A redox titration

In this titration you will deduce the concentration of Fe 2+ ions in a redox reaction between potassium
manganate(VII) and an iron(II) salt. The equation for this reaction is

MnO4–+ 5Fe2+ + 8H+ → Mn2+ + 5Fe3+ + 4H2O

Safety

Wear eye protection at all times.

Potassium manganate(VII) is an irritant and 2 mol dm–3 sulfuric acid is corrosive.

Apparatus (per student)

• 0.02 mol dm–3 potassium manganate(VII) • 10 cm3 volumetric pipette and pipette filler

• solution of ammonium iron(II) sulfate • conical flask
• 2 mol dm–3 sulfuric acid • 25 cm3 measuring cylinder
• burette and stand • white tile
• small funnel • eye protection

Procedure

1 Fill the burette with the 0.02 mol dm–3 potassium manganate(VII) solution (IRRITANT).
2 Take the initial burette reading.
3 Pipette 10.0 cm3 of the ammonium iron(II) sulfate solution into the conical flask.
4 Add 10 cm3 of dilute sulfuric acid (CORROSIVE) to the ammonium iron(II) sulfate in the flask.
5 Run the potassium manganate(VII) solution slowly into the ammonium iron(II) sulfate, keeping
the conical flask shaken all the time. The end-point of the titration is when there is a permanent
pink coloration in the flask.
(Note: if a brown precipitate appears in the flask, add more sulfuric acid to dissolve it.)
6 Record your results in a suitable table.
7 Do ‘accurate’ titrations of the potassium manganate(VII) against the ammonium iron(II) sulfate
solution, until you have obtained concordant results.
8 Write up the practical, explaining in detail how the titration was performed, and how the titration
results are processed in order to calculate the concentration of Fe 2+ ions.

1
Calculations

1 Use your average titre together with the concentration of potassium manganate(VII) to calculate
the number of moles of potassium manganate(VII) used.
2 Refer to the equation for the reaction to calculate the number of moles of Fe 2+ ions reacting.
3 Use your answer to step 2 together with the volume of ammonium iron(II) sulfate originally put
in the flask to calculate the concentration of Fe 2+ ions.

Questions

1 Why is no indicator added to the conical flask?

2 Why is it allowable to read to top of the meniscus in a titration in which potassium
manganate(VII) is placed in the burette?
3 Why does the addition of more sulfuric acid to the conical flask not affect the titration values?
4 Which ion in this titration is being oxidised and which is being reduced?
5 How could you modify this experiment in order to deduce the stoichiometry of this reaction?