Laboratory Experiment/Activity No.

8
TITRATION OF ACETIC ACID IN VINEGAR

INTRODUCTION

Vinegar is an acidic food condiment that gives a tart sharp flavor to a variety of food
products including sauces, relishes, and pickles. It has been produced and used by human
civilization since 3000 BC. Vinegar is produced naturally by bacterial action upon fermentation
of juices, wine, or beer. Sugars are first oxidized (the addition of oxygen) to ethanol
(CH3CH2OH) and naturally occurring acetic acid bacteria in the juice or wine further oxidizes the
alcohol to acetic acid (CH3COOH) and minor amounts of other organic compounds which give
the characteristic flavor unique to each type of vinegar.
The active component in vinegar is a weak acid, acetic acid, CH3COOH sometimes
denoted HOAc where OAc =CH3COO-. Government regulation in the food industry specifies a
minimum acetic acid concentration in all commercial vinegar to be 4.5 % by weight. This means
that in a 100g (approximately 100 mL) sample of vinegar, there is 4.5 g of pure acetic acid. To
determine the acetic acid content of vinegar, a laboratory technique known as acid-base titration
is used. A titration measures the volume of a known concentration of a titrant that will
completely react with the substance being analyzed called the analyte (in our case the acetic acid
in the vinegar). The reaction scheme can be summarized as follows:

Dye indicators, which change color with pH, are added to the solution to aid in
visualizing the point at which the titrant completely reacts with the analyte (although not exactly
stoichiometric). This point is called the endpoint of titration. In this experiment, we will use
phenolphthalein as our dye indicator. It exhibits a colorless appearance in acidic environments
and purple-pink in basic medium. At the endpoint, phenolphthalein should be pale pink.

From knowledge of the concentration and the volume of NaOH(aq) added to react the
endpoint of the titration, and the volume of the amount of vinegar that was titrated, we can
calculate the molarity of the acetic acid in the vinegar solution. We can then convert the molarity
of the acetic acid in the vinegar solution. We can then convert molarity to % (w/w) or (M/m)
acetic acid in the vinegar if we know the total mass of the vinegar solution that was titrated.

OBJECTIVES (adapted from OLABS, see webpage)

In this experiment, you will perform the process of acid-base titrimetry relying on the
concept of acid-base neutralization reactions. Commercially available vinegar will be utilized as
the sample to clearly demonstrate the use of chemistry from an industrial point of view and its
importance in providing safety guidelines and quality assurance and quality control on products
available for consumers.

MATERIALS

Chemicals Glassware/ Equipment

Standardized 0.5M NaOH Burette (1)
Phenolphthalein indicator Droppers (2)
100 mL beakers (2)
To be brought by the 10-mL graduated cylinder (1)
students/groups: 50 mL Erlenmeyer flask (3)
● vinegar samples laboratory balance
● white sheet of paper
● paper towels

SAFETY

! Wear goggles and your laboratory gown during this experiment. Sodium hydroxide, NaOH
is corrosive to the skin and may cause serious eye damage. Wash with water any part of your body
that comes into contact with the NaOH solution used in this experiment.

! Be careful with the vinegar sample. Although, the sample yow will be using in this experiment
is diluted acetic acid, dilute solutions of acetic acid may still cause dermatitis in some individuals
and may cause severe eye burns. Exercise precautions.

PROCEDURE

A. Preparation of acetic acid analyte.

1. Weigh a 50-mL Erlenmeyer flask. Record the weight on your worksheet.

2. Measure out 3 mL of commercial vinegar sample into the pre-weighed flask.
3. Weigh the flask and vinegar. Record the weight.
4. Then add 1 to 2 drops of phenolphthalein indicator.

B. Preparation of NaOH titrant

1. Obtain a clean burette and rinse it with 0.1 M NaOH by closing the stopcock and use
a small beaker to pour about 10.0 mL of solution into the burette.
2. Tip the burette sideways and roll it until all the inside surfaces are coated or washed
with the solution (0.1M NaOH).
 3. Open the stopcock and allow the remaining solution to run out. Place a beaker to
catch the solution.
4. Again, close the stopcock and pour enough solution into the burette to fill it above the
“0” mark.
5. Mount the burette on a stand and fill it with 0.1 M NaOH solution.
6. Drain some of the NaOH from the burette, bringing the level to zero and making sure
that the air bubbles have been removed from the tip.

C. Titration of acetic acid in vinegar with NaOH

1. Put the Erlenmeyer flask under the burette and place a white sheet of paper under the
flask.
2. Start titrating the vinegar - record the initial burette reading (volume), then slowly add
the base to the flask, dropwise.
3. Swirl the contents of the flask while the base is being added.

Note:
As you continue with the titration, you will notice the color of the indicator begins to
change. At this point, begin to slow the rate at which the base is added. When you are
nearing the endpoint, the addition of each drop will turn the solution pink which may
disappear with swirling. Add a single drop of the base at a time, swirling after each
drop, until the pink color persists for more than 30-60 seconds.

4. Record the final burette reading on your worksheet. Take a picture of the flask with
its contents after the titration.

5. Perform 3 trials. Use the results of the three trials to obtain the average concentration
of acetic acid in the vinegar sample.

WASTE DISPOSAL
Collect all the NaOH rinsing and titrated samples in 100 mL beaker. Dilute the mixture
with water. Then flush them in the sink with copious running water.
RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

1. Calculate the concentration (molarity) of acetic acid in your vinegar sample.

(Macid)(Vacid) = (Mbase)(Vbase)

2. Calculate the % of acetic acid in 3 mL vinegar sample.

% CH3COOH = {(Mbase)(Vbase)} x MW of acetic acid x 100

weight vinegar sample

Note: MW of acetic acid, CH3COOH = 60.052 g /mol

3. Complete and answer your worksheet.

 Laboratory Experiment/Activity No. 8
TITRATION OF ACETIC ACID IN VINEGAR
Group Leader: Apelado, Kevin David Joshua Group No.: 4
Group Members: Ignacio, Kaycee Ann
Del rosario, Janus
Reyes, Angelo Date of Experiment: Nov. 5,
Tuliao, Hayzel 2022
Date of Submission: Nov. 6,
2022
Instructor: Maria Corazon
Huelar

Picture of Erlenmeyer Flask with Contents after Titration

DATA AND RESULTS

Table 1: Data Collected from the Titration Experiment

DATA Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

mass of 50 mL Erlemeyer flask (g)  120.4143 g 115.5921 g  114.1347 g 
volume of vinegar transferred to flask (mL)  3 ml  3 ml  3 ml
mass of 50 mL Erlemeyer flask + vinegar (g)  243.5953  234. 0443 231.0739 
mass of vinegar sample (g)  123.1810 g  118.4522 g  116.9392 g
molarity of NaOH (M) 0.1 M
 volume of NaOH used in the titration  20 ml 23 ml  25 ml 

Table 2: Calculated Results from the Titration Experiment

Results Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

molarity of acetic acid (M)   0.66 M 0.76 M  0.83 M 
average molarity (M)  0.76 M
% acetic acid, CH3COOH  97% 116%  128% 
average % acetic acid, CH3COOH  113.66%
brand of vinegar Silver Swan
% acetic acid written on the packaging  4.5% Acidity

Sample Calculations
QUESTIOND AND PROBLEMS

1. Why do we need to add the phenolphthalein indicator to the sample in this experiment?

- When the reaction is finished, phenolphthalein serves as an indicator of the solution's

acidity by changing color. Titrations of strong acid-strong base are performed using
phenolphthalein. Depending on the pH of the reaction's final product, several
indicators may be employed for weak acid or weak base titrations.
2. What did you observe when you did not swirl the solution after adding several drops of
NaOH?
- Adding a few drops of NaOH gives it a pinkish color, but it returns to its original color
after stirring. If you don't stir the solution after adding a few drops of NaOH, the solution
will remain pink instead of disappearing and returning to its original color.

3. Does the vinegar conform to government standards? Compare your results with the others
who analyzed the same sample (if any). What conclusions can make from these
measurements?

- The vinegar accommodated to the government’s standard (FDA) based on outcome of the
experiment. The determined acetic acid of the vinegar is at 4.02% which is accepted in
the average range of 2%-5% standards. This means the vinegar that been used in this
experiment is safe to use.

4. Would the reported molarity of the vinegar sample be affected by an error in weighing?
How about the % CH3COOH? (In both cases assume that you have a complete transfer of
liquids from one container to another.

- Certainly, even when we have already transferred the liquid entirely from another
container, a weighing error could still have an impact on the vinegar's reported molar
ratio. If there was a measuring error, the results regarding the molarity of a vinegar
sample during the titration experiment will always contain errors. In basis of Ch3COOH
%, it is comparable.

5. Explain the importance of acids and bases as well as the process of titration as they relate
to various fields or your own area of study.
 - Many chemical processes depend on acids and bases, such as creating a delicious
cake, assessing whether a lake can support aquatic life, and keeping the interior
milieu of the human body steady. Protons, or individual H+ ions, can be transferred in
reactions involving acids and bases. The pH scale allows chemists to calculate how
many of the acidic hydrogen ions are present. With the aid of indicators, acids and
bases can react in a variety of ways, from destructive behavior to neutralizations that
leave neither acids nor bases behind. Buffers are explored in the laboratory and in the
chemistry of the bloodstream in order to comprehend the regulation of pH of
solutions.

Reference:

Acid-Base Titrations August 14, 2022 Acid-Base Titrations - Chemistry LibreTexts

General Data Protection Regulation(GDPR) Guidelines BYJU'S March 22, 2022 Acid Base
Titration - Titration Curves, Equivalence Point & Indicators of Acid Base Titration (byjus.com)

How to Neutralize a Base With an Acid August 2, 2022 Neutralizing a Base With an Acid
(thoughtco.com)