Practical Endorsement GCE Chemistry

PAG2 Acid-base titration

2.1 Determination of concentration of hydrochloric acid
LEARNER

2.1 Determination of concentration of hydrochloric acid LEARNER

Introduction
For this Practical Activity, you will make up a standard solution of sodium hydrogencarbonate, and titrate this
against a solution of hydrochloric acid to determine the concentration of the acid.

When finding the exact concentration of an acid, you must use a standard solution of an alkali as this will have an
accurately known concentration. Standard solutions are prepared by dissolving an accurately known mass of the
base sodium hydrogencarbonate (NaHCO3) into distilled water and making this up to an accurately measured
volume. A chemical that has a fixed chemical formula and does not absorb or lose moisture to the atmosphere
must be used.

The indicator you will be using in this activity is methyl orange, which is red in acid and yellow in alkali. At the end
point of the titration, the colour is orange.

The equation below represents the reaction that you will carry out:

HCl(aq) + NaHCO3(aq)  NaCl(aq) + H2O(l) + CO2(g)

Aims and Skills

 to determine the concentration of a solution of hydrochloric acid by titration against a standard solution
of sodium hydrogencarbonate
 to accurately measure mass and volume of liquid
 to use laboratory apparatus for titration, using burette and pipette
 to accurately make up a standard solution using a volumetric flask
 to use acid–base indicators in titration of a strong acid with a weak alkali

Intended class time

 1 hour

Chemicals

Label Identity Hazard information

sodium hydrogen carbonate
NaHCO3(s) Currently not classified as hazardous
solid, NaHCO3(s)
Unknown concentration
Currently not classified as hazardous at this
HCl(aq) aqueous hydrochloric acid,
concentration
HCl(aq)
distilled/deionised water,
H2O(l) No hazard classification
H2O(l)

methyl orange methyl orange indicator

No hazard at this concentration
indicator solution

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 Practical Endorsement GCE Chemistry
PAG2 Acid-base titration
2.1 Determination of concentration of hydrochloric acid
LEARNER

Equipment
 access to a balance reading to at least two decimal places
 eye protection
 burette
 white tile
 pipette (25.0 cm3) and filler
 clamp stand, with boss and clamp (for supporting the burette)
 filter funnel
 measuring cylinder (100 cm3)
 glass rod
 dropping pipette
 volumetric flask and stopper (250 cm3)
 wash bottle containing distilled (or deionised) water (about 300 cm 3 will be required)
 two conical flasks (250 cm3)
 glass beaker (250 cm3 and 100 cm3)
 glass marker pen
 weighing boat
 spatula
 dropping bottle containing methyl orange indicator

Health and Safety

 Wear eye protection at all times.

Procedure
Before starting your practical work, read the information below.
Decide how you will organise your practical work, and which observations you need to make and/or which
measurements you need to take. Ensure that you record all of your results in a suitable format.

Procedure part 1: Making up a standard 0.100 mol dm3 aqueous NaHCO3 solution
1. Using a weighing boat, accurately weigh 2.10 g of solid sodium hydrogencarbonate. Transfer the solid to a
clean, dry 100 cm3 beaker. Rinse the weighing boat with distilled water into the beaker.
2. Add enough distilled water to dissolve the solid, stirring with a glass rod.
3. Transfer the solution to a clean 250 cm3 volumetric flask, using a funnel. Rinse the beaker, glass rod and
funnel with distilled water and include the rinsings into the volumetric flask.
4. Make up to just below the mark with distilled water, insert the stopper, and slowly invert several times to
mix thoroughly.
5. Make up the solution to the mark, insert the stopper, and invert several times to mix thoroughly.

Procedure part 2: Finding the concentration of the HCl solution by titrating with your standard solution
1. Transfer your standard solution to a clean, dry beaker and label it.
2. Use a pipette and pipette filler to transfer 25.0 cm 3 of this solution to a 250 cm3 conical flask.
3. Add a few drops of methyl orange to the flask.
4. Using the funnel, rinse then fill the burette with the hydrochloric acid provided.
5. Titrate the sodium hydrogencarbonate solution with the hydrochloric acid, with constant swirling, until
the end point is reached (yellow to orange). This is your trial titration.
6. Repeat your titration accurately until you have two consistent (concordant) results. You may wish to keep
the solution from your first accurate titration in order to achieve consistency by colour matching.
7. Ensure that you have recorded all of your results, with burette readings to the nearest 0.05 cm 3.

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 Practical Endorsement GCE Chemistry
PAG2 Acid-base titration
2.1 Determination of concentration of hydrochloric acid
LEARNER

Analysis of results
1. Calculate your mean titre using your concordant results. You should indicate in your results which values
you have used.
2. Calculate the amount, in mol, of NaHCO 3 present in the 25 cm3 sample of your standard 0.100 mol dm 3
solution.
3. The equation for the neutralisation reaction is given above. Calculate the amount, in mol, of HCl present
in the mean titre.
4. Calculate the concentration, in mol dm3, of the hydrochloric acid. Give your answer to three significant
figures.

Extension Opportunities
1. The balance has a uncertainty of ±0.01 g in each reading. Calculate the percentage uncertainty in your
mass of sodium hydrogencarbonate.
2. Explain why hydrated sodium carbonate and sodium hydroxide are not appropriate bases for making up a
standard solution.
3. The burette has a uncertainty of ±0.05 cm3 in each reading. Calculate the percentage uncertainty in your
first accurate titre.
4. Assuming that the volumetric flask had an uncertainty of ±0.2 cm3 and the pipette had an uncertainty of
±0.06 cm3, show which piece of apparatus has the larger percentage uncertainty?

Records
As evidence for the Practical Endorsement, you should have recorded evidence of all of your observations and
measurements in a suitable format. All work should be clearly dated.

In addition, in preparation for the assessment of practical work in the written examinations and to help you
develop your understanding of the underlying chemical theory, you should complete the questions in the Analysis
and Extension Opportunities sections. For calculations, you should show full workings and give final answers to
the appropriate number of significant figures.

This document may have modified from the original – check the master version on OCR Interchange if in doubt.
© OCR 2016 Page 3 v2.3 – 14 June 2017