5 WATER

THE WATER SUPPLY AT NEDCC is filtered to remove particulates. It contains some alkalinity (calcium and magnesium compounds) and has a pH which averages 8–9.7 Since magnesium hydroxide is insoluble in basic solutions, it seemed possible that using tap water could slow the dissolving of the powder, and account for the persistent cloudiness.

The use of deionized water,8 however, gave only minor improvements in rate, and no observable improvement in clarity of the solution.