Objectives:

1. To compute the percent by weight of acetic acid in a vinegar sample.

2. To compute the dissolved oxygen content of a water sample.
Interpretation of Results
I. Acid-Base Reaction: Analysis of Acetic Acid in Vinegar
On the first part of the experiment, we are asked to analyze an unknown vinegar product’s
of 4% to 6% concentration acetic acid content through titration with a base -- sodium
hydroxide, as our titrant.
To start this experiment, we clean a 25-mL base burette with a soap solution and burette
brush and rinsed thoroughly with tap water. After rinsing, we rinsed it again with 10-mL
distilled water for about 3 more times. Rinse the previously cleaned base burette with
approx. 5mL of 0.2M sodium hydroxide solution, making certain that no water droplet clings
to the inside wall of the burette. Discard the sodium hydroxide solution used in a beaker.
Set-up the apparatus as shown in Figure 1 then completely fill the burette with the 0.2M
sodium hydroxide solution to remove the air from the tip by running out some of the
solution into the beaker used for the washings.
Measure 5mL of vinegar using a 10-mL graduated cylinder and place it in a 125-mL
Erlenmeyer flask. Then add 20mL of distilled water and 2 drops of phenolphtalein. Mix the
solution by swirling.
Add slowly the sodium hydroxide solution while gently swirling the contents of the flask.
Stop the titration when the color of the vinegar changes to light pink. A sheet of white
paper underneath the flask will help in recognizing the color change at the endpoint. Record
the volume of the sodium hydroxide solution used in the titration.
Data:

Brand of Vinegar: Silver Swan

Trial 1 Trial 2
Volume of 0.2M NaOH in mL 17mL 16.5mL
(0.1969M)
Moles NaOH 3.3473x10-3 mol 3.2486x10-3 mol
Moles HC2H3O2 3.3473x10-3 mol 3.2486x10-3 mol
Weight HC2H3O2 in Grams 0.2008g 0.1949g
Volume of Vinegar in mL 5mL 5mL
Weight of Vinegar in Grams 5g 5g
% by Weight HC2H3O2 4.016 3.8986
Average % by Weight HC2H3O2 3.96%

Sample solutions are written in the PDS.

Upon performing two trials, we get the average % by weight of the Silver Swan vinegar to
be 3.96%. We performed the trials about 3 times because we made an error in our very first
attempt in titration by dropping a bit too much NaOH to the vinegar solution, causing too
much dark pink pigment. It will probably give an intolerable amount of error in the
equivalence point of neutralization. Generally, vinegar is a solution that is 4-6 percent by
weight acetic acid in water. Our data got 3.96%; we are short of 0.04% to make it to 4%. We
do not have a theoretical value to refer our percentage error with the respective brands
assigned to us.

II. Redox Reaction: Analysis of Dissolved Oxygen in Tap Water

We first started collecting our water sample. We let water low and overflow on our reaction
containers (500-mL C2 bottle; plastic container) for one minute. Note that the water sample
must be taken with extreme care to minimize contact of the sample with air. It is done by
allowing the container to overflow for about a minute keeping the opening of the faucet
below the water level and replace the cap so that no air bubbles are entrained. Avoid
excessive agitation that will dissolve the atmospheric oxygen. The water sample should be
analyzed as soon as possible. Refer to Figure 3 and 4.
Next, open the sample container with great care to avoid aeration and add 5mL of
manganous sulfate solution from a measuring pipette. This is done by dipping the end of the
pippete halfway the water depth and releasing the contents of the pipette, causing an
overflow of the water sample.
Also add 5mL of alkaline iodide reagent using another measuring pipette. The neck of the
container will again have excess liquid so replace carefully the cap to avoid splashing. Mix
thoroughly the contents by making 2 rapid inversions of the container in the hand. A milky
precipitate forms that gradually changes to yellowish-brown. After allowing the precipitate
to settle, remove the cap carefully and immediately add 5mL of conc. Sulfuric acid in the
same manner as before. Close the container immediately and then mix the contents by
gentle inversion until the precipitate has completely dissolved. At this point, the yellowish-
brown color due to liberated iodine should appear.
On titration, we rinsed a clean base burette with approx. 5mL of 0.025M sodium thiosulfate
solution, making certain that no water droplet clings to the inside wall of the burette. Allow
some of the liquid to run through the tip of the burette, then repeat for two more times.
Next, fill the cleaned 25-mL base burette with 0.025M sodium thiosulfate solution, making
sure that there is no air gap at the tip of the burette, similar the part I of the experiment.
Attach the burette to an iron stand with a burette clamp. Using a 100-mL graduated
cylinder, measure 200 mL of the sample and place it in a 500-mL Erlenmeyer flask. Add 3mL
of 1% starch solution as indicator.
Titrate the sample with the standard sodium thiosulfate solution until the color changes
from blue to colorless. Always swirl the flask while adding sodium thiosulfate. As soon as
the solution becomes colorless, record the volume of the standard sodium thiosulfate used.
Repeat for trial 2.

Data:

Trial 1 Trial 2
Volume of Water Sample in 500mL 500mL
mL
Volume of 0.025M Na2S2O3 12.7mL 6.8mL
in mL
Moles Na2S2O3 3.1875x10-4 mol 1.7x10-4 mol
Moles O2 7.969x10-5 mol 4.25x10-5 mol
Weight of O2 in Grams 2.55x10-3 1.36x10-3
Dissolved Oxygen Content 5.1ppm 2.72ppm
in ppm
Average DO Content in ppm 3.91ppm

Sample computations are written in the PDS.

Question:
Does the water sample contain sufficient dissolved oxygen to sustain aquatic life? Explain.
According to our data, No. Because for a diversified warm-water biota, the DO
concentration should be at least 5ppm. On the first trial, it is possible because the DO
content is 5.1ppm but on the second trial, the DO content is only 2.72ppm. On average, the
water’s DO content is 3.91ppm. This says that it is unfit for sustaining aquatic life.
Therefore, aquariums or other artificial water ecosystems cannot sustain enough dissolved
oxygen for aquatic life without the aid of oxygen pipes.
Conclusion:
Titration, to our understanding, is about finding the equivalence point of neutralization so that
we can refer how much a known base/acid (titrant) consumes an unknown base/acid (analyte)
that forms a neutralization reaction. This is shown in the first and last parts of the experiment
wherein used bases such as NaOH(aq) (Sodium Hydroxide sol’n) and Na2S2O3 (aq) (Sodium
Thiosulfate sol’n) as our titrants. As soon as the indicators give off signs of neutralization, we
stop and record the volume of titrant that makes the acid and base react on a nearly 1:1 scale.
Slight excess in the acid/base volume is tolerated to an extent because we always need to add
our indicator. But nevertheless, this is still the most accurate technique in measuring the
volume of a solution required to react with another solution.

Analysis of dissolved oxygen in tap water is important because it determines how fit a water
sample can sustain aquatic life. Dissolved oxygen is quantized by mg/L or ppm (parts per
million). For a diversified warm-water biota, the DO concentration should be at least 5ppm. And
for normal temperature, the maximum amount of oxygen that can possibly dissolve in water is
about 9ppm. Most organic pollutants deplete the dissolved oxygen during the course of their
decomposition. This is because micro-organisms decompose these pollutants for food. The
metabolic process is the oxidation of the organic compounds – the dissolved oxygen is the
oxidizing agent. Thus, while these micro-organisms are removing the pollutants, they are also
consuming the dissolved oxygen that otherwise would be present to support aquatic life. Same
goes for warm to hot water temperatures. We know that the solubility of gases in a solution is
inversely proportional to the solution’s temperature. This says that water’s capability to store
dissolved oxygen decreases as it gets hotter or warmer. This pollution is called thermal
pollution.