Analysis of results

• See attachment

• State three differences in appearance between the graph in Part II (strong acid) and that in
Part III (weak acid)
• The curve in Part III starts higher.
• The range of the graph in Part II is comparatively wider than the graph in Part III.

• Near the beginning of the Part III graph, the line curves slightly upwards (a bump) while
the Part II graph remains a straight line with a positive slope.

• In part I, for the addition of 0.02 mL (less than half a drop), by how much did the pH change
between 24.99 mL and 25.01 mL?
9.30 - 4.69 = 4.61 pH change

• In Parts II and III, what was the largest pH change you observed when only one drop was
added?
Part II: 7 - 4.69 = 2.31 pH change
Part III: 8.72 – 6.84 = 1.88 pH change

• The equivalence point in an acid-base titration is found at the middle of the most vertical
portion on a titration curve. Find the value of the pH at this point for the graphs in Part II
and III.
Part II: 7 pH
Part III: 8.72 pH
• Explain the reason for the difference between the equivalence points for strong and weak
acids, as shown by your answer to Analysis 5.
• With NaOH and HCl, NaCl is created and it is not hydrolysed by water. The ions of the
salt do not affect the concentrations of H+ and OH- ions in the water therefore the pH at
equivalence point remains 7.

• With NaOH and acetic acid, the salt sodium acetate forms. This salt contain Na+ and
CH3COO- ions in solution. Na+ ions is a spectator ion so it has no effect on water but
when CH3COO- ions meet water, hydrolysis reaction begins. CH3COO- is a base
therefore it form OH- with H2O. This affects the equality between H+ and OH- ions in
solution. As more and more CH3COO- forms, the solution become alkaline and so does
the equivalence point.

Follow-up Questions
 • See attachment

• Use a table of indicators to select all the indicators which would be acceptable for use in
your titration of a strong acid with a strong base.

Methyl red, Chlorophenol red, Bromthymol blue, Phenol red, Neutral red, Thymol blue,
Phenolphthalein, Thymolphthalein.

• Why is phenolphthalein the best indicator to use for titrating a strong base with a weak
acid?

For weak acid-strong base titration, pH is always greater than 7 at equivalence point.
Although Thymol blue color change range begins closer to 8 compare to phenolphthalein,
it doesn’t play a major role in helping to find the equivalence point as there is always a
pH jump before it. On the other hand, the color change range of phenolphthalein covers a
wider levels of pH, therefore increasing the chance of identifying the equivalence point
within its color change range.
• Find [H3O+] that corresponds to the pH at the half equivalence point. How does that
concentration compare to the Ka for acetic acid? Explain this result.
antilog (-4.75) = 1.78x10-5 M
Ka of acetic acid=1.8x10-5

At half equivalence point, [CHCOO-] and [CHCOOH] is the same. According to

Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation, we can come up with this equation pH = pKa + (log
[CHCOO-]/log [CHCOOH]). Since [CHCOO-] and [CHCOOH] is the same, the final
equation turns into pH = pKa, resulting in [H3O+] being the same as the Ka value of
acetic acid.

Conclusion
The curve in Part III starts higher due to the lower dissociation percentage of CH3COOH
compare to the 100% dissociated HCl. Lower dissociation percentage causes the solution
to have less hydrogen ion in solution, resulting in a higher pH value. The curve at
equivalence point for Part III graph is comparatively positioned higher than those of the
Part II graph because for strong acid-strong base titration, pH = 7 at equivalence point
while for weak acid-strong base titration, pH > 7 at equivalence point. The range of the
graph in Part II is also comparatively wider than the graph in Part III.