Aim: To determine the strength of given copper sulphate solution by

titrating against N/40 sodium thiosulphate (hypo) solution.

Principle:
The strength of copper sulphate is determine by iodometric method. When KI
is added to a solution of copper sulphate a white cuprous iodide, Cu2I2 is
precipited and an equivalent amount of iodine is librated. The free iodine is
titrated with standard solution of hypo, using starch an indicator. As soon as all
the librated iodine has been reduced to iodide (NaI), the blue colour of iodostarch complex will disappear and the colour of precipitate in conical flask will
be white that is of cuprous iodide. This indicates the endpoint.
The titration reactions take place in the neutral medium hence any mineral acid
present in the solution should be neutralized by adding sodium carbonate
solution and excess of sodium carbonate must be neutralized by adding dil.
Acid. This should be done before staring the titration.
Reagents:
Copper sulphate solution, Standard N/40 sodium thiosulphate solution, starch
Solution, KI crystals
Apparatus:
Pipettes, burette, conical flask.

Procedure:
Clean the burette and fill with hypo solution and note the initial reading.
Pipette out 10 ml of copper sulphate solution in a clean conical flask.
Now add 0.5 gm solid KI, mix well and cover the mouth of conical flask by
watch glass or filter paper and allow the mixture to stand for 2-5 minutes in
the dark.
The solution becomes brown in colour due to librated iodine. Now titrate the
librated iodine with the hypo solution added from burette.
The brown colour of iodine fades slowly and when only a very faint yellow
colour (light straw colour) remains, adds 1 ml of starch solution.
This immediately forms a deep blue iodo-starch complex. Now, add further
hypo solution drop by drop, shaking well in whirling motion and titrate till the
blue colour just disappears. If the colour does not return within 10 seconds,
this will indicate end point. Note this burette reading. Repeat the titration until
two concordant readings are obtained.

Observation:
Burette: N/40 sodium thiosulphate (hypo) solution
Pipette: 10 ml of copper sulphate solution
Indicator: Starch solution (freshly prepared)
Colour change: Blue to colourless
Observation table:
S. No.

1.
2.
3.

Volume of
copper
sulphate taken

Burette reading (ml)

Initial
final

10 ml
10 ml
10 ml

Vol. Of hypo
solution used
(ml)

.........ml
.........ml
.........ml
V2=.........ml

Reaction:
The chemical reactions taking place are:
2CuSO4 + 4KI Cu2I2 + 2K2SO4 + I2
white ppt.
2Na2S2O3 + I2

Na2S4O6 + 2NaI
Sodium
tetrathionate

Calculation:
Volume X normality of unknown copper sulphate solution= Volume X normality
of hypo solution
10 X N1 = N2 X V2 (Burette reading)
N1= 0.025 X Burette reading
10
Strength = Normality of copper sulphate X Eq. weight of copper sulphate
=..................................gm/lit
Result:
The strength of given unknown copper sulphate is .....................gm/liter.