SKU3073 Chemistry

Semester 1 2020/2021

EXPERIMENT 5

ACID AND BASE TITRATION

1.1 OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this experiment, students should be able to:

1. prepare a standard (stock) solution from liquid

2. calculate the concentration of sodium hydroxide based on titration

3. demonstrate the basic laboratory technique of titration

5.2 INTRODUCTION

Acid base titration involves a neutralisation reaction in which an acid is reacted with an equivalent
amount of base. For the neutralisation of hydrochloric acid with sodium hydroxide:

HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) → H2O (l) + NaCl (aq)

Neutralisation occurs when acid and base exists in comparable stoichiometry, for instance the
amount of hydrochloric acid (mole) is equivalent with the amount of sodium hydroxide (mole).
The end point of titration can be determined using indicator (Table 3.1). Indicators are organic
compounds that change colour when there is a change in the pH of the solution. The end point
of the titration is when a sudden change in the pH of the solution occurs. Therefore, the
completion of the titration can be observed when a change in the colour of solution after a few
drops of indicator have been added.

Table 5.1: Common acid-base indicators

Indicator pH Range Acid Base

Thymol Blue 1.2-2.8 red yellow
Methyl yellow 2.9-4.0 red yellow
Methyl orange 3.1-4.4 red orange
Bromphenol blue 3.0-4.6 yellow blue-violet
Phenol red 6.4-8.0 yellow red
Phenolphthalein 8.0-10.0 colourless red
Salicyl yellow 10.0-12.0 yellow orange-brown

There are several ways of expressing the concentration of a standard solution. Standard solution
of an acid/ base is used to determine the unknown concentration of a solution of bases/acids by
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 SKU3073 Chemistry
Semester 1 2020/2021

volumetric analysis. For example, a standard solution of hydrochloric acid can be used to
determine the unknown concentration of an alkali solution. The strength of a standard solution is
usually expressed in moles per litre.

Chemicals

Hydrochloric acid, HCl 37% (w/w)

Sulphuric acid, H2SO4 (0.024 M)

C solution containing sodium hydroxide, NaOH

Phenolphthalein indicator

Apparatus

Burette

Filter funnel

Erlenmeyer flask (250 mL)

Volumetric flask (100 mL, 250 mL)

Graduated/volumetric pipette

Pipette dropper

Retort stand

Burette clamp

White marble

5.3 PROCEDURE

Part A Preparation of stock solution: 0.6 M Hydrochloric acid, HCl

1. Prepare a stock solution of 0.6 M HCl in 100 mL volumetric flask from 37% (w/w) HCl.

2. Determine the molarity of 37% (w/w) HCl by completing worksheet Experiment 3, Part A.

3. Calculate the volume of 37% (w/w) HCl that needs to be measured.

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 SKU3073 Chemistry
Semester 1 2020/2021

Part B Preparation of standard solution: 0.024 M Hydrochloric acid, HCl

1. Prepare a standard solution of 0.024 M HCl from stock solution in 250 mL volumetric
flask.

2. Calculate the volume of stock solution that needs to be measured.

3. Observe and record the pH value of HCl using pH meter.

Part C Preparation of burette

1. Clean the burette and rinse twice with distilled water. (Add some distilled water to the
burette with the closed stopcock. Tip and roll the burette to make sure the whole inside
surface is contacted with water. Open the stopcock and allow the water to drain)

2. Rinse the burette twice with 10 mL of 0.024 M HCl solution. (Hold burette horizontally
over a sink and rotate it so that the entire inner surface is coated with the HCl. Open the
stopcock and allow the solution to drain)

3. Clamp the cleaned burette to a stand using a burette clamp. (Be sure the burette is
clamped in a perfectly vertical position before taking any readings)

Part D Preparation of titrant

1. Fill the burette to the 0.00 mark with the HCl solution.

2. Make sure there are no air bubbles in the burette itself, the stopcock or in the burette tip.
(When filled to the 0.00 mL mark, it means 0.00 mL of the HCl solution has been
delivered. Read the liquid level using the bottom of the meniscus)

3. Record the initial volume of titrant in the burette.

Part E Preparation of analyte

1. Transfer 10 mL of C solution containing NaOH in 250 mL volumetric flask, dilute with

distilled water to the mark and swirl the mixture thoroughly until homogenous.

2. Clean volumetric pipette and rinse twice with your analyte (C solution containing NaOH
that you have prepared).

3. Pipette 25 mL of analyte into three clean Erlenmeyer flasks.

4. Add two drops of phenolphthalein solution into each flask.

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 SKU3073 Chemistry
Semester 1 2020/2021

Part F Titration

1. Place the Erlenmeyer flask under the burette.

2. Open the stopcock of the burette slightly and let the drop wise addition of the HCl to the
flask. Swirl the flask. (One hand is used to open and close the stopcock and the other
hand is used to swirl the flask)

3. Slow the addition of the HCl solution when the pink colour start to disappear. Rinse the
side of flask with a small amount of distilled water from wash bottle. At the end-point, one
drop of HCl solution will turn the entire content in the flask to a colourless solution.

4. Record the final volume reading and calculate the used HCl volume.

5. Repeat the titration for another two (2) trials using HCl solution until the different volume
of HCl is in the range of 0.03 for three experiments.

6. Calculate the concentration of C solution containing NaOH (in flask).

7. Repeat the procedure by replacing HCI with H2SO4.

5.4 QUESTIONS

1. In a monoprotic acid, such as HCl, only one hydrogen is donated. Give ONE example for
diprotic and triprotic acid.

2. HCl and H2SO4 have the same molarity. Why did H2SO4 require about twice the volume
of NaOH solution for the titration?

3. How do indicators work in titrations? In this experiment, does adding more

phenolphthalein indicator affect titration?

5.5 REFERENCES

1. How Do You Perfect The Acid-Base Titration? (2019). Retrieved from

https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/undergraduate/preparing-for-
university/stem/Chemistry/stem-legacy-acid-base.aspx

2. Titration of Acids and bases. (2015). Retrieved from

https://www.jmu.edu/chemistry/131%20Lab/8%20Titration%20of%20Acids%20and%20
Bases.pdf

3. Safe Handling of Hydrochloric Acid. (2006). Retrieved from

http://www.jsia.gr.jp/data/handling_02e.pdf
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1.6 WORKSHEET

Part A Preparation of standard (stock) solution: 0.6 M Hydrochloric acid, HCl from 37%
(w/w) HCl.

Table 5.2: 37% (w/w) HCl

Mass (g) of HCl in 100 g

Density of HCl (g/mL) at 25C

Mass (g) of HCl in 1 mL

Molar mass of HCl (g/mol)

Molarity of 37% (w/w) HCl

Volume of 37% (w/w) HCl that

needs to be measured:

M1V1 = M2V2

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 SKU3073 Chemistry
Semester 1 2020/2021

Part B Preparation of standard solution: 0.024 M Hydrochloric acid, HCl

Table 5.3: 0.024 M of HCl

The concentration of HCl before dilution

(mol/L)

The volume of the volumetric flask (mL) for

dilution

Volume of 0.6 M HCl that needs to be

measured:

M1V1 = M2V2

Record and compare pH value of HCl The concentration of HCl (M)

solution for two (2) different concentrations
(0.6 M and 0.024 M). pH value 0.6 0.024

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 SKU3073 Chemistry
Semester 1 2020/2021

Part F Titration

Table 5.4: Titration between HCl and NaOH

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Volume of NaOH (mL)

Molarity of HCl (M)

Initial reading of HCl in burette (mL)

Final reading of HCl in burette (mL)

Volume of HCl used in titration (mL)

Average volume of HCl (mL)

Molarity of NaOH (M)

𝑀𝑎𝑉𝑎 𝑀𝑏𝑉𝑏
=
𝑎 𝑏

Ma=Molarity of acid Mb=Molarity of base

Va=Volume of acid Vb=Volume of base

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 SKU3073 Chemistry
Semester 1 2020/2021

Table 5.5: Titration between H2SO4 and NaOH

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Volume of NaOH (mL)

Molarity of H2SO4 (M)

Initial reading of H2SO4 in burette (mL)

Final reading of H2SO4 in burette (mL)

Volume of H2SO4 used in titration (mL)

Average volume of H2SO4 (mL)

Molarity of NaOH (M)

𝑀𝑎𝑉𝑎 𝑀𝑏𝑉𝑏
=
𝑎 𝑏

Ma=Molarity of acid Mb=Molarity of base

Va=Volume of acid Vb=Volume of base

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DATE LECTURER’S SIGNATURE/STAMP