RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Titration of the Unknown Amino Acid

Volulme of NaOH, ml
pH
0.2ml
1.73
0.4 ml
1.73
0.6 ml
1.85
0.8 ml
1.95
1.00 ml
2.42
1.20 ml
2.72
1.40 ml
3.20
1.60 ml
8.06
1.80 ml
8.44
2.00 ml
8.59
2.20 ml
8.83
2.40 ml
9.02
2.60 ml
9.06
2.80 ml
9.27
2.90 ml
9.35
3.00 ml
9.48
3.20 ml
9.52
3.40 ml
9.63
3.60 ml
9.80
3.80 ml
9.87
3.90 ml
10.00
4.00 ml
10.23
4.20 ml
10.40
4.40 ml
10.50
4.60 ml
10.66
4.80 ml
10.75
4.90 ml
10.92
5.00 ml
11.15
5.20 ml
11.49
5.40 ml
11.61
5.60 ml
11.74
5.80 ml
11.94
6.00 ml
12.10
6.20 ml
12.29
6.40 ml
12.41
6.60 ml
12.47
6.80 ml
12.54
6.90 ml
12.60
7.00 ml
12.72
7.20 ml
13.00
TABLE 1. Titration of the Unknown Amino Acid.
Table 1 shows the increasing pH measurements when the acidified unknown amino acid
was titrated using 0.1 M of Sodium hydroxide. The pH of the unknown amino acid was 3.54 and

the 0.1M Hydrochloric acid was used to acidify the amino acid up to 1.50 pH. From 1.50, the
amino acid was titrated up to 13.00 pH with 7.2ml of 0.1M Sodium hydroxide.

14
12
9.52

10
8
6
4
2

3.2
1.85

Figure 1. Titration Curve of Unknown Amino Acid

It can be seen in the volume between 1.4ml and 1.6ml that the pH suddenly increased
from 3.20 to 8.06. There are three pKa values seen, which are 1.85, 3.20 and 9.52. The pKa is
determined in the graph by the sudden increase in the graph. By the point of 3.2, the sudden
increase in the graph is easily determined.
Experimental
Theoretical
pKa1
1.85
2.09
pKa1
3.20
3.86
pKa1
9.52
9.82
pI
2.53
2.96
Identity of Unknown Amino Acid: Aspartic Acid
Table 2. Identity of Unknown Amino Acid

% Error
11.48%
17.10%
3.05%
15.13 %

In Table 2, the experimental value, theoretical value and percentage error of the pKa and
pI was observed. The Experimental value contains the pKa from the graph that was retrieved
from the experiment, hence the name. The theoretical value is the real pKa value of the
unknown amino acid. To determine the unknown amino acid, the experimental values was
compared with the theoretical pKa values of the twenty amino acids and the closest was
Aspartic Acid. After identifying the uknown amino acid, the pI or "Isoelectric Point" was
computed using the average of the pH in between the titrimetric profile with the net charge 0.

After

solving

the

pI,

the

Value
|True Va lueExperimental
|
True Value

Error
x 100.

was

computed

using

the

formula

%Error=