EXPERIMENT 12 Chemistry 110 Lab

TITRATION
PURPOSE: The purpose of this experiment is to determine the concentration of an unknown acid through the
use of the quantitative technique called titration.

PART I. INTRODUCTION
The molarity of an unknown acid will be determined using a method called "titration".
Titration is the process of the gradual addition of a solution of known concentration to a second solution until the
solute in the second solution has completely reacted. A solution of known concentration used in a titration is called a
standard solution. In today's experiment, NaOH, a base, is the standard solution. Sodium hydroxide will be added to
an unknown acid. The unknown acid and the base reacts and forms salt and water. This type of reaction is called
neutralization:
NaOH + HA ---> H2O + NaA HA is an abbreviation for an unknown acid.

A substance called an indicator is added to show the end of the titration. The indicator changes color when the end-
point has been reached which is at the point of neutralization (complete reaction). Phenolphthalein will be used as the
indicator in this experiment. Phenolphthalein is colorless in an acidic solution and pink in a basic solution. To "deliver"
a known amount of standard solution to your unknown acid a measuring device called a buret will be used.

SAMPLE CALCULATION
A student used 18.25 ml of 0.1255 M NaOH to neutralize 21.20 ml of unknown acid. Calculate the molarity of the
unknown acid.
Step 1 Calculate the moles of acid
Assume there is only one acidic hydrogen in your unknown acid.

1L 0.1255 mole NaOH 1 mole unk acid

18.25 ml NaOH X X X = 2.290 x 10-3 moles acid
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10 ml 1 L NaOH Soln. 1 mole NaOH

Step 2 Calculate the Molarity

2.290 x 10-3 moles acid
Macid = = 0.1080 M Unknown Acid
0.02120 L acid
Learning to read a buret

In the back of the lab are 4 burets with different amounts of solution. Properly read and record the buret
readings. The buret readings must be approved before starting your actual titrations. Two of the
burets have a mistake in the way the apparatus is set up. State what that mistake is.
Buret Buret reading (include units and proper estimation)
1

Mistake description
5

Instructor Approval_________________________

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PART II. PROCEDURE

Safety goggles must be worn at all times

The unknown acid is a dilute acid but can harm eyes, skin, and clothing. Handle
with care. Any acid spilled on the skin or splased into your eyes should be
rinsed with a large volume of water.
NaOH solutions are corrosive to the skin and can harm your eyes. If spilled on the skin
or splashed into your eyes, flush with a high volume of water.
1. Check-out 2 burets from the stockroom. (You will need to know your section number and lab
room number)
2. Obtain your Unknown acid solution which the instructor will give to you. It is in plastic bottle
with the same number as is on your equipment box. Record the Unknown acid number on
the report sheet.
3. In a clean and dry 50 ml beaker obtain approximately 40 ml of standard sodium hydroxide
solution (side bench). Label this beaker " Standard NaOH solution". Record the NaOH
molarity on the report sheet.
4. Clean the burets according to the following procedure:

How to Clean and Set-up a Buret

a. Attach a buret clamp (located under the hood) to a ring stand.

b. Rinse the burets three times with approximately 10 ml of deionized

water. Tilt and rotate the buret in an almost horizontal position (don't let
the water spill-out!) to rinse the entire inside wall. Allow about 5 ml of
water to run through the buret tip on the last rinse.

c. Pre-rinse one buret with approximately 5 ml of your Unknown acid

solution. Again, rotate the buret to rinse the entire inside wall of the
buret as above.

d. Clamp the buret in one side of the buret clamp. Place a white piece of
paper labeled "Unknown acid" under this buret. Drain any remaining
pre-rinse acid solution into a beaker labeled "waste solution".

e. Fill this buret with your Unknown acid solution to the zero mark or slightly
below it (Not above the zero mark). Make sure the tip of the buret is
completely filled and contains no air bubbles.

f. Pre-rinse the second buret with approximately 5 ml of standard base

solution. Clamp the buret in the other side of the buret clamp. Place a
white piece of paper labeled "Standard NaOH solution" under the buret.
Drain remaining pre-rinse NaOH solution into the waste solution beaker.
Fill this buret with standard NaOH.

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 TITRATION
*NOTE: Always refill your standard NaOH buret before starting a new titration

5. Read the initial buret readings for both burets to the nearest 0.01 ml. Use a buret reading
card to make the meniscus more prominent. Record readings on the report sheet. Have
your instructor check and initial your report sheet for your first buret reading (sample #1,
only). Record readings such as 2.34 ml or 14.70 ml not 2.3 ml or 14.7 ml.

6. Rinse a clean 125 ml Erlenmeyer flask with deionized water. Deliver approximately 15 ml
of unknown acid into the Erlenmeyer flask. The tip of the buret should be approximately 1/2
inch below the top of the flask to avoid loss due to splashing.

7. Add 2 or 3 drop of phenolphthalein indicator. (At your lab bench).

8. Titrate the unknown acid by adding standard NaOH (from the buret). Swirl the flask to mix
the solutions during the addition of base. As the base is added you will observe a pink
color localized at the spot the NaOH enters the solution (this is due to a localized high base
concentration). Occasionally, rinse down the walls of your flask with deionized water (This
rinses down any acid that has splashed onto the walls of your flask). Near the end-point,
the pink color "flashes" throughout the solution and remains for a slightly longer time (1-2
seconds). When this occurs, add the NaOH drop by drop and eventually half-drops until the
pink color remains (for at least 30 seconds). This is the end-point!

NOTE: If you over-shoot the end-point (too much NaOH is added), add 1-2 more ml of the
Unknown acid and then add NaOH again until a proper end-point is reached. Be sure to
record the new final buret readings.

9. Read and record the final buret readings to the nearest 0.01 ml for both the base and
unknown acid.

* DISPOSAL: The unknown acid, standard base, and neutralized mixture may all go into the sink.

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Chem. 110 Lab Report Date ______________Name
______________________________________
Lab Section __________________ Initials________
EXPERIMENT 12 - Titration
A. DATAUnknown Acid Number
NaOH Molarity
Instructor’s initials for initial buret reading for sample 1 _____________

SAMPLE 1 SAMPLE 2 SAMPLE 3

Acid Base Acid Base Acid Base

Final buret reading

Initial buret reading

Volume used
B. CALCULATIONS
1. Calculate moles of unknown acid for each sample. For this experiment, assume there is only
one acidic hydrogen in your unknown acid.
2. Calculate the molarity for each sample.
3. Calculate the average molarity. Obtain the correct molarity from your instructor.
4. Calculate % error. If it is more than 2% you must perform more titrations.
SAMPLE 1 CALCULATIONS
Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

SAMPLE 2 CALCULATIONS
Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

SAMPLE 3 CALCULATIONS
Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________
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 ADDITIONAL TITRATIONS

A. DATA

SAMPLE 4 SAMPLE 5 SAMPLE 6

Acid Base Acid Base Acid Base

Final buret reading

Initial buret reading

Volume used
B. CALCULATIONS

SAMPLE 4 CALCULATIONS
Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

SAMPLE 5 CALCULATIONS
Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

SAMPLE 6 CALCULATIONS

Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

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 ADDITIONAL TITRATIONS

A. DATA

SAMPLE 7 SAMPLE 8 SAMPLE 9

Acid Base Acid Base Acid Base

Final buret reading

Initial buret reading

Volume used
B. CALCULATIONS

SAMPLE 7 CALCULATIONS
Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

SAMPLE 8 CALCULATIONS
Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

SAMPLE 9 CALCULATIONS

Moles of Unknown acid

Answer _______________

Molarity of Unknown Acid

Answer _______________

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Average Unknown Acid Molarity (use data from only three titrations. If you performed more than
three titrations use the three values that are closest together.)

Answer
Correct (Theoretical) Molarity of Acid (From Instructor)
Percent Error

Answer
Problems and Questions:
1. Calculate the molarity of the oxalic acid solution if 25.00 ml of 0.2500 M NaOH is required to titrate 20.00 ml of
oxalic acid.
The reaction: H2C2O4+ NaOH --->

Answer__________________

2. Consider the molarity of the unknown acid in today’s experiment. Will the following make
the experimental molarity higher, lower or no change? Circle the correct answer.
a. Using an Erlenmeyer with 2 ml of water for the titration. High low no change

b. Using 0.9850 M NaOH in your calculations instead of the correct value of 1.300 M
NaOH.
HINT: Set-up your Molarity calculation to see what happens to the answer if the
wrong NaOH molarity is used.
high low no change

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 c. Using 21.99 ml of unknown acid instead of 20.00 mL. high low no change

d. Reading the NaOH initial buret reading as 0.02 ml instead of the correct value of 1.02 mL
HINT: Set-up your Molarity calculation to see what happens to the answer if the
wrong NaOH volume is used.

high low no change

3. Answer briefly with complete sentences the following:
a. The container you obtain standard base must be dry. Why?

b. Why should you NOT plan to start the titration with the acid and base burets filled
exactly to the zero mark?

c. Why should you titrate into an Erlenmeyer flask rather than into a beaker?