Lab: 6

Title: Back Titration

Aim: To determine the percentage of ammonium chloride in an impure sample of the salt using back

titration.

Apparatus/Materials: ammonium salt, beakers, electronic balance, distilled water, 250 ml volumetric

flask, pipette, 250 ml conical flasks, 0.1M NaOH, Bunsen burner, tripod stand, wire gauze, red litmus

paper, funnel, phenolphthalein, burette, 0.05M H2SO4

Method:

1. 3g of the impure ammonium chloride was weighed in a 100 ml beaker (it was weighed by

difference)

2. The salt was dissolved in distilled water, then quantitatively transferred to a 250ml

volumetric analysis and was made up to the mark with distilled water

3. A 25ml pipette with small quantities of the solution was rinsed then 25 ml of the solution

was pipetted into a 3 separate 250 ml conical flask

4. 50 ml of 0.1M NaOH was pipetted into each of the conical flask containing the

ammonium solution

5. The solutions was gently boiled for 5 minutes or until no more ammonia was evolved. (It

was tested with the liberation of ammonia with red litmus paper)

6. A funnel was placed in the  neck of the flask to prevent splashing and distilled water was

added at intervals to keep the volume constant while boiling

7. The solution was cooled in a water bath, phenolphthalein was added and the excess

NaOH was titrated against the 0.05M H SO 2

Results: 
Title of table: TABLE SHOWING THE MASSES TAKEN

Mass of beaker/g 52.3

Mass of beaker + ammonium 53.5
salt/g
Mass of ammonium salt/g 1.2

Title of table: TABLE SHOWING THE RESULTS FROM THE EXPERIMENT

TITRATION # 1 2 3

Initial burette reading / cm3 0 0 0

Final burette reading/ cm3 28.9 28.6 28.8

Volume used/ cm3 28.9 28.6 28.8

CALCULATIONS:

1. Calculate the number of moles of H2SO4 in the titre volume

x = 0.05mol/dm3 × 28.8mL

28.8mL/ 1000 = 0.0288 dm3

x= 0.05mol/dm3 × 0.0288 dm3

x= 0.00144mol

2. Write balanced chemical equations for the reactions

2NaOH (aq) + H2SO4 (aq)  Na2SO4 (aq) + 2H2O (l)

3. Calculate the number of moles of excess NaOH in the reaction flask

2NaOH : H2SO4

2 : 1

Excess nNaOH= (0.00144) × 2

= 0.00288mol

= 2.88 × 10-3 mol

4. Calculate the initial number of moles of NaOH placed in the flask

initial number of moles of NaOH = n

 n = 0.1mol/dm3 × 50mL

50ml/ 1000= 0.05 dm3

n = 0.1mol/dm3 × 0.05 dm3

n = 0.005mol

n= 5 × 10-3 mol

5. Calculate the number of moles of NaOH which reacted with the 25 mL ammonium salt solution.

Initial number of moles of NaOH – excess number of NaOH

5 × 10-3 mol - 2.88 × 10-3 mol

= 2.12 × 10-3 mol

6. Calculate the number of moles of NaOH which reacted with the 250 mL ammonium salt solution.

2.12 × 10-3 mol : 25 ml

x : 250 mL

x = (2.12 x10-3mol)(250)/ 25ml

x= 2.12 × 10-2 mol

7. Calculate moles of NH4Cl salt reacting.

NH4Cl(aq) + NaOh  H2O(l) + NaCl(aq) + NH3(g)

1 : 1

Moles of NH4Cl salt reacting = 2.12 × 10-3 mol

8. Calculate mass of NH4Cl salt reacting.

Mass of NH4Cl salt reacting = Moles of NH4Cl × mol mass

= 2.12 × 10-3 mol × 53g/mol

= 0.112 g

9. Determine the percentage of ammonium salt in the impure sample. 

= ( mass of pure compound in sample/ total mass of impure sample) x 100

 =(0.112g/ 3g) x 100

= 3.73%

10. Why is it important not to use too large a weight of the ammonium salt?

It is important to not use a large weight of the ammonium salt because, a high concentration of

ammonium salt will cause a shift in the position of equilibrium causing equilibrium to shift to the right.

Conclusion

The percentage of ammonium chloride in an impure sample of the salt using back titration is 3.75%.