[ryan0927]

I recently had the opportunity to carry out an independent investigation involving the reaction of sodium alginate and calcium chloride, where I used different intervals of pH as an independent variable. Through the data, I definitely saw that there was a positive correlation between pH and the yield of calcium alginate gelatin produced, but I was totally clueless about why this is the case. While browsing for online resources I could use for improving my understanding, I came across some journals that discussed similar research questions, but they were just beyond my high-school level of comprehension. Since I used a Brønsted-Lowry acid (HCl), I assume that it could have something to do with the H+ ions disrupting the intramolecular bonds in the alginate, but I would really appreciate if anyone could provide me with a better explanation. Thank you in advance!