Edit: that article has some ... interesting units. A cubic metre of soil? Blimey! |
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Jun 26 2008, 10:36 PM
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#26
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Administrator Group: Chairman Posts: 13247 Joined: 8-February 04 Member No.: 1 |
"The 1 cubic meter (35 cubic feet) of soil was taken from about 1 inch below the surface of Mars and had a pH, or alkaline, level of 8 or 9. "
Oh boy. Did they take the cartoon of Phoenix burying itself seriously ? Doug |
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Jun 26 2008, 10:55 PM
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#27
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Junior Member Group: Members Posts: 31 Joined: 28-May 08 Member No.: 4152 |
QUOTE (djellison @ Jun 27 2008, 12:36 AM) Oh boy. Did they take the cartoon of Phoenix burying itself seriously ? Emily's blog is, as ever, far more informative - and suggests it was a cubic centimetre of soil sampled. Oh well, Reuters was only out by six orders of magnitude. ;-) |
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Jun 26 2008, 11:02 PM
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#28
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Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 1514 Joined: 20-April 05 Member No.: 321 |
The free-style mixing of standard units and metric ought to be blacklisted in Mars exploration PR.
Some people -- you give 'em an inch, and they'll take a hectare. |
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Jun 26 2008, 11:11 PM
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#29
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 Senior Member Group: Members Posts: 2930 Joined: 4-November 05 From: North Wales Member No.: 542 |
I agree. Non-metric has to go. It just acts as a fog.
I mean, Fahrenheit - for goodness sake spare us . . . but save the pint! (no impact on science). |
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Jun 26 2008, 11:47 PM
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#30
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 Member Group: Members Posts: 530 Joined: 21-March 06 From: Canada Member No.: 721 |
QUOTE (ngunn @ Jun 26 2008, 06:11 PM) but save the pint! (no impact on science). Well, save the Imperial pint. The US pint has got to go.  Brian |
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