DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY LAB MANUAL (Environment & Ecology)

EXPERIMENT NO. 02
OBJECT: To determine the acidity of given sample of water using N/100 sodium hydroxide
solution and methyl orange and phenolphthalein as indicators.
APPARATUS/ REAGENTS: Burette, pipette, conical flask, reagent bottles, sodium
hydroxide solution (N/100), phenolphthalein indicator, methyl orange indicator.
THEORY: Acidity of water is its quantitative capacity to neutralize a strong base to a
designated pH. It is due to presence of strong minerals acids (hydrochloric acid,
sulphuric acid and nitric acid), weak acids (carbonic and acetic acid) and
hydrolyzing salts of metals (ferric and aluminum sulphates). In natural unpolluted
water the main source of acidity is the dissolved carbon dioxide. These molecules
are acids so their determination is done with the help of a strong base. When OH-
(base) is added to the water source, they will chemically bond with the acids
Mineral acids

HCl+ NaOH NaCl + H2O

H2SO4+ 2NaOH Na2SO4 + 2H2O

HNO3+ NaOH NaNO3 + H2O

Weak acids

CH3COOH+ NaOH CH3COONa + H2O

Salts of Metals
FeSO4+ 2H2O Fe(OH)2 + H2SO4

2Fe(OH)2 + H2O+1/2 O2 2Fe(OH)3

Al2(SO4)3 + 6NaOH 2Al(OH)3 + 3Na2SO4

Carbon dioxide

CO2 + H2O H2CO3

H2CO3 + NaOH NaHCO3 + H2O

NaHCO3 + NaOH Na2CO3 + H2O

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY LAB MANUAL (Environment & Ecology)

Methyl orange (pH range 3.2-4.4) is a valuable indicator for acid–base titration
because it gives yellow color in basic and red colour in acidic solution.

H
SO3- N N N+(CH3)2

Red (Acid)
[H+] [OH-]

SO3- N N N(CH3)2

Yellow (Base)
Methyl Orange

Phenolphthalein is a triarylmethane dye but it is better known as an acid-base indicator.

HO
HO
OH
O

C
C
O [OH-]
O-
C [H+]
C

O
O
Colourless (Acid) Pink (Base)
Phenolphthalein

EFFECTS OF ACIDITY
Acidity of water causes several ill-effects like:
1. Corrosion in pipes, boilers, etc.
2. Mineral acidity undesirable for drinking purposes.
3. It affects biochemical reactions thereby threatens aquatic life.
PROCEDURE
1. Rinse and fill the burette with N/100 NaOH solution upto mark.
2. Pipette out 20 ml of the given water sample into 250 ml conical flask.
3. Then add 2-3 drops of methyl orange indicator to the sample (if solution turns yellow,
the strong acids is absent).
4. If the solution turns pink, titrate with N/100 NaOH solution until colour changes from
pink to yellow.
5. Note the titrate value (Y), this is known as methyl orange acidity.
6. Now add 2-3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the solution obtained in step 4.

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY LAB MANUAL (Environment & Ecology)

7. If the colour turns pink, the phenolphthalein acidity is absent.

8. Otherwise continue the titration with N/100 NaOH until the colour turns to pink.
9. Record the titrate value (Z), this is known as phenolphthalein acidity.
10. Repeat the titration to get at least two concordant readings.
OBSERVATION TABLE:
Titration between given water sample and N/100 sodium hydroxide solution and methyl
orange and phenolphthalein as indicators
S. No. Volume of Burette reading Concordant
sample (X) (mL) reading
(mL) (mL)
Initial Methyl Phenolphthalein
Orange end end point (Z) Y Z
point (Y)
1. 20 0.0 -- ---
2. 20 0.0 --- ---
3. 20 0.0 --- --- --- ---
- - --
- -

CALCULATION:
Volume of given water sample (X) = 20 mL
Volume of NaOH used upto methyl orange end point = Y mL
Volume of NaOH used upto phenolphthalein end point = Z mL
1. Acidity up to Methyl orange end point:
According to the law of equivalence
N1V1 = N2V2
(Sample) = (NaOH)
N1 x 20 = N/100 x Y
N1 = Y/2000
Acidity upto the Methyl orange end point (in terms of CaCO3 equivalent):
= Normality x Equivalent Weight of CaCO3
= (Y/2000) x 50 g/l
= (Y/2000) x 50 x1000 mg/L or ppm
Strong or mineral acid acidity = …………… ppm

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 DEPARTMENT OF CHEMISTRY LAB MANUAL (Environment & Ecology)

2. Acidity up to Phenolphthalein end point:

According to the law of equivalence
N1V1 = N2V2
(Sample) = (NaOH)
N1 x 20 = N/100 x Z
N1 = Z/2000
Acidity upto the Phenolphthalein (in terms of CaCO3 equivalent):
= Normality x Equivalent Weight of CaCO3
= (Z/2000) x 50 g/L
= (Z/2000) x 500x01000 mg/L or ppm
Total acidity = …………. ppm
Now,
Weak acid acidity = Total acidity - Mineral acid acidity

RESULT: Acidity of given water sample:-

Total acidity =
Strong acid acidity =
Weak acid acidity =

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