Objecctives:

To demonstrate acid base titration using different indicators.

To learn to calculate molarity based on titrations.
To sketch the pH curve when strong acid react with strong alkali.

Introduction:
Titration is the quantitative measurement of an analyte in solution by reacting it
completely with a reagent solution (titrant). The point at which all of the analyte is
consumed by titrant is called the equivalence point. For titration of a strong acid with a
strong base, the equivalence point occurs at a pH of 7. Titration is also a procedure
used in chemistry in order to determine the molarity of an acid or a base. A chemical
reaction is set up between a known volume of a solution with an unknown concentration
and a known volume of a solution with a known concentration. A solution of known
concentration used in a titration is called a standard solution. From the known quantity
and molarity of the standard solution and the measured volume of unknown solution
used, the unknown concentration can be calculated by using the formula:
M
a
= molarity of acid
V
a
= volume of acid
M
b
= molarity of base
V
b
= volume of base

= Ratio of no. of mole of acid to no. of mole of base

Indicators are weak organic acids or bases that are different colors in their
dissociated and undissociated states. Indicators do not change colour sharply at one
particular pH. Instead, they change over a narrow range of pH. As they are used in low
concentrations, indicators do not appreciably alter the equivalence point of a titration.
The indicator changes color when the end-point has been reached which is at the point
of neutralization (complete reaction). For a properly performed titration, the volume
difference between the end point and the equivalence point is small. The difference is
called titration error and will always be ignored if a suitable indicator is used.

In this experiment, an unknown concentration of HCl acts as a titrant while 25mL
0.1M of NaOH acts as an analyte. An indicator is added into the analyte before titration.
The HCl solution is slowly added from the burette until the mixture in the Erlenmeyer
flask changes colour. The 3 indicators used in this experiment are phenolphthalein,
methyl red and bromocresol green. The volume of HCl is measured and the molarity of
HCl is calculated. The titration curve is drawn as well.

Apparatus & materials:
Retort stand and clamp, measuring cylinder, beakers, distilled water, unknown
concentration hydrochloric acid solution, 0.1M NaOH, burette, Erlenmeyer flask,
Indicators: Methyl red, phenolphthalein and bromocresol green.

Procedures:

1) The apparatus were rinsed with distilled water before experiment and then set up as
diagram above.
2) 0.1M NaOH solution was added to a 250mL Erlenmeyer flask.
3) 25.00mL of a hydrochloric acid solution of unknown concentration might be added to
the burette, which was set up over the Erlenmeyer flask containing the 0.1M NaOH
solution.
4) 3 drops phenolphthalein, acid base indicator, was added to the 0.1M NaOH solution
in the Erlenmeyer flask. The colour change of the solution was observed and
recorded. The color that supposed to be changed was shown in table 1.
Table 1: Acid, base amd endpoint color different pH indicator
Indicator Color pH Range
acidic endpoint basic
bromocresol
green
yellow Green blue 4.0-5.6
methyl red red Yellow yellow
4.4-6.2
phenolpthalein colorless light pink red
8.0-10

5) Hydrochloric solution was slowly added from the burette until the mixture in the
Erlenmeyer flask changes colour. The change was observed and recorded.
6) Steps 1-5 was repeated with other two indicators bromocresol green and methyl red.

Results:
Volume of
hydrochloric used
(mL)
Indicator
Phenolpthalein Methyl red Bromocresol green
Initial reading 0 0 8.6
Final reading 8.6 8.6 17.3
Total volume used 8.6 8.6 8.6
Volume of NaOH used 25 25 25
Colour change Pink
Colourless
Yellow
Dark orange
Light blue
Dirty green

Calculation:
1)

From the chemical equation in question 2, the ratio of number of mole of acid to
number of mole of base is

. Thus,
M
a
V
a
= M
b
V
b

Molarity of HCl, M
a
= (M
b
V
b
)/ V
a
= (0.1 x 25)/ 8.6
= 0.2907 mol
2) Balance equation of the neutralization process of acid base titration:
HCl
(aq)
+ NaOH
(aq)
H
2
O
(l)
+ NaCl
(aq)

3) Graph of pH vs titrant:


4) The reasons for using different indicators in this experiment is because the end point
of acid base titration will have different pH values. For instance, strong acid reacts with
strong base will have a pH of about 7, strong acid reacts with weak base will have a low
pH which is acidic, weak acid reacts with strong base will have a high pH which is
alkaline. An indicator is considered suitable only if it undergoes a change of colour at
the pH near the end point.

Discussion:
From the result, it shows that the volume of HCl required to neutralize the NaOH
is constant that is 8.6mL. Hence, the result is considered accurate as the volume of HCl
required is not affected by the different indicators used. The only inaccuracy is the
colour change of the indicators. The colour of indicators at the end point from the result
is different from the actual endpoint colour shown in table 1 due to some errors.

Discussing on the pH vs titrant graph, when a solution of HCl was added to the
solution of NaOH, the pH progressively decreases. This is because OH
-
ions from the
8.6 mL
Phenolphthalein
Methyl red
Bromocresol green
base will react with H
+
ions of the acid to form water. This decreases the concentration
of OH
-
ions and therefore pH decreases. The pH of the solution decreases only slightly
in the beginning until just before the equivalence point, there is a sudden fall through pH
7 as the concentration of H
+
ions increases sharply. The pH continues to decrease after
the stoichiometric point but then levels off because of the presence of excess strong
acid in the solution. At the equivalence point the pH is 7, but has decreased sharply
from 11 to 3.5 just before this point. Any indicator, which has effective range between
pH 3.5 to 11 may be used to detect the equivalence point. Hence, phenolphthalein,
methyl red and bromocresol green are good indicators in this range and this is the
reason that all of these indicators show their colour change.

Experimental errors:
In this experiment, there are some mistakes like use more than acid volume to titrate
solution of NaOH. The volume had passed the end point, so the volume uses is much
more than needed. So, the colour of phenolphthalein had changed to colourless instead
of light pink and the colour of methyl red had changed to dark orange instead of yellow
when it reached the end point.
Another error is the using of beaker that containing HCl previously to fill NaOH. This will
affect the pH of the mixture.

Precaution steps:
Titrate the HCl slowly and shake the Erlenmeyer flask for about 30 seconds when the
solution show changing in colour.
Make sure all the apparatus are clean by rinsing them with distilled water before use.
Ensure that there is no bubbles trap at the tip of the burette during the filling of HCl.
Avoid from make a parallax error when taking the reading of the burette.



Conclusion:
In conclusion, 25mL of 0.1M of NaOH requires 8.6mL of 0.2907M of HCl to reach its
endpoint where all of the indicators (phenolphthalein, methyl red, bromocresol green)
show colour change.

References:
Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. , n.d.,Titration basics.[Online]. Available from: <
http://chemistry.about.com/od/acidsbases/a/aa082304a.htm> Accessed on 2
June 2013.
Lawrence Kok, 2011, Acid Base Titration, pH Titration curves and Indicators.
[Online] Available from: < http://lawrencekok.blogspot.com/2011/11/ib-chemistry-
on-acid-base-titration-ph.html> Accessed on 2 June 2013.
n.a. , n.d.,Acid base titration.[Online]. Available from: < http://chem-
guide.blogspot.com/2010/04/acid-base-titration.html> Accessed on 2 June 2013.