The invention is directed towards methods and compositions for identifying the amount of ammonium acid in a buffered oxide etching composition. In buffered oxide etching compositions it is very difficult to measure the amount of ammonium acid because it has varying equilibriums and it is toxic so it hard to handle and sample. When used to manufacture microchips however, incorrect amounts of ammonium acid will ruin those chips. The invention utilizes a unique method of spectrographically measuring the ammonium acid when in contact with added chromogenic agents to obtain exact measurements that are accurate, immediate, and safe.