James Perlas

Chem 113

Lab Report Experiment 3: What makes a weak acid weak?

I. Introduction

This lab has known amounts of strong acid and placed into a solution with color
indicators. After finding the Ka from .100M solution of an unknown weak acid, a pH meter will
be used to find this constant. Then, sodium acetate, acetic acid, and anion solutions will be used
to see the acid-base reactions. For something to be considered acid, it must have a pH lower than
7, while anything that has a value higher than 7 is a base. pH increases based on if the hydrogen
proton decrease and the pH decreases if the hydrogen increases. Only strong acids and strong
bases ionize in water instead of weak acids and bases. Calculating pH requires using the
equation pH = -log[H3O+]. To find the [H3O+] value, use the given pH and the equation
[H3O+]. = 10-pH. In an acid reaction, HA represents monoprotic acids. These acids
mixed in water will react in the equation below:
HA(aq) + H2O(l) A-(aq) + H3O+(aq).

II. Analysis of Results

Part 3 Measurement of pH of 1.00M HCl Using Indicators

Preparing dilute solutions (Part 3 and 5), the equation Mconcentrated x Vconcentrated/Vtotal =
Mdiluted needs to be used. For part 3, the dilute solutions of 10-1M, 10-2M, 10-3M, 10-4M, and 10-
5
M HCl from 1.00M HCl were prepared. A sample calculation for the volume needed to be
removed in order to dilute the HCl is as follows:

1.00M HCl x Vconcentrated/0.003 L HCl) = 0.1M HCl and so Vconcentrated = 0.003 L needs to be
removed.

Using this information, 3 mL of HCl was removed and put to the next tube labeled
10 1. Then, 27 mL of water was added to obtain the 10-1 M HCl dilute solution. This process
-

was repeated to prepare the rest of the dilute solutions

Part 3. Measurement of pH of 1.00M HCl Using Indicators
(H3O+) M pH (calc) Methyl violet Methyl orange pH (paper)
(mol/L) color color

1.00 M 0 Green Pink Magenta, pH 2.0

0.100 M 1 Turquoise Pink Magenta, pH 2.0

0.0100 M 2 Indigo Pink Light magenta,

pH 2.0
1.00 x 10-3 M 3 Violet Pink Yellow, pH 6.0

1.00 x 10-4 M 4 Violet Peach Yellow, pH 6.0

1.00 x 10-5 M 5 Blue Orange Yellow, pH 6.0

-Sample calculation: pH = -log[1.00 M] = 0

Part 5 Unknown Weak Acid Equilibrium Constant

Unknown Table
HA # C 0.00500M 0.0100M 0.0500M 0.100M
pH reading 3.6 3.43 3.15 3.03
[H3O+] 3.6 =-log[H3O+] 3.43 =-log[H3O+] 3.15 =-log[H3O+] 3.03 =-log[H3O+]
2.51x10-4 3.72x10-4 7.08x10-4 9.33x10-4
[A-] 2.51x10-4 3.72x10-4 7.08x10-4 9.33x10-4
[HA] 0.004749 0.009628 0.049292 0.999067
Ka(calculated) (2.51x10-4) (3.72x10- (3.15x10- (3.03x10-4)2
2 4 2 4 2
/.004749= ) /.009628= ) /.049292= /.999067=
1.33x10-5 1.44x10-5 1.02x10-5 8.71x10-7
% ionized (2.51x10- (3.72x10- (3.15x10- (3.03x10-4)
4 4 4
)/.00500= )/.0100= )/.0500= /.100M=
5.02% 3.72% 1.416% 0.933%

-Sample calculations
Reaction [HA] [H3O+] + [A-]

Initial 0.00500 M 0 0

Change -x +x +x

Final (equilibrium) 0.00500 M - x x x

x = [H3O+] for initial 0.00500 M HA = 10-3.42 = 3.80 x 10-4 M

[HA] for initial 0.00500 M HA = 0.00500 M – x
= 0.00500 M – 3.80 x 10-4 M = 0.00462 M
Average Ka of #A= 1.0x10^-5
Educated Guess for the unknown: Citric acid
Anions of Weak Acid:

% Ionized for initial 0.00500 M HA = [H3O+] / [HAinitial] x 100

= 2.51 x 10-4 M / 0.00500 M x 100
= 5.02%

Part 6 Detailed Reactions with Acetic Acid and Its Basic Partner, the Acetate Ion

6A. The Reaction of Sodium Acetate with Hydrochloric Acid

# drops of 4M NaCH3CO2 pH (paper)
10 Magenta, 2.0
20 Magenta, 2.0
30 Magenta, 2.0
40 Magenta, 2.0
50 Light magenta, 2.0
60 Orange, 4.0
-Molecular equation: NaCH3CO2 (aq) + HCl (aq) CH3CO2H (aq) + NaCl (aq)
-Net ionic equation: CH3CO2- (aq) + H+ (aq) CH3CO2H (aq)
Our observations support this reaction. At first, the solution is still very acidic due to the
higher concentration of the strong acid HCl. However, as we added more drops of 4M
NaCH3CO2, a weak acid, the solution became pH increased, which shows by the color change of
the pH paper.

(1 mol HCl / 1 L)(0.006 L HCl / 0.009 L) = 0.667 M HCl; therefore, [H3O+] = 0.667 M
pH = -log(0.667 M) = 0.176, so dilution cannot explain the pH change. pH change through
dilution is too slow, while mixing acetic acid with HCl increases the pH much more quickly.

6B. Neutralization of Acetic Acid by Sodium Hydroxide

-Molecular equation: CH3CO2H (aq) + NaOH (aq) NaCH3CO2 (aq) + H2O (l)
-
-Net ionic equation: CH3CO2H (aq) + OH (aq) CH3CO2- (aq) + H2O (l)
+
-Hypothesis: pH = -log[H3O ] will increase as NaOH is added to acetic acid.
Neutralization of Acetic Acid by Sodium Hydroxide
# drops of 6M CH3CO2H pH (paper)
5 Orange, 4.0
10 Orange, 4.0
15 Orange, 4.0
20 Yellow, 6.0
25 Yellow, 6.0
30 Yellow, 6.0
35 Yellow, 6.0
40 Blue, 10.0

6C. Anions of Weak Acids are Weak Bases

a. CH3CO2- (aq) + H3O+ (aq) CH3CO2H (aq) + H2O (l)

K = [CH3CO2H] / [CH3CO2 ][H3O+]
-

b. Ka = [CH3CO2-][H3O+] / [CH3CO2H]. Therefore, K = 1/Ka.

c. Rxn 1: H2O + H2O H3O+ + OH-; K = Kw = 1 x 10-14

+ Rxn 2: CH3CO2 + H3O+
-
CH3CO2H + H2O; K = 1/Ka = 1 / (1.8 x 10-5)

= CH3CO2- + H3O+ CH3CO2H + OH-; K = Kb = 5.6 x 10-10

Calculated value of Kb:

(1.0 * 10-14) (1/1.8 x 10-5)

=5.56 x 10-10

D. pH paper:
0.10 M Na3PO4 –violet
0.10 M Na2SO3–light yellow

Na3PO4 + 3HOH ß> 3NaOH +H3PO4

3Na+ +PO43- + 3HOH ß> 3Na + 3OH- + H3PO4
PO4-3 + 3HOH ß> 3OH- + H3PO4

Na2SO3 +2 HOH ß> 2 NaOH + H2SO3

2Na+ + SO3-2 + 2 HOH ß> 2Na+ + 2OH- + H2SO3
SO3-2 + 2 HOH ß> 2 OH- + H2SO3

PO4-3 + 3 HOH ß> 3 OH- + H3PO4

SO3-2 + 2 HOH ß> 2 OH- + H2SO4

PO4-3 is the stronger base because it produces 3 moles of OH-. SO3-2 produces only 2 OH-.
 If one wanted to compare the differences between solutions of 0.10 M nitric acid and
0.10 M acetic acid, one could simply perform the previous exercise. Instead of using the bases
from the previous exercise, use nitric acid and acetic acid on the pH paper instead to find their
corresponding pH values.

II. Conclusion

In Part 3, the pH value calculated for the HCl solutions were very close to the pH paper
values. For Part 5, our unknown acid B to be hydrazoic acid because the average Ka value of
2.19 x 10-5 was closest to hydrazoic acid’s Ka value of 1.9 x 10-5. Essentially, the trend as our
acid became more concentrated, the percent ionization decreased, which means that the stronger
acid is the more concentrated one. For Part 6C, PO43- is the stronger anion base because its Kb
value is 0.028, while SO32- was 1.6 x 10-7. HSO3- is the stronger acid because its Ka value is 6.2 x
10-8, while HPO42- is 3.6 x 10-13.