IV. Analysis Adsorption, the attachment of particles to a surface is usually weak and reversible.

Molecules and atoms can attach to surfaces in two ways, through more common adsorption occurrence, physisorption and chemisorption. Physisorption or physical adsorption relies on the weak van der Waals interaction between the adsorbate and adsorbent while chemisorption or chemical adsorption refers to the attachment of molecules to a surface by forming a chemical bond which is usually covalent. The substance that adsorbs which is the acetic acid in the experiment is called the adsorbate, and the particles that are attached, in this case the activated charcoal, are called the adsorbent. Temperature effects on adsorption are profound, and measurements are usually at a constant temperature. Graphs of the data are called isotherms. The two most common adsorption isotherms are the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. These isotherms which are illustrated in figures and in which the amount of solute adsorbed at a given temperature per unit mass of adsorbent as calculated from the increase or decrease of solution concentration is plotted against the equilibrium concentration. The graphs show a linear correlation between the As what is shown in Table 1.5, the moles of acetic acid adsorbed increases with increasing acetic acid concentration. There are several factors that influence the performance of active carbon in water. These are the type of compound to be removed since compounds with high molecular weight and solubility are better absorbed; the concentration of the compound for the higher the concentration, the higher is the carbon consumption; and the presence of other organic compound which will compete for the available adsorption sites. The flasks need to be shaken so that a maximum amount of acetic acid molecules will be adsorbed or come in contact with the activated charcoal since the concentration of the acetic acid solution are small and acetic acid molecules may not be properly distributed all throughout the solution. The adsorption of acetic acid was set for 24 hours to reach equilibrium since at that state, a relationship of the concentration of the adsorbance species in solid adsorbent (activated charcoal) concentration or adsorbable species in solution (acetic acid) can be established and we can use the Freundlich and Langmuir equations since both require the mass adsorbed at equilibrium, and also in order to use isotherms to estimate the mass adsorbed, an instantaneous equilibrium must be reached between the adsorbent and adsorbate, and the isotherm must be considered reversible.

V. Conclusion The amount of acetic acid adsorbed on activated charcoal and the adsorption constant can be determined by the Langmuir and Freundlich

isotherms. The amount of acetic acid adsorbed on activated charcoal at different acetic acid concentrations is tabulated in Table 1.5. Also, as seen on Table 1.5, the amount of acetic acid adsorbed on activated charcoal increases with increasing acetic acid concentration. Based on that same table, it is seen that the final value for the amount of acetic acid adsorbed on activated charcoal is lesser than the initial value. It is due to the fact that during the 24-hour shaking, the flasks were able to get some impurities from the surrounding environment. One major cause of these impurities is microorganisms. The flasks were sealed to prevent the occurrence of such impurities. The adsorption constants for both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms are 22.19 and 0.006 respectively. Based on figures and , the plot for both isotherms follows a linear graph. Thus, the adsorption of acetic acid on activated charcoal follows the Langmuir and Freundlich equations since the r value is near 1. The adsorption of acetic acid on activated charcoal is best explained by the Langmuir equation since the r value for Langmuir equation is closer to 1 than that of the r value from the Freundlich equation.