4.1.

8 Lab
Yoon
Abstract (5 points)

An acid-base titration is a common technique used in chemistry to determine the

concentration of an acid or base in a solution. It involves gradually adding a solution
of known concentration (the titrant) to a solution of unknown concentration until the
reaction between the acid and base is complete. The purpose of this experiment is to
estimate the ionization constant of a weak acid.

Purpose/Hypothesis (5 points)

The purpose of the experiment is to estimate the ionization constant of a weak acid.
If a student wants to estimate the ionization constant of a weak acid, then he/she
should perform an acid-base titration.

Procedure (5 points)

Materials:

0.1 M sodium hydroxide, NaOH 0.1 M acetic acid, CH3 COOH Beaker, 15 mL pH
paper, all ranges with 0.5 pH precision.

Procedure
1. Examine the pH paper strips. Note the range of each type. 2. Hold the dropper bottle of
acetic acid approximately vertically and carefully put 50 drops into the small beaker. 3.
Create a table in your lab workbook to record the pH values and the NaOH drops added as
follows: 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 100. 4. Remove a piece of
low-range pH paper. Dip the end into the solution from Procedure 1 for a second, shake off
the excess liquid, and match the color on the paper to the color chart. Keep the pH paper in
the solution for just a split second because the indicator may come out of the paper
otherwise. 5. Continue to add NaOH as listed in the table you created. Record the pH
values. When necessary to the next range of pH paper. 6. Plot the titration curve in your lab
workbook. Compare your curve to Figure 15.2.
Pictures of the setup.
Data/ Observations (15 points)

Drop of NaOH pH of solution

0 3.0

10 4.0

20 5.0

30 5.5

40 6.0

45 6.5

50 7.5

55 8.5

60 10.0

70 11.5

80 12.0

90 12.5

100 13.0
Graph:

Post-lab questions:

1. Record your data in the data table you created in response to Step 3.
See above.

2. Plot your data and compare it to Figure 15. 2. If it differs describe how it differs.

Look at the graph up top. It resembles the curve in Figure 15.2 quite a little. The
primary distinction is that when the NaOH drop range is between 50 and 60, this
curve deviates downward.

3. Assume that there is half as much sodium hydroxide as acetic acid in a solution.
Write the equation for this reaction.

4. Compare the products from Question 3 with the products in Equation 15.8. Is this
solution a buffer? Explain.
5. What is the pH at the half-equivalence point?

The pH is about 5.25 At the half-equivalence point,

6. Calculate the experimental value for the ionization constant of acetic acid.

7. The accepted value for Ka for acetic acid is 1.8*10^-5

Results/Analysis (5 points)

There is a half-equivalence point on the graph for the weak acid and strong base
titration, and the pH there is not 7.0. By combining a weak acid solution with half the
amount of NaOH, it is possible to determine the Ka by measuring the pH of the
resulting mixture. Kb could be investigated by using the solved for Ka and Kw, the
dissociation constant for water, to solve an equation for Kb.

Conclusions (5 points)
The pHs of a variety of acetic acid and sodium hydroxide solutions were measured
and graphed in this lab. The number of mistakes discovered was rather little. Using
pH paper with a narrower scope of accuracy might reduce the mistake. In
comparison to the graph for the titration of a strong acid/strong base, the titration
curve for a weak acid and strong base is flatter.