OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)

PAG 2: Acid-base titration

Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

This resource includes exam questions from both Chemistry A and Chemistry B. It is not designed as a
topic test but is instead intended as a document to support the teaching and learning of Module 1 –
Development of practical skills in chemistry.

1. The equation for the reaction of aqueous phosphoric(V) acid, H3PO4, with aqueous sodium
hydroxide, NaOH(aq) is shown below.
H3PO4(aq) + 3NaOH(aq) → Na3PO4(aq) + 3H2O(l)

25.0 cm3 of a 0.200 mol dm−3 H3PO4(aq) is titrated with 0.600 mol dm−3 NaOH(aq).
Which statement is correct?

A. The end point occurs when 25.00 cm3 of NaOH(aq) has been added.
B. The end point occurs when 75.00 cm3 of NaOH(aq) has been added.
C. After titration the final solution contains 0.0150 mol of Na3PO4.
D. After titration the final solution contains 0.0150 mol of H2O.

Your answer
[1]

2. A student carries out a titration. Sodium hydroxide solution is transferred to a conical flask using a
pipette. Methyl orange indicator is added to the flask. Hydrochloric acid is added from a burette
until the indicator changes colour.

Which of the following would lead to the titre being larger than it should be?

A. Rinsing the conical flask with water before adding the sodium hydroxide solution.
B. Rinsing the burette with water before filling it with hydrochloric acid.
C. Rinsing the pipette with water before filling it with sodium hydroxide solution.
D. Adding extra drops of indicator.

Your answer
[1]
3. A student prepares a standard solution and carries out a titration.

Which of the following would result in a titre that is larger than it should be?
1: Water is added to completely fill the volumetric flask, rather than to the graduation line.
2: The conical flask is washed out with water before carrying out each titration.
3: The pipette is washed out with water before carrying out each titration.

A. 1, 2 and 3
B. Only 1 and 2
C. Only 2 and 3
D. Only 1

Your answer
[1]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme
4. A student carries out a titration to determine the molar mass of an unknown acid, A.

• The student dissolves 2.24 g of acid A in distilled water and makes the solution up to 250.0 cm3.
• The student titrates a 25.0 cm3 portion of this solution with 0.120 mol dm−3 NaOH.
• 25.25 cm3 of 0.120 mol dm−3 NaOH are required to reach the end point.

Name the apparatus that the student should use to

• make up the acid solution to 250.0 cm3

• measure the 25.0 cm3 portion of acid solution.

make up the acid solution to 250 cm3:

measure the 25.0 cm3 portion:

[1]

5. A student carries out a titration to determine the molar mass and structure of a weak acid A.

The student follows the method below.

Dissolve a weighed mass of A in 100 cm3 of distilled water and make the solution up to 250 cm3
•
in a beaker.
• Add the solution of A to a burette.
• Titrate the solution of A with a standard solution of sodium hydroxide, NaOH.

What is meant by the term standard solution?

[1]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme
6. A student carries out an experiment to identify an unknown carbonate.

• The student weighs a sample of the solid carbonate in a weighing bottle.

• The student tips the carbonate into a beaker and weighs the empty weighing bottle.
• The student prepares a 250.0 cm3 solution of the carbonate.
• The student carries out a titration using 25.0 cm3 of this solution measured using a pipette with
0.100 mol dm−3 hydrochloric acid in the burette.

The sample of carbonate is dissolved in approximately 100 cm3 of distilled water in a beaker and the
solution transferred to a volumetric flask. The volume of the solution is made up to 250.0 cm3 with
distilled water.

Another student suggests two possible sources of error:

• A small amount of solid remained in the weighing bottle.

• A small amount of solution remained in the beaker.

State whether the other student’s statements are correct.

How could the procedure be improved?

[2]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

7(a). A student carries out a titration to determine the molar mass and structure of a weak acid A.

The student follows the method below.

Dissolve a weighed mass of A in 100 cm3 of distilled water and make the solution up to 250 cm3
•
in a beaker.
• Add the solution of A to a burette.
• Titrate the solution of A with a standard solution of sodium hydroxide, NaOH.

The student carries out a trial, followed by three further titrations.

The diagram shows the initial and final burette readings for the three further titrations.
The student measures all burette readings to the nearest 0.05 cm3.

Titration 1 Titration 2 Titration 3

Initial reading Final reading Initial reading Final reading Initial reading Final reading

i. Record the student’s readings and the titres in the table below.

Calculate the mean titre, to the nearest 0.05 cm3, that the student should use for analysing the results.

Titration 1 Titration 2 Titration 3

Final reading/cm 3

Initial reading/cm3
Titre/cm3

cm3 [4]
mean titre =

ii. The uncertainty in each burette reading is ± 0.05 cm3.

Calculate the percentage uncertainty for the titre in Titration 1.

percentage uncertainty = % [1]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

iii. The student realised that the solution of A had not been prepared correctly.

How should the student have made up the solution?

[1]

(b). A student repeats the titration to determine the molar mass and structure of A.
• The student prepares a 250.0 cm3 solution from 1.513 g of A.
The solution of A is added to the burette and titrated with 25.0 cm3 volumes of 0.112 mol dm−3
•
NaOH(aq).
• 1 mol of A reacts with 2 mol of NaOH.
• The student obtains a mean titre of 27.30 cm3.

i. Calculate the molar mass of A from these results.

Give your answer to the nearest whole number.

Show your working.

molar mass of A = g mol−1 [4]

ii. A is an organic acid, containing C, H and O only.

One molecule of A contains two COOH groups.

Suggest the structure of A.

[1]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

8(a). A student carries out a titration to determine the concentration of some hydrochloric acid.

The student titrates the hydrochloric acid against a standard solution of sodium carbonate, Na2CO3.
The equation is shown below.

Na2CO3(aq) + 2HCl (aq) → 2NaCl (aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)

• The student prepares 0.150 mol dm−3 Na2CO3 in a 250.0 cm3 volumetric flask.
• The hydrochloric acid is added to a 50.0 cm3 burette.
• The student pipettes the Na2CO3(aq) using a 25.0 cm3 pipette.

The student’s burette readings are shown in the table.

The rough titre has been omitted.

i. Complete the table by adding the titres to the table.

Final reading / cm3 24.60 48.45 34.30

Initial reading / cm3 0.40 24.60 10.00

Titre / cm3
................... ................... ...................

[1]

ii. Calculate the mean titre of HCl , to the nearest 0.05 cm3, that the student should use for
analysing the results.

mean titre = .................................................. cm3 [1]

(b). Calculate the concentration, in mol dm−3, of the hydrochloric acid.

Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

concentration of HCl = .......................................... mol dm−3 [3]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

(c). In the titrations, the student measured volumes with a pipette and a burette.

• The pipette had an uncertainty of ± 0.04 cm3 in the volume measured.

• The burette had an uncertainty of ± 0.05 cm3 in the volume measured.

Determine whether the volume measured by the pipette or the volume measured by the burette has the
greater percentage uncertainty.

[2]

9. Some students are given a drain cleaner that is described as ‘50% NaOH solution’. They are told
that this means that roughly 50 g NaOH are dissolved in 100 cm3 solution.

The students have a standard 0.300 mol dm−3 solution of HCl and they wish to use this to find the
accurate concentration of the drain cleaner.

The students accurately dilute a certain volume of the drain cleaner to 1000 cm3.

i. Calculate the volume of drain cleaner the students need to dilute to get a suitable solution
for titration with the acid.

volume = .......................................... cm3 [3]

ii. Suggest the apparatus used by the students to dilute the drain cleaner.

[1]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

10. Concrete contains calcium hydroxide, Ca(OH)2, and is alkaline when damp. The steel reinforcements in
concrete do not corrode in an alkaline environment. When the calcium hydroxide reacts with carbon
dioxide from the air to form calcium carbonate, ‘carbonatation’ occurs and the pH falls. The increased
acidity can cause the steel to corrode.

The indicator phenolphthalein can be used to detect carbonatation in concrete.

Phenolphthalein has a variety of related structures, depending on the pH.

i. Give the colours of phenolphthalein for normal concrete and for concrete that has undergone
carbonatation.

normal:

carbonatation:

[1]

ii. An acid is titrated with a strong alkali using phenolphthalein until the pink colour just persists.
If the solution is then allowed to stand in the titration flask it slowly goes colourless.

Explain what is happening.

[2]

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 OCR A Level Chemistry A (H432) Chemistry B (H433)
PAG 2: Acid-base titration
Practice Exam Questions and Mark Scheme

11. Describe the techniques and procedures used to prepare a standard solution of a specific
concentration from a solid.

[6]

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