LAB: Acid-base titration with pH meter and titration curves

Learning goals:
- Learn to use pH meter
- Learn to conduct a pH titration with pH probe
- Learn to analyze titration curves of weak, strong, monoprotic and diprotic acids.

Instructions:
1. Check videos about using a pH meter and conducting a pH titration.

2. Describe with your own words

o Three important things to remember about using of a pH meter
o Steps needed to conduct a pH titration with pH meter  

Important:

1. pH meter should be calibrated using coloured buffers at fixed pH for example pH 4 or 7.

2. The electrode needs to be capped and immersed in a storage solution to prevent it from
drying out
3. After usage the electrode needs to be cleaned with distilled water

Steps:

1. Standardize the pH meter using the buffer supplied

2. Clean the electrode with distilled water
3. Submerge the electrode in solution to be titrated and make sure that it doesn’t touch the
bottom of the titration vessel
4. Set the mode to pH and begin titration
5. As the pH begins to change more rapidly, add the titrant in smaller portions
6. Once you have passed the equivalence point by a few mL stop the titration

3. Write chemical equations for the neutralizations reactions of HCl, CH 3COOH and H2SO4 with
NaOH. (One acid at a time of course)

HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) ⟶NaCl (aq) + H2O (l)

CH3COOH (aq) + NaOH (aq) ⟶CH3COONa (aq) + H2O (l)

H2SO4 (aq) + 2 NaOH (aq) ⟶ Na2SO4 (aq) + 2 H2O (l)

4. Compare three titration curves of strong, weak and diprotic acids with 1 M solution.
Download the data here and open it with LoggerPro. (Open the LoggerPro first and then file
–> open)
o Fill the following table using the information in the titration curves
 Initial pH pH or the Volume needed to Final pH
Equivalence point neutralize all of the
acid
Hydrochloric acid 1.92 7 9.81 13.05

Acetic acid 3.61 8.8 9.23 12.80

Sulfuric acid 2.24 7 19.93 12.97

o What differences and similarities can you find from the graphs?

Similarities:

There is a gradual rise in the pH as the titration approaches the equivalence point followed by a
sharp rise. In the end the curve flattens and finishes at a high pH.

Differences:

Acetic acid has a significantly higher starting point (3.61) than hydrochloric acid (1.92) and sulfuric
acid (2.24). This indicates that it is a weak acid. The equivalence point for acetic acid (8.8) is higher
than the points for hydrochloric acid (7) and sulfuric acid (7). This is in accordance with the theory as
the equivalence point for titrating a strong acid with a strong base is 7 and the equivalence point for
titrating a weak acid with a strong base is greater than 7. Sulfuric acid has two initial rises because it
is diprotic and can release two hydrogen ions. Each release corresponds to one rise.