Acid-Base Titration

*Dave Gabriel E. Cadungog, Allaine Jean C. Cruz, Stephen Zack B. Cruz

Department of Chemistry, University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines

I. Abstract

This experiment was conducted to determine the concentration of sodium

hydroxide by titrating it with a standard acid where the solution of the base will be
used in determining the % acidity of a given sample. In this experiment, the
concentration of the base was computed by titrating with a result of 0.095 M NaOH
and using it to find the % acidity of the vinegar or acetic acid. The data shows that a
range of 8.9 to 8.3 mL of the standard base reacts with 1 mL of vinegar and it shows
that the concentration of the acidity based on computations is 4.9%.
II. Introduction

Titration is one of the common laboratory operations in analytical

chemistry2. In such reaction, the acid reacts with a base, usually forming a salt and
water. Formation of water from the hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions is common
to all aqueous neutralization reactions3. Standard solution is a solution used in a
titration whose concentration is known accurately1.
A substance in the standard solution reacts with a known stoichiometry
with the substance with the substance whose concentration is to be determined in
titration1. A burette is one device that can measure volume precisely where it can
be used to carefully addition of one solution to another. It accurately measures the
volume of solution required to react with a carefully measured amount of another
dissolved substance2. This acid-base reaction involves the donation of a hydrogen
ion by an acid and the acceptance of that hydrogen ion by a base3.
Titrant is the solution in the burette2. When the stoichiometrically
equivalent amount of standard solution has been added, the equivalence point is
reached1. When the precise volume has been reached, an indicator changes the
color of the solution. Phenolphthalein is one of the most typical indicators used for
acid-base titrations2. It means that the end point of a titration occurred after the
indicator changed its color. One of the goals using the indicator is to show that the
end point is reached which is very close to the equivalence point.
 III. Experimental

A. Materials

The materials used in this experiment are base burette, volumetric pipette,
Erlenmeyer flask, phenolphthalein indicator solution, standard HCl solution,
unknown sodium hydroxide solution and the acid sample.

B. Procedure

Proper titration techniques were followed and the base burette was set up
and filled with sodium hydroxide. Initial burette reading was recorded. 10 mL of a
standard HCl acid solution was measured using a volumetric pipette into an
Erlenmeyer flask. 20 mL of distilled water and 2 drops of phenolphthalein
indicator were added to the acid solution. Titration was made carefully to the
faintest tinge of pink that persists for 15 seconds after swirling. Several trials were
made until the results are close to each other.
Specified volume of the acid sample was measured with a volumetric
pipette into the Erlenmeyer flask. 20 mL of distilled water and 2 drops of
phenolphthalein indicator were added into the acid solution. It was titrated against
the sodium hydroxide used in the first part. At least two trials were made.

IV. Results and Discussion

Table 1

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Volume of 0.1 M HCl 10.0 mL 10.0 mL 10.0 mL
Vinitial of NaOH 26.0 mL 36.7 mL 26.5 mL
Vfinal of NaOH 36.7 mL 47.1 mL 36.9 mL
Volume of NaOH 10.7 mL 10.4 mL 10.4mL
Average Conc. NaOH 0.095M

Table 1 figure above shows the amount of NaOH used in each titration trials. It
shows that in a 10 mL of 0.1M HCl, an average of 10.5 mL of NaOH was used. This
first table was used in finding the molarity concentration of the base which is the
NaOH.

Table 2
 Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Brand name of Vinegar Delmonte Red Cane Vinegar
Volume of Vinegar 1 mL 1 mL 1 mL
Vinitial of NaOH 7.3 mL 7.5 mL 16.1 mL
Vfinal of NaOH 16.2 mL 16.1 mL 24.4 mL
Volume of NaOH 8.9 mL 8.6 mL 8.3 mL
% of Vinegar 5.07% 4.9% 4.73%
Ave. % Acidity 4.9%

In the second table figure, shows the data in determining the concentration of the
acetic acid or vinegar. It shows that in 1 mL of vinegar reacts with a range of 8.9 mL
to 8.3 mL of 0.095 M NaOH which was computed in the last step. The average
acidity of the vinegar is 4.9%.
V. Conclusion

This experiment shows the acid-base titration process, how it is done and how
to find for the concentration of a base or an acid using this process. It shows that the
acid-base titration is also a neutralization process which means the products are water
and salt. It can also be concluded that titration is a specific technique in computing for
the concentration of a substance using another substance with a known concentration.

VI. References

1. Jurs, P.C.; Moore, J.W.; Stanitski, C.J. Chemistry The Molecular Science, 9th ed.;
Thomas Brooks/Cole: Belmort, CA. USA, 2008; p 201, 835-836
2. Cracolice, M.S.; Peter, E.I. Introductory Chemistry An Active Learning Approach;
Cengage Learning, Inc.; 2009; p 497
3. Bauer, R.C.; Birk, J.P.; Marks, P.S. A Conceptual Introduction To Chemistry; The
McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.: New York, NY, 2007; p 431
4. http://logs.omegle.com/9a54404