EXPERIMENT 1

DETERMINATION OF ACETIC ACID CONTENT IN VINEGAR

INTRODUCTION

Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid, CH 3COOH, and reacts with sodium hydroxide, NaOH,
in the following manner:
CH3COOH(aq) + NaOH(aq) → CH3COONa(aq) + H2O(l)

In this experiment, you will titrate a sample of vinegar with a standard solution of NaOH to
determine the concentration of acetic acid in the vinegar. Once the molarity is known and the
density of vinegar given, the mass percentage of acetic acid in the vinegar can then be
determined.

PROCEDURE

1. Into a clean burette, add 3 successive 3- to 5-mL portions

of 1.0 M NaOH solution and tip it back and forth to rinse
the inside walls. Allow the NaOH solution to drain out of
the burette tip completely each time. Fill the burette with
1.0 M NaOH solution. If there are any air bubbles, open
the stopcock to flush them out. Check that there is no
leakage before you do the titration.

2. Pipette 25 mL of vinegar into a 250-mL conical flask and

add 3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator. Place a white
tile underneath the flask. Before titration, record the initial
burette reading. After each addition of the NaOH solution, Figure 1. Technique for a titration
swirl the flask gently to mix the solutions. by a right-handed student.

Figure 1 shows the best technique for a titration by a right-handed student. Note that the left
hand is used to open and close the stopcock. Pressure on the stopcock with this hand will
keep the stopcock properly seated, preventing leaks. With a bit of practice, you will be able
to adjust the stopcock so that as little as half a drop will form on the capillary tip. The right
hand is used to swirl the flask.
A left-handed student may turn the burette 180, then open and close the stopcock with the
right hand. Unfortunately, the markings on the burette will now be away from the student
and will not be as easy to observe.

3. The end point is reached when the colorless solution turns to pink color. Record the final
burette reading. Repeat the titration three more times (use the same conical flask  discard
the contents from the previous titration and rinse the flask with deionised water).
 NOTE: Remember to wipe the base of the retort stand with a wet cloth so as to prevent
chemical corrosion.
RESULTS

You can tabulate your results in a table similar to the one shown below.

Volume of Burette Reading (mL) Volume of 1 M

Experiment
Vinegar (mL) Final Initial NaOH (mL)

Trial

CALCULATIONS

1. Calculate the molarity of the vinegar.

2. Calculate the mass of acetic acid per L of vinegar.

3. Given that the density of vinegar is 1.005 g/mL, calculate the mass percentage of acetic acid
in the sample of vinegar.