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Titration is a common method of determining the amount or concentration of an

unknown substance. The method is easy to use if the quantitative relationship between
two reacting solutions is known. The method is particularly well-suited to acid-base
and oxidation-reduction reactions. Titrations are routinely used in industry to analyze
products to be sold. Many manufacturers are under strict standards of quality control
because their products are sold for public consumption. In this experiment, we will
analyze a number of commercial products and, in some cases, test the validity of the
information given on their labels and/or the claims made in television commercials.
The products to be tested include antacid tablets, vinegar, fruit juice, and household
ammonia.




I. Standardization of a base (NaOH) using a primary standard (KHP)

II. Standardization of an acid (HCl) with the standard base

III. Titration analysis of unknown acids and bases:

A. Antacid tablets (Tums vs. Rolaids vs. Maalox)

B. Vinegar

C. Fruit juice (apple or grape)

D. Household ammonia

   

Titrations permit the concentrations of unknown acids/bases to be determined with a

high degree of accuracy. In order to analyze unknown acids/bases, we must have a
"standard" solution to react with the unknowns. A standard solution is one in which
the concentration is known accurately. We will first prepare a standard solution of
NaOH. One way to prepare a standard solution is to dissolve an accurately massed
amount of the substance and dilute it to a measured volume (like we did with the
MnO solution in Expt. #1.6). In this way, the concentration can be calculated exactly.
4
-

However, it is usually impossible to obtain NaOH of sufficient purity to use it as a

primary standard. An indirect method is more practical for obtaining a standard
solution of NaOH. We will prepare a solution of a approximate molarity and
standardize it against a primary standard of known purity.


    

* be of high purity

* remain unchanged in air during massing and remain stable during storage

* have a high molar mass to reduce massing errors

* react with the solution to be standardized in a direct, well-defined reaction

Potassium acid phthalate will serve as our primary standard. This is a large molecule
(KHC H O ) with a molar mass of 204.2 g/mol. Instead of writing the whole formula,
8 4 4

we abbreviate it as KHP, where "P" stands for the phthalate ion, C H O , not for
8 4 4
2-

phosphorus.     
!" 
  #

#

 #

"  

 


!   "

"  
$$
   according to the following
equation:

NaOH(aq) + KHC H O (aq) ---> KNaC H O (aq) + H O(l)

8 4 4 8 4 4 2

If we write this reaction showing the complete structure for KHP and indicating the
ionization which occurs, we have:

"
  

"  !"
"
   

  
  "
"% "

& 
  
   



  


 % " 





1. Dilute enough 1 M NaOH to make 1 L of 0.1xx M NaOH. This will be your titrant.
Rinse a buret with water and then with a small amount of the NaOH solution. Fill the
buret with NaOH solution. Fill the buret tip by momentarily opening the stopcock.
Label this buret BASE. Read the initial volume.

2. Accurately mass approx. 0.8xx g of KHP into a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask. Add
about 100 mL of water and swirl the flask until the sample is dissolved. Add 3 drops
of phenolphthalein indicator (colorless in acidic solution; pink in basic solution).

3. Titrate the KHP solution with the base solution to be standardized. Titration should
proceed until the faintest pink persists for 30 sec. after swirling. The color will fade
upon exposure to the air (WHY?). After completing a trial, breathe into the flask and
swirl. What has happened?

4. Make duplicate determinations and calculate the average molarity of the NaOH. For
excellent work, the molarities need to be within 1% of one another.

'(
 )
* mass of KHP in sample flask

* initial buret reading

* final buret reading

* volume of NaOH required to neutralize the KHP

c 

* molarity of NaOH for each trial

* avg. concentration

*
 

1. Explain why the pink color of a phenolpthalein endpoint will disappear after
exposure to atmospheric air (or the air we exhale). Include 2 balanced equations.

2. Explain why the high molar mass of KHP is an advantage to its being used as a
primary standard. Make up a scenario with numbers and % errors.

Now you are ready to standardize your acid with your known concentration of base.

   c





1. Obtain about 50 mL of 0.1xx M HCl solution in a beaker. Rinse a second buret with
water and then a small amount of HCl. Fill the buret with HCl solution. Fill the buret
tip by momentarily opening the stopcock. Label this buret ACID. Record the initial
volume and then deliver approx. 10.xx mL (as long as you know accurately how much
you used) into a clean 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask. Add about 100 mL of water and 3
drops of phenolphtalein indicator to this sample flask.

2. Read the initial level in the standard NaOH buret. Titrate the acid with the NaOH
standard to the faint pink endpoint.

3. Repeat the titration with a second sample of HCl. The calculated molarities of HCl
should be within 1% of one another.

'(
 )

* volume of acid sample

* initial buret reading

* final buret reading

* volume of NaOH used

* molarity of standard NaOH

c 

* molarity of HCl for each trial

* avg. concentration of standardized HCl

We are now ready to titrate any and every unknown acid and base with our known
concentrations of acid and base!

  
+ % "   


 
  


*You will be sign up for either Rolaids, Tums, or Maalox

 



1. Obtain an antacid tablet and mass the whole tablet. Grind the tablet with mortar and
pestle. Mass two portions of approx. 0.6xx-0.7xx g each.

2. Add the samples to two 250 mL Erlenmeyer flasks. From your acid buret, add
approx. 60.xx mL (must be known accurately) of the standard HCl to the antacid
powder. Swirl the flask to dissolve the solid. All of it may not dissolve, since there
may be some insoluble components.

3. Add 4-5 drops of methyl orange indicator to the sample flask. The solution should
turn pink-red since the HCl was added in excess. If the solution is yellow, add approx.
10.xx mL more acid, measuring the volume carefully.

4. The antacid has neutralized a portion of the acid. Our job is to figure out exactly
how much HCl was neutralized by titrating the acid left over with our standard base.
"Back-titrate" the excess acid in the flask with the standard NaOH. As you approach
the endpoint, add the base drop by drop. The endpoint of the titration occurs when the
solution turns from red to pale orange.

5. Repeat with the other antacid sample.

'(
 )

* mass of whole antacid tablet

* mass of antacid sample

* volume of HCl added

* concentration of standard HCl

* initial buret reading of NaOH

* final buret reading of NaOH

* volume of NaOH required

* concentration of standard NaOH solution

c (
 )

* mmol of HCl added

* mmol of NaOH added

* mmol of acid neutralized by the antacid

* mmol of acid neutralized per gram antacid

* avg. mmol acid neutralized/g antacid

' c (
  )

* class avg. mass of tablet for each brand

* class avg. mmol acid neutralized per gram antacid for each brand

* cost of bottle for each brand

* cost of antacid per gram (cents/g) for each brand

* best buy (cents/mmol acid neutralized)

*
 

1. Rolaids once ran a national advertising campaign in which it was claimed that
Rolaids consumes "forty-seven times its own weight of excess stomach acid". Can
this be true?!!

*Assume that stomach acid is 0.100 M HCl and that its density is 1.00 g/mL.

2. Tums once ran a national advertising campaign in which it touted that its product
"neutralizes one-third more acid than Rolaids". Are they lying?!
 
,
#

Percent acidity is the basis for determining the legality of vinegar. The percent acid in
a sample is calculated as g/mL x 100. Vinegar is regulated by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) and must have a minimum of 5% acidity. The acid involved is
acetic acid.





1. Pipette 5.00 mL of an unknown vinegar sample into a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask.

Add about 100 mL of water and 3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator. Titrate with
your standard base. Complete a duplicate determination.

'(
 )

* volume of vinegar sample

* initial buret reading

* final buret reading

* volume of base required

* avg. volume of base

c 

* the acidity of the vinegar expressed as molarity

* the acidity of the vinegar expressed as a percent (is the vinegar legal?)
c 
-.
(
/
.
)





1. Pipette 10.00 mL of fruit juice into a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask. Add about 100 mL
of water and 3 drops of phenolphthalein. Titrate with your standard base. Due to the
yellow color of the juice, the endpoint will appear peach instead of pink. Complete a
duplicate determination.

'(
 )

* volume of fruit juice sample

* initial buret reading

* final buret reading

* volume of base required

* avg. volume of base

* concentration of standard base

c 

1. The acidity of the juice expressed as molarity

2. The acidity of the juice expressed as a percent

3. The juices are fortified with vitamin C. Determine the percent acidity from ascorbic
acid versus the native acid.

0&
 

build the carboxylic acids (acetic, malic, tartaric, and ascorbic) in ChemSite (see
separate instructions).
' 

  





1. Pipette 5.00 mL of the ammonia solution into a 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask. Add
about 100 mL of water and 3 drops of methyl orange indicator. The solution will turn
yellow. Titrate the sample with your standard HCl solution. The endpoint is orange (if
you go too far, the solution will become red). Complete a duplicate determination.

'(
 )

* volume of ammonia sample

* initial buret reading

* final buret reading

* volume of acid required

* avg. volume of acid required

* concentration of standard acid

c 

1. The molarity of ammonia

‘
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