Titration Notes: Method

Titration Notes
Titration is a volumetric technique used to determine the concentration of a solution.

One solution is used to analyze another.
Method
A known amount (# moles) of one substance is placed in an Erlenmeyer flask. We can

calculate the amount either by knowing the mass of a solid reactant, or by knowing the
concentration and volume of a reactant in solution.
A few drops of an appropriate indicator are added to the Erlenmeyer flask.
The solution of unknown concentration is placed in a buret. A buret is a device that can
deliver precise volumes of solution. The initial volume reading on the buret is taken.
Burets can be read to " 0.02 mL.
The unknown solution is added to the Erlenmeyer flask until the two reactants have
been combined in the stoichiometric ratio, which is the ratio given by the chemical
equation. This point is called the equivalence point. If a good indicator has been chosen
it should change colour at this point. The point at which the indicator changes colour is
call the end point.
The final volume reading on the buret is taken. The two volume readings (initial and
final are used to calculate the total volume of the unknown solution that had been added.)
Calculations
• Calculate the number of moles of the known substance. ( n = m/M or n = cv)

• Calculate the number of moles of the unknown substance, using the ratio given in the
chemical equation.
• Calculate the concentration of the unknown solution. ( c = n/V)
pH curves
If we were to plot the pH of a solution against volume of base added, we would get the
following curves.
Note the position of the equivalence point for each curve. The equivalence point only
occurs at pH = 7 when a strong acid is being titrated with a strong base. When a weak
acid is titrated with a strong base, the pH is greater than 7 at the equivalence point, and
when a strong acid is being titrated with a weak base, the pH is less than 7 at the
equivalence point.
TITRATION LAB - STANDARDIZING A SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION
INTRODUCTION
Before beginning this lab, be sure to read pp: in the text.

Define the terms titration, acid-base indicator and endpoint.
It is difficult to make up solutions of sodium hydroxide for which the concentration (in
mol/L) is known accurately. This is because:
a) Solid sodium hydroxide is hygroscopic. This means it soaks up water vapour

from the air, which in turn affects its mass.
b) Carbon dioxide in the air and dissolved in the water used to make an NaOH
solution will react with the NaOH thereby reducing its concentration.
PURPOSE
The purpose of the laboratory exercise is to determine accurately the concentration of a

solution of sodium hydroxide by titrating and acidic primary standard, potassium
hydrogen phthalate (KHC8H4O4) , with the sodium hydroxide solution. This process is
called “standardizing the sodium hydroxide solution”.
APPARATUS AND MATERIALS

electronic balance sodium hydroxide solution
weighing paper wash bottle
scoopula buret
solid potassium hydrogen phthalate buret clamp
Erlenmeyer flask retort stand
100 mL beaker phenolphthalein solution
METHOD
1. Mass between 1.0 g and 1.1 g ( to the nearest 0.01 g) of KHC8H4O4 on a weighing
paper. This will allow the number of moles of acid to be calculated.
2. Dissolve the solid acid in approximately 25 mL of water in the Erlenmeyer flask.

(The volume of water used is not critical, since you already know the number of
moles of acid present. )
3. Add 3 drops of phenolphthalein solution to the Erlenmeyer flask. Be sure you

understand the function of the phenolphthalein.
4. Use the 100 mL beaker to add NaOH solution to your buret
PLEASE TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO FILL YOUR BURET
5. Titrate the acidic primary standard in the Erlenmeyer flask with the NaOH solution of
unknown concentration in your buret.
6. Rinse out the titration flask and repeat the titration until you have at least two
titrations that you feel confident were accurately done. Regardless of whether you
consider a particular titration “good” or “bad” record ALL data on the data sheet
provided.
7. For each titration you feel was accurately done, calculate the concentration of the
NaOH solution used. If the results do not agree within the limits given by your
teacher, repeat the titration
8. Be sure to follow all cleanup procedures at the end of the lab period. Failure to
do so will damage the burets.
CALCULATIONS
Once all of the data are collected, the task is to determine the mol/L concentration of the
NaOH solution used in the titration To aid in accomplishing this, refer to “PART 2:
STANDARDIZING A SOLUTION” on the handout entitled “Methods for Solving
Titration Problems”. Further practice with this type of calculation can be found on the
handout entitled “ Practice Problems: Titration”.
A quiz on the theory and methods used in this laboratory and on the calculations
involved will be held next class.
TITRATION DATA
a) Show data for all trials, even for those in which you know there was an error. Under
“Comments” make a note if you are aware of an error.
b) Put a * beside the trials you decide to use in your calculations. Calculate the
concentration of the unkown NaOH solution for at least two trials. Report the average
value obtained for the concentration of NaOH
Trial number Mass of Buret Buret Volume of Comments

KHC8H4O4 Initial Final NaOH used
used (g) reading reading (mL)
(mL) (mL)

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Titration Notes

Titration is a volumetric technique used to determine the concentration of a solution.

A known amount (# moles) of one substance is placed in an Erlenmeyer flask. We can

• Calculate the number of moles of the known substance. ( n = m/M or n = cv)

Before beginning this lab, be sure to read pp: in the text.

a) Solid sodium hydroxide is hygroscopic. This means it soaks up water vapour

The purpose of the laboratory exercise is to determine accurately the concentration of a

APPARATUS AND MATERIALS

2. Dissolve the solid acid in approximately 25 mL of water in the Erlenmeyer flask.

3. Add 3 drops of phenolphthalein solution to the Erlenmeyer flask. Be sure you

4. Use the 100 mL beaker to add NaOH solution to your buret

PLEASE TAKE ONLY WHAT YOU NEED TO FILL YOUR BURET

Trial number Mass of Buret Buret Volume of Comments

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