Experiment Number: 02

Name of the Experiment:

Standardization of Commercial Hydrochloric
Acid solution with standard Sodium Hydroxide
solution

Course: CHEM-114

Name:
Roll:
Group:
Partners Roll:
Department: CSE

Date of Performance:
Date of Submission:
.

Objective:
The main theme of this experiment is to determine the
strength of Commercial Hydrochloric acid with a standard
Sodium Hydroxide solution . As Sodium Hydroxide is itself a
secondary standard substance, so it is standardized by the
standard Oxalic-acid solution.
Theory:
In this experiment we shall determine the
strength of
commercial Hydrochloric Acid solution by a secondary standard
solution of NaOH. This is done by means of Titration. The
important matters that are related with the experiment are stated
below:
Titration:

In presence of a suitable indicator, the volumetric analysis in

which a standard solution is added in another solution (whose
strength is not known) to reach its end point to determine the
strength of that solution is called titration.
Standard Solution:

A solution of known concentration is called a standard

solution.
Secondary Standard Solution:

A Secondary Standard is a substance which may be used

for standardizations, and whose content of active substance has
been found by comparison against a primary standard. On the
other hand primary standard is a compound of sufficient purity
from which a standard solution can be prepared by direct
weighing of a quantity if it, followed by dilution to give a defined
volume of solution.
Indicator:

In our acid-base titration there is an important use of

indicator. An indicator is a chemical substance that detects the
equivalent point (i.e. the end point) of reaction by changing its
color. Indicators have different structures in acidic and in basic
solution.
Equivalent Point:

The equivalent point is the point in a titration when a

stoichiometric amount of reactant has been added.

Normality:

The number of gram equivalent weight of a solute per liter

of solution is called normality.
Normality (N) = gm equivalent of solute /liters per
solution.
It is known to us that both alkalimetry and acidimetry are
based on neutralization reaction.
Acid produces H+ and alkali produces OH- ions (Hydrogen
and Hydroxyl ion respectively) and when they come in contact
with each other, they create H2O (water) by combining with one
another.
H + + OH - = H2O
It is the basic concept of neutralization and by using this idea
a certain volume of standard solution is allowed to react with a
known volume of another solution until neutral point is achieved.
Some chemical reagents called indicators are used to determine
the neutral point.
If an acid-base reaction is such like that,
a ACID + b BASE = PRODUCT
then we know that

so,

V base X S base = V acid X S acid

S acid = ( V base X S base ) / V acid

here V represents the volume and S represents the strength of

the substance.
As NaOH is a secondary substance it will be first
standardized using primary standard substance Oxalic-acid.

Reaction:

Neutralization reaction between NaOH and Oxalic-acid is

2NaOH + HOOC- COOH > NaOOC- COONa +
2H2O

In order to determine the equivalent point in this reaction

Phenolphthalein is used. As the salt that forms due to the
neutralization reaction, produces more OH , so the solution
becomes a basic one and thus it has a pH range above 7. We know
that the working environment needed for phenolphthalein is
basic; thus phenolphthalein becomes the perfect indicator for
determining the end point of this reaction.
The reaction between NaOH (alkali) and HCl (acid) is,
NaOH + HCl = NaCl + H2O
As both the acid and the base are strong in this reaction, we
can use any indicator. But since NaOH is a secondary standard
substance, a basic indicator can be used so that it reduces the
reaction of NaOH with the other substances of the environment.
With this end in view, Methyl Orange (pH range 2.9-4.6) is used as
indicator.

Name of the
Indicator

pH Range

Phenolphthalein
Methyl Orange

8.3 - 10.0
2.9 4.6

Apparatus:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Colour in
Alkaline
solution
Pink
Yellow

Conical flask
Burette
Pipette
Volumetric flask
Stand
Funnel

Indicator:
1) Phenolphthalein
2) Methyl Orange (as instructed)
Chemical Reagents:
1) Standardized NaOH solution
2) HCl solution
3) Distilled water
4) Oxalic Acid

Colour in
Acid solution
Colourless
Pink

5)

Experimental Data:

Standardization of NaOH solution with standard Oxalic Acid

solution

Number
of
Obser-vation

Volum
e of
NaOH
in
ml

01
02
03

10
10
10

Burette reading
in ml
Initial
Reading

Final
Reading

10
20.4
30.9

20.4
30.9
41.5

Volume
of
Acid
in
ml

Average
Reading
in
ml

Strength
Of
NaOH
N

10.5

0.105

10.4
10.5
10.6

Standardization of HCl solution with standard NaOH solution

Burette reading
in ml

Volume Average Strength

Number Volume
of
of
of
Reading
Of
NaOH
ObserAcid
in
HCl
Final
Initial
in
-vation
in
ml
N
Reading Reading
ml
ml
01
02
03

10
10
10

14.6
24.5
34.5

24.5
34.5
44.3

9.9
10.0
9.8

Calculation: We know that, V acid X S acid = V base X S base

Determination of the normality of NaOH :-Here,
V acid = 10.5 ml
S acid
= 0.1 N
V base = 10 ml
S base
=?
So, S base = ( 10.5 X 0.1) /10 N
= 0.105 N

9.8

5.1

Determination of normality of HCl :

Here,

So,

V acid = 9.8 ml
S acid = ?
V base = 10 ml
S base = 0.105 N
S HCl (dilute) = ( 0.105 X 10 ) / 9.8
= 0.10714 N

we also know, V concentrated X S concentrated = V dilute X S dilute,

Here,

so,

V HCl(concentrated) = 2.1 ml
S HCl(concentrated) = ?
V HCl(dilute)
= 100 ml
S HCl(dilute)
= 0.10714 N
S HCl(concentrated) = ( 100 X 0.10714 ) / 2.1
= 5.102 N

Result:
The strength of HCl (dilute) is found: 0.10714 N
The strength of the supplied HCl (concentrated) is: 5.102 N
Percentage of error:
Percentage of error
= (known value observed value) X 100 known value
= ( 5.3 - 5.102 ) X 100 / 5.3
= 3.735%
so, Percentage of error = 3.735%

Discussion:
The following causes can be assumed for the possible cause of
error :
1)
It was told to take 2.2 ml of HCl from the burette. But
the exact amount was not taken. Near about 2.1 ml of
HCl was taken. This can be the cause for which the
error has occurred.
2)
During volumetric analysis extra one or two drops of
Oxalic Acid may have dropped into the NaOH solution.
This can also be one of the reasons of the error.
If these causes could be avoided we could have get a perfect
result of the concentration of Commercial Hydrochloric Acid.