Prater 1

Matt Prater
Lab 3
Determination of Chloride by Titration with Silver Nitrate
Introduction
Titration is a longstanding technique that is commonly used in determining the
concentration of analyte in a given solution. Some common analytes include acidic protons,
various metal ions, halogens, and sulfates. In some titrations, indicators such as phenolphthalein,
bromothymol blue, or potassium chromate are used For this particular experiment, the
concentration of chloride ions was determined in both an unknown (prepared sample) and a river
sample.
Procedure

Materials and Reagents:

Erlenmyer Flask
50 mL buret
Stir bar/plate
Ring stand
1 mL volumetric pipet
2 mL volumetric pipet
5 mL volumetric pipet
50 mL volumetric pipet
3-50 mL volumetric flasks

3-100 mL beaker
K2CrO4 indicator solution
Standard AgNO3 (0.0141 M)
Standard NaCl (0.0141 M)
Distilled water
River sample from main street bridge
Prepared unknown #3

A water sample was first collected with the location shown in figure 1 below.
Then 20, 50, and 70 ppm NaCl standards were prepared using the 1, 2, and 5 mL
volumetric pipets respectively and diluting to 50 mL in volumetric flasks. A blank was
also prepared using the 1 mL volumetric pipet to obtain the K2CrO4 indicator and 50 mL
of distilled H2O (delivered using a 50 mL volumetric pipet). This blank was titrated to
find the volume of the AgNO3 solution necessary to produce a recognizable color and
was 0.48 mL. All of the following volumes will be reported following the correction for
the blank. Using 50 mL samples of each standard (20, 50, 70 ppm) and 1 mL of the
indicator solution, along with a stir bar/plate, the AgNO3 solution was standardized which
consumed 1.82 mL, 4.87 mL, and 6.73 mL respectively.

Following the standardization of the titrant, an unknown that was prepared for the
lab and a river sample (main street) were titrated, each being a 50 mL sample with a 1 mL
volume of indicator for consistency. The unknown was diluted by a factor of 4 (25 mL
and dilute to 100 mL in a volumetric flask) The unknown used 9.95 mL for trial 1 and
9.70 mL for trial 2 while the river sample used 1.32 mL for trial 1 and 1.37 mL for trial 2.
Running each sample twice helped to insure accuracy.
Calculations were then completed to find the titrant factor of the AgNO3 standard
and then the concentrations of chloride ions in the unknown and river sample (main
street).

Figure 1: The location of the water sample (see arrow).

Results
It was found that the AgNO3 titrant factor was 10.5 0.4 ppm/mL. The Unknown
concentration of chloride ions was 414 7 ppm and the river sample (main street)
concentration of chloride ions was 14.19 0.4 ppm. The river sample collected at Rustys
had 12.99 ppm chloride concentration; the canyon park had the lowest concentration of
10.34 ppm, the Lion park had the highest concentration of chloride at 17.67 ppm, and the
Y had a concentration of 17.08 ppm. Table 1 summarizes the data.
Table 1: Chloride concentration at different locations.

Locatio
n

main
street
bridge
Canyon
Park
The Y
Lion Park
Rusty's

Concentratio
n (ppm)

14.19 ppm

10.34 ppm
17.08 ppm
17.67 ppm
12.99 ppm

Conclusions
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 20091, the main
street sample at 14 ppm Cl- is slightly above the average concentration found coming
from a forested area, but is very close to the agricultural samples taken for the survey.
Therefore the concentration of chloride ions in the river sample at main street represents a
usual concentration that could be found in many different water sources. The highest
concentration of chloride was found at lion park which would not make sense because the
concentration of chloride could potentially increase over time (distance) but would not
increase by that much between canyon park and lion park (less than 1 mile distance). It
does, however, make sense that the Y would have the highest concentration due to the
possibility of water solvating chloride salts as it travels. The value at Rustys is consistent
with the values found at main street and at the Y. The ability for all groups to perform the
titration with the same accuracy is called into question, specifically the sample at lion
park and the sample at canyon park. Lion park seems too high while canyon park appears
to be too low of a concentration to fit in with the rest of the river although it is only a

difference of 7 mg/L (ppm). Although the values differ, all values obtained fit into the
USGS norm.1

References

(1)
Scientific Investigations Report 20095086 National Water-Quality Assessment
Program Chloride in Groundwater and Surface Water in Areas Underlain by the Glacial
Aquifer System, Northern United States.