TITLE

EXPERIMENT 5
DETERMINATION OF THE MOLARITY AND CONCENTRATION OF
SULPUHURIC ACID BY TITRATION WITH A STANDARD SOLUTION OF
SODIUM HYDROXIDE.

INTRODUCTION
Quantitative studies of acid-base neutralization reactions are most conveniently
carried out using a technique known as titration. In titration, a solution of accurately known
concentration, called a standard solution, is added gradually to another solution of unknown
concentration, until the chemical reaction between the two solutions is complete. To
determine the concentration of a particular solute in a solution, chemists often carry out
titration, which involves combining a sample of the solution with a reagent solution of known
concentration called a standard solution. If the volumes of the standard and unknown
solutions used in the titration, along with the concentration of the standard solution, the
calculate concentration of the unknown solution. Titrations can be conducted using acid-base,
precipitation or oxidation-reduction reactions.
Sodium hydroxide is one of the bases commonly used in the laboratory. However, it is
difficult to obtain solid sodium hydroxide in a pure form because it has a tendency to absorb
water from air, and its solution reacts with carbon dioxide.
In an acid-base titration one of the solutions is an acid and the other a base. One is
placed in a flask. The other is placed in a burette, from which it is dripped into the flask until
the titration reaches its end point. A suitable indicator needs to be chosen such that the end
point shows accurately that all of the solution in the flask has reacted with the solution being
dripped into it the point at which this happens is called the equivalence point. In a perfect
titration the end point and equivalence point will be identical. If the indicator is not chosen
well, the end and equivalence points will differ, and the titration will not produce accurate
data about the solution of interest.

OBJECTIVES
1. To determine the molarity and concentration of sulphuric acid using titration
technique.

APPARATUS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Burette
Burette clamp
Retort stand
Volumetric pipette (20 mL)
Pipette filler or suction bulb
Conical flask (250 mL)
White tile

CHEMICALS
1. Sodium hydroxide solution, NaOH
2. Dilute sulphuric acid, H2SO4 of unknown molarity
3. Phenolphthalein
PROCEDURE
1. The burette was washed with distilled water and then rinsed with about 5-10 mL
of NaOH solution, running the second rinsing through the burette tip. The burette
was clamped to the retort stand.
2. The burette was filled with the NaOH solution. Make sure the tip was completely
filled and contain no air bubbles. The initial reading was recorded to two decimal
places.
3. 20 mL H2SO4 was transferred to a clean 250 mL conical flask. 2 or 3 drops of
phenolphthalein indicator. The conical flask was placed on a piece of white tile
under the burette and lower the burette tip to the conical flask.
4. The titration apparatus was set up. The H2SO4 solution by adding NaOH solution
until the end point was reached. The conical flask was kept swirled during
titration. The end was indicated when the entire solution retain a faint pink colour
for at least 30 seconds. The final burette reading was recorded.
5. The titration process was repeat until consecutive titrations.
6. The reading from all titrations was recorded in the space provided on the
datasheet.
7. When finished with the titration, the burette was empty and rinsed it at least twice
with tap water and once with distilled water.

RESULTS

DATA
Number of
titration
Final burette
reading (mL)
Initial burette
reading (mL)
Volume of
NaOH used
(mL)

ROUGH
Titration
19

Titration
1
19.2

Titration
2
20.5

Titration
3
20.5

19

19.2

20.5

20.5

Molarity of standard NaOH solution (Mb) = 0.2 M

Volume of H2SO4 solution (Va) = 20 mL
Average volume of NaOH used (Vb) = 20 mL
19.2+20.5+20.5
3

= 20 mL

CALCULATIONS
1. Determine the unknown molarity of the H2SO4 (Ma) solution.
2 NaOH + H2SO4
Ma = ?
Mb = 0.2 M
Va = 20 mL Vb = 20 mL

Na2SO4 + 2 H2

Ma (20) = 1
0.2 (20)

40 Ma = 4
Ma = 0.1 M

2. Determine the unknown concentration in g/L of H2SO4 solution.

Concentration (g/L)= Molarity Molar mass

Molar mass H2SO4 = 2(1)+32+4(16)

= 98 g/mole
Concentration = 0.1 98
= 9.8 g/L
DISCUSSION
In the titration by using H2S04 as the acid solution and NaOH as the base solution. .
For this experiment is the neutralization of sulfuric acid with sodium hydroxide. The titration
was repeated three times. The initial burette reading was remaining same but the final burette
reading and the volume of sodium hydroxide is increases. This result was obtained because
there are some errors when handling the burette.
The equation of the reaction is:
2 NaOH + H2SO4

Na2SO4 + 2 H2

The molarity of NaOH solution is 0.2M and the volume of sulphuric acid used was
20 mL. The average volume of NaOH used was calculated by adding the volume of NaOH in
titration 1,2 and 3. Then, it was divided by 3.
There are many precautions when do acid-base titration experiment. For example, in
acid-base titration 3 aliquots of unknown concentration which is if take three reading, only
take at 2 and three reading to calculate the average because at first reading its act as try and
error. The different between equivalence point and an end point must do.
Phenolphthalein is an indicator for acid-base titration that will show pink colour for
basic solution and colourless for acid solution. By adding phenolphthalein to an acids, the
solution will be colourless. Then, add standard base from burette until the solution barely
turns from colourless to pink. This colour change indicates that the acid has been neutralized.
The solution therefore becomes base, and the dye turns pink. Care must be taken choose
indicators whose end points correspond to the equivalence point of the titration.

Some precaution during do this experiment. First, each apparatus must be rinse with
the distilled water. Measure the volume of the solution properly especially during make
dilution solution. Make sure the solution from the burette flow very slowly to avoid some
mistake during take the reading. Make sure there are no air bubble in the burette by open the
stopcock for a while and let the solution flow a little bit.
CONCLUSION

As a conclusion, to determine the unknown molarity and unknown concentration of sulphuric

acid, the titration process can be used with the correct technique in titration. If not use the
correct technique, there must have some error in the result.

QUESTIONS
1. Why phenolphthalein is used in this experiment?
It is a chemical used to indicate a change in pH during a titration. It turns colourless
in an acidic solution, and it turns pink in a basic solution
2. NaOH is a hygroscopic compound and all NaOH solutions must be standardized
before it can be used for analysis. Using references, explain the given terms:
a. Hygroscopic
Hygroscopic substances absorb moisture from the atmosphere but do not change
their state.
b. Standardization
Standardization is a process in which the value of a potential standard is fixed by a
measurement made with respect to a standard whose value is known.

REFERENCES
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid%E2%80%93base_titration#Equipment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenolphthalein
https://leestreet.wordpress.com/2014/03/05/chemical-storage-hygroscopic-deliquescent-andefflorescent-substances/