Carrying out a titration

Making a soluble salt

Titrations are used to make soluble salts through reacting two aqueous reactants to form a soluble salt by NEUTRALISATION.

The neutralisation reaction is complete using an indicator until the correct NEUTRALISATION VOLUME is determined and then repeated without the
indicator. To finish this process the excess water is removed by EVAPORATION.

Steps of titration
A titration is carried out using a number of steps:

1. If the sample is a solid, it is weighed using an accurate balance, and then

dissolved to make up a known volume of solution (usually 100cm3).

2. A pipette is used to measure accurately a volume the BASE (alkali) - for

example, 25cm3. A safety pipette filler is used to draw solution into the
pipette. This is emptied into a conical flask.

3. A few drops of an indicator may be added to the conical flask. This will
show a change of colour when the titration is complete.

4. The ACID is placed in a burette. The acid must have a KNOWN

CONCENTRATION.

5. The solution from the burette (ACID) is run into the conical flask (BASE).
The solution is added one drop at a time, with swirling to mix the solutions
as the end-point is approached. Eventually, a colour change shows that the
correct amount has been added to react completely with the synthesised
chemical in the sample.
Apparatus required for titration (from left to right):
6. The volume of solution added from the burette (ACID) is noted. The burette, conical flask, safety pipette filler and pipette
titration results can then be used to calculate the concentration of the
BASE.
Calculations from equations

Example-

What concentration of Sodium Hydroxide solution is required to make Sodium Sulphate salt solution using 32.5cm 3 of 0.5mol dm-3 Sulphuric Acid and
25cm3 of Sodium Hydroxide solution?

Step 1: write down the balanced symbol equation

A balanced symbol equation can be used as the starting point to calculate the quantities of reactants used, and the quantities of products made,
in a reaction.

H2SO4 + 2NaOH → Na2SO4 + 2H2O

Step 2: Assign the information to the equation

H2SO4 + 2NaOH → Na2SO4 + 2H2O

Volume 32.5cm3 25cm3

Concentration 0.5mol dm-3 ? mol dm-3

Step 2: Decide what needs to be calculated and use the correct formula:

Concentration of NaOH = moles of NaOH/volume NaOH

a) Moles NaOH = 2 x moles H2SO4 (from symbol equation - 1 mole H2SO4 : 2

moles NaOH )

b) Moles H2SO4 = c x v = 0.5 x 32.5/1000 = 0.1625 moles

c) Moles of NaOH = 2 x 0.1625 = 0.0325 moles

d) Concentration of NaOH = n/v = 0.0325/25/1000 = 1.3 mol dm-3

Practice Questions

For these equations, different acids have been used so you will need to think carefully
about how to balance them. COMMON FORMULAE

1 In a titration, 20 cm3 of 1.0 mol dm-3 sulphuric acid, H2SO4, reacted with 25 cm3 of NaOH. Hydrochloric acid = HCl
Nitric acid = HNO3
What was the concentration of the sodium hydroxide?
Sulphuric acid = H2SO4
2 In a titration, 20 cm3 of 1.0 mol dm-3 nitric acid, HNO3, reacted with 25 cm3 of NaOH. What
Sodium hydroxide – NaOH
was the concentration of the sodium hydroxide? Sodium sulphate = Na2SO4

3 In a titration, 20 cm3 of 1.0 mol dm-3 phosphoric acid, H3PO4, reacted with 25 cm3 of NaOH. Sodium nitrate = NaNO3
Phosphoric acid = H3PO4
What was the concentration of the sodium hydroxide?
Sodium phosphate = Na3PO4
4 In a titration, 25.0 cm of 0.5 mol dm sulphuric acid, H2SO4, reacted with 25 cm of KOH.
3 -3 3
Potassium sulphate = K2SO4
What was the concentration of the potassium hydroxide?