230

IONIC EQUILIBRIA IN ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

PH

It

12

1111

,''0.02 M HOAc vs

10

0.01 M NaOH -

^0.2 M HOAc vs

,'jr

0.1 M NaOH

l111

40

80 120

ml. NaOH added

160

200

Fig. XIII-2 Titration of Weak Acid

with a Strong Base

(c) The region between 0 and 100% neutralization is S-shaped

in contrast with the flatter appearing corresponding portion of the

strong acid-strong base curve. The main difference in these two

curves is the initial portion of the titration. This is due to the

fact that the strong acid in this region acts as a much better

buffer than the mixture of the weak acid and a relatively small

amount of its conjugate base.

(d) The 0 to 100% neutralization range of the titration curve

of the strong acid-strong base was shown to be quite sensitive

to the effects of dilution whereas, except for a small initial por-

tion, this region, for a weak acid-strong base titration curve,

is essentially insensitive to dilution. This shows as did equation

(XIII-9), the buffer action of a mixture of a weak acid and its

conjugate base. It is of interest to note that this portion of the

titration curve, when experimentally determined, serves as a

basis for the calculation of pKa values of weak acids. Typically,

the pH at 50% neutralization might be used, since at this point,

pH = pKa .

(e) A point of similarity in this titration curve, with that of

the strong acid-strong base curve may be seen in the region

following the equivalence point, where the two curves become

identical. (Why?)

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