Soft Drinks

Honors Chemistry Lab 23: Determining the Phosphoric Acid Content in Soft Drinks
Phosphoric acid is one of several weak acids that exist in carbonated beverages. It is a
component of all cola soft drinks. Phosphoric acid has a much higher concentration than other
acids in a container of soft drink, so its concentration can be determined by a simple acid-base
titration.
In this experiment, you will titrate a sample of a cola soft drink with sodium hydroxide solution
and determine the concentration of phosphoric acid, H3PO4. Hydrogen ions from the first
dissociation of phosphoric acid react with hydroxide ions from the NaOH in a one-to-one ratio in
the overall reaction:
H3PO4(aq) + OH–(aq) ⎯
⎯→ H2O(l) + H2PO4–(aq)
In this experiment, you will use a pH Sensor to monitor pH as you titrate. The region of most
rapid pH change will then be used to determine the equivalence point. The volume of NaOH
titrant used at the equivalence point will be used to determine the molarity of the H3PO4.
OBJECTIVES
In this experiment, you will
• Use a pH Sensor to monitor pH during the titration of phosphoric acid in a cola soft drink.
• Using the titration equivalence point, determine the molarity of H3PO4.
MATERIALS
LabQuest various cola soft drinks, decarbonated
LabQuest App distilled water
Vernier pH Sensor ring stand
50 mL buret utility clamp
100 mL graduated cylinder magnetic stirrer (if available)
250 mL beaker stirring bar
0.050 M NaOH
PROCEDURE
1. Obtain and wear goggles.
2. Use a graduated cylinder to measure out 20 mL of a decarbonated cola beverage and 30 mL

of distilled water into an appropriately sized beaker.
3. Place the beaker on a magnetic stirrer and add a stirring bar. If no magnetic stirrer is
available, you need to stir with a stirring rod during the titration.
4. Connect the pH Sensor to LabQuest and choose New from the File menu. If you have an
older sensor that does not auto-ID, manually set up the sensor.
5. Use a utility clamp to suspend a pH Sensor on a ring stand as shown in Figure 1. Position the
pH Sensor in the soda and adjust its position so it is not struck by the stirring bar.
6. Obtain a 50 mL buret and rinse the buret with a few mL of the 0.050 M NaOH solution.
CAUTION: Sodium hydroxide solution is caustic. Avoid spilling it on your skin or clothing.
Dispose of the rinse solution as directed by your teacher. Use a utility clamp to attach the
buret to the ring stand as shown in Figure 1. Fill the buret a little above the 0.00 mL level of
the buret with 0.050 M NaOH solution. Drain a small amount of NaOH solution so it fills the
buret tip and leaves the NaOH at the 0.00 mL level of the buret. Record the precise
concentration of the NaOH solution in your data table.
Figure 1
7. Set up the data-collection mode.
a. On the Meter screen, tap Mode. Change the data-collection mode to Events with Entry.
b. Enter the Name (Volume) and Units (mL). Select OK.
8. You are now ready to perform the titration. This process goes faster if one person
manipulates and reads the buret while another person enters volumes.
a. Start data collection.
b. Before you have added any NaOH solution, tap Keep and enter 0 as the buret volume in
mL. Select OK to store the first data pair for this experiment.
c. Add 0.5 mL of NaOH solution. When the pH stabilizes, tap Keep and enter the current
buret reading. Select OK.
d. Continue to add 0.5 mL increments, entering the buret level after each increment. When
the pH has leveled off (near pH 10), stop data collection.
9. Examine the data on the graph of pH vs. volume to find the equivalence point—that is, the
0.5 mL volume increment that resulted in the largest increase in pH. As you tap each data
point (or use the ► or ◄ keys on LabQuest), the pH and volume values are displayed. Go to
the region of the graph with the large increase in pH. Find the NaOH volume (in mL) just
before this jump. Record this value in the data table. Then record the NaOH volume after the
0.5 mL addition producing the largest pH increase.
10. Print a copy of the graph of pH vs. volume. Then print a copy of the NaOH volume data and
the pH data for the titration.
11. Dispose of the beaker contents as directed by your teacher. Rinse the pH Sensor and return it
to the storage solution.
PROCESSING THE DATA

1. Use your printed graph and data table to confirm the volume of NaOH titrant you recorded
before and after the largest increase in pH values upon the addition of 0.5 mL of NaOH
solution.
2. Determine the volume of NaOH added at the first equivalence point. To do this, add the two
NaOH values determined above and divide by two.
3. Calculate the number of moles of NaOH used. Show all calculations.
4. See the equation for the neutralization reaction given in the introduction. Determine the
number of moles of H3PO4 reacted.
5. Recall that you pipeted out 40.0 mL of the beverage for the titration. Calculate the H3PO4
concentration.
DATA TABLE
Concentration of NaOH M
NaOH volume added before the largest pH mL
increase
NaOH volume added after the largest pH increase mL
Volume of NaOH added at equivalence point
Moles NaOH
mL
Moles H3PO4
mol
Concentration of H3PO4
mol
mol/L
Q1. Explain how to prepare 200 mL of a 0.05 M solution of sodium hydroxide. You will be
preparing the solution using pellet stock sodium hydroxide.
Q2. What is the difference between the equivalence point and the end point of a titration? Do you
believe these could both be the same?
Q3. In processing the data section, step 2, what is

meant by the “first equivalence point”?
Q4. On the graph to the right sketch and label all

three equivalence points for the complete titration
and deprotonation of phosphoric acid.
Q5. Using the dissociation equation in the

introduction section as a reference. Write the next
two dissociation equations that would occur in the
complete titration and deprotonation of phosphoric
acid.

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Honors Chemistry Lab 23: Determining the Phosphoric Acid Content in Soft Drinks

2. Use a graduated cylinder to measure out 20 mL of a decarbonated cola beverage and 30 mL

PROCESSING THE DATA

3. Calculate the number of moles of NaOH used. Show all calculations.

Q3. In processing the data section, step 2, what is

Q4. On the graph to the right sketch and label all

Q5. Using the dissociation equation in the

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