AIM: Prepare M/40 solution of oxalic acid.

With its help, determine the molarity and

strength of the given solution of potassium permanganate (KMnO4).

APPARATUS

Watch glass, analytical balance, weight box, fractional weight box, 500 ml beaker, glass
rod, 500 ml measuring flask and wash bottle.

CHEMICALS REQUIRED

Oxalic acid crystals, given KMnO4 solution, distilled water

CHEMICAL EQUATIONS

INDICATOR

KMnO4 is a self-indicator.

END POINT
Colourless to permanent pink colour (KMnO4 in burette).

PROCEDURE
A) Preparation of 500 ml of M/40 solution of oxalic acid from crystalline oxalic acid.

1. Take a watch glass, wash it with distilled water and then dry it.
2. Weigh the clean and dried watch glass accurately and record its weight in the notebook.
3. Weigh 1.580 g oxalic acid on the watch glass accurately and record this weight in the
notebook.
4. Transfer gently and carefully the oxalic acid from the watch glass into a clean 500 ml
measuring flask using a funnel. Wash the watch glass with distilled water with the
help of a wash bottle to transfer the particles sticking to it into the funnel
The volume of distilled water for this purpose should not be more than 50 ml.
5. Finally wash the funnel well with distilled water with the help of a wash bottle to
transfer the solution sticking to the funnel into the measuring flask
6. Swirl the measuring flask till solid oxalic acid dissolves.
7. Add enough distilled water to the measuring flask carefully, upto just below the etched
mark on it, with the help of a wash bottle.
8. Add the last few drops of distilled water with a pipette or a dropper until the lower
level of the meniscus just touches the mark on the measuring flask
9. Stopper the measuring flask and shake gently to make the solution uniform throughout.

B. 1. Weigh 1.580 g of oxalic acid crystals and dissolve them in water to prepare 500 ml of

M/40 oxalic acid solution using a 500 ml measuring flask. Rinse the pipette with the

M/40 oxalic acid solution and pipette out 20 ml of it in a washed titration flask.

2. Rinse and fill the burette with the given KMnO4 solution.

3. Add one test tube (∼ 20 ml) full of dilute sulphuric acid (∼ 2 M) to the solution in

titration flask.

4. Note the initial reading of the burette.

5. Heat the flask to 60—70°C and add KMnO4 solution from the burette till a permanent

light pink colour is imparted to the solution in the titration flask on addition of a last single
drop of KMnO4 solution.

6. Note the final reading of the burette.

7. Repeat the above steps 4–5 times to get three concordant readings

OBSERVATIONS
Weight of watch glass = 25.3 g
Weight of (watch glass + oxalic acid) = 26.88 g
Weight of oxalic acid = 1.580 g
Volume of solution prepared = 500 ml
Volume of oxalic acid solution prepared = 500 ml
Solution taken in burette = 0.01 M KMnO4
Volume of oxalic acid solution taken for each titration = 20.0 ml.

OBSERVATION TABLE-

Sr Burette reading Volume of KMnO4 used

no
Initial volume Final volume
 1 0 ml

2 0 ml

3 0 ml

Concordant volume = x ml (say)

CALCULATIONS
(a) Calculation of molarity of the KMnO4 solution:
From the overall balanced chemical equation it is clear that 2 moles of KMnO4 react with 5
moles of oxalic acid.

b) Calculation of strength of the KMnO4 solution

Strength (in g/l) = Molarity × Molar mass

=---------- g/l

RESULT:

Molarity of the KMnO4 solution= -------M

Strength of the KMnO4 solution= ------g/l

PRECAUTIONS :
1)Usually an air bubble is present in the nozzle of the burette, it must be removed before taking the
initial reading. 
2) There should not be any leakage from the burette during titration. 
3)Keep your eye in level with the liquid surface while taking the burette reading or while reading the
pipette or measuring flask etc. 
4) Always read lower meniscus in case of colourless solution and upper meniscus in case of coloured
solutions. 
5) Do not blow through the pipette to expel the last drop of solution from it, simply touch the inner
surface of the titration flask with the nozzle of the pipette for this purpose. 

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