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Chemistry
B.1.1 Introduction
Inorganic Chemistry is the branch of chemistry that deals with the study of non-carbon
containing compounds or compounds classified other than organic. In this section, it
covers the Development of the Atomic Theory and Periodic Table of Elements,
Chemical Bonding and Reactions, Gases and Solutions, and Nuclear Chemistry.
At the end of the 19th century, scientists devoted so much on the study of the phenomenon
of radioactivity in which substances were found to transmit and emit energy in the form
of waves through space. A device used to study radioactivity was a cathode ray tube. This
evacuated glass tube contained two metal plates connected across a high-voltage source.
B-1
When current passed through the metal plates, a ray was emitted from the negatively
charged plate (cathode) and drawn towards the positive plate (anode). This ray, called the
cathode ray tube, was invisible but produces a bright light upon striking a fluorescent
screen. Some experiments further characterize the nature of the ray by adding two
charged plates and a magnet. In the experiment, the ray deflected towards the positive
plate and repelled by the negative plate. Moreover, in the presence of a magnetic field the
ray deflected and appeared to interact with the magnetic field. With such attraction with
electric and magnetic fields, the particle must be negatively charged and known as
electrons. Furthermore, the nature of the cathode ray was found unaffected with the
material of which the cathode was constructed, the type of metal wires used to conduct
the current, the type of gas present in the tube and irrespective of the materials used to
generate the current.
In 1897, Joseph John Thomson determined the ratio of the charge of an electron to its
mass to be 1.76 x 108 coulomb per gram electron through the cathode ray tube. He was
then recognized as the discoverer of this negatively charged subatomic particle called
electrons. In line with this experiment, Robert Andrews Millikan determined the charge of
an electron to be 1.6 x 1019 coulomb through his oil-drop experiment.
In the same year, Wilhelm Rontgen discovered cathode rays caused metals to emit
unusual rays that penetrated matter, and are highly fluorescent. He called these rays, X-
rays. After the discovery of these rays, Antoine Becquerel happened to wrap an
unexposed photographic plate with a uranium compound that eventually darkened the
plate spontaneously. This phenomenon was called radioactivity to explain the
spontaneous emission of highly energetic radiation.
Before the discovery of the electron, Eugene Goldstein identified the presence of a bright
light within the cathode in the cathode ray tube. This signifies that positive rays were also
present in the tube. Studies show that there are different positive particles present
depending on the gas used in the tube. The lightest of these positive particles was
obtained when hydrogen gas was used. The particles had an electric charge to mass ratio
of 9.5791 x 104 coulomb per gram and its absolute charge is the same to that of an
electron. This positively charged particle is known as the proton.
In 1910, Ernest Rutherford with his associates, Johannes Geiger and Ernest Marsden,
performed an experiment that involves bombardment of a thin sheet of gold foil with
alpha particles in an evacuated tube. In the said experiment, most of the alpha particles
were observed to pass through the thin gold foil, some particles deflected and very few
particles bounced back as shown in a zinc sulfide coated glass tube. These observations
led to the explanation of the nature of the nucleus. The nucleus, based on this experiment,
B-2
is almost an empty space where the mass of an atom is deeply concentrated and acquires
a positive charge.
After the discovery of the nature of a nucleus, it was known that a hydrogen atom
contains one proton and a helium atom with two protons. Therefore the latter is twice as
much heavy as the former. On the contrary, the helium atom was found to be four times
heavier than the hydrogen atom and therefore another particle must be responsible for
such difference. In 1932, James Chadwick was able to identify a neutral particle known
as the neutron by bombarding a beryllium atom with an alpha particle.
With these discoveries, the atom of an element can be identified with the number of
protons and neutrons in its nucleus. The atomic number is the number of protons and the
mass number of an atom is the number of protons and neutrons in the nucleus. For a
neutral atom, the number of electron is equal to the number of protons. However, in
nature, elements were found to exist with different mass numbers. These elements with
different mass numbers are called isotopes. Hydrogen atom has three isotopes as follows:
In 1900, Max Planck discovered that when solids are heated, it emits a discrete quantity
of energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation called quanta. The energy of a single
quantum of energy is given by:
E hf (1)
34
where h Plancks constant, 6.626176 x 10 J-s
f frequency of radiation, s
In 1905, Albert Einstein proposed the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon that explains
the release of electrons when a minimum frequency of light strikes the surface of metal
plate. He was also able to establish a direct relationship between the number of electrons
ejected from metals exposed to light and the intensity of the light. He called these
particles of light photons. Einstein further suggested that these photons carry energy
B-3
equal to hf and the higher the intensity of the light, the greater number of electrons was
emitted of high kinetic energy.
B.1.6 Quantum Numbers
The distribution of electrons in an atom is described by quantum numbers derived from
the Schrodinger equation for the hydrogen atom. The following quantum numbers are
used to describe the electron distribution on hydrogen atom and other atoms:
1. Principal Quantum Number (n) gives the distance of an electron from the nucleus
residing in an orbital. It has integral values 1,2,3 that corresponds to the energy
level the electron is located. The maximum number of electrons for every value of
n is 2n2.
2. Secondary or Angular Momentum Number (l) describes the shape of the atomic
orbital. It has integral values of 0 to n1. When l = 0, the shape of the orbital is
spherical or the s orbital. All s orbitals have the same shape but differ in size as
the value of the principal quantum number increases. When l = 1, the orbital is a p
orbital and so on.
3. Magnetic Quantum Number (m) has integral values from l to +l and describes
the orientation of the orbital in space. When l = 1, the values of m are 1,0,+1.
This means that there are three p orbitals with the same energy but differ in
orientation in space
4. Spin Quantum Number (s) denotes the spin of electron in an orbital that are
proposed to act like magnets. It has values of + (clockwise) or (counter
clockwise)
The following methods are used for writing the electronic configuration:
1. Orbital Method
8O 1s2 2s2 2p4
1s 2s 3s 4s 5s 6s 7s
2p 3p 4p 5p 6p 7p
B-4
3d 4d 5d 6d
4f 5f
2. Shell Method. In this method, the valence shell electron or the electron in the
outermost shell is shown. The first shell corresponds to the first energy level,
second shell to second energy level and so on.
8O 2e 6e
4. Core Method. The noble gas of lower atomic number is used and the remaining
electrons are listed using the orbital method.
The development of the modern periodic table started when chemists observed similar
properties of elements. In 1829, Johann Dobereiner arranged the elements into triads.
These elements of similar properties are LiNaK, ClBrI and CaSrBa. The first
attempt to arrange the elements in increasing atomic weight was done by John Newlands.
He found out that every eighth element has similar properties. The modern periodic table
is based on the independent works of Dmitri Mendeleev and Julius Lothar Meyer. The
list of elements published by Mendeleev is arranged in columns and elements with
similar properties are in the same row. He concluded that when elements are arranged in
increasing atomic weight, their properties follow a certain periodic pattern. On the other
hand, Henry Gwyn-Jeffreys Moseley did the arrangement of the elements with respect to
its atomic number in the early 20th century. This conclusion was made when he
performed experiment involving X-ray emissions of elements bombarded by highly
energetic electrons that showed how protons in the nucleus varied for every element.
Today, the chemical and physical properties of elements are found to be periodic
functions of their atomic numbers, the modern periodic law.
In Figure B.1, elements are arranged in the periodic table according to their similarities in
properties. The vertical column of elements is known as the family and horizontal row of
blocks are called periods or series. The elements in the left most portions are metals and
B-5
on the right portion are nonmetals. The elements in the ladder-like line are called
metalloids whose properties are intermediate between metals and nonmetals. Group 1A is
called alkali metals because these metals form hydroxides that are alkaline in aqueous
solutions. Group 2A is called alkaline earth metals since they can be found in the earths
crust and also forms alkaline solutions in water. Group 3A, 4A, and 5A are known as the
boron, carbon and nitrogen family, respectively. The group led by oxygen is called
chalcogens and fluorine group are collectively known as halogens.
s block
p block
1 2
H He
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Li Be B C N O F Ne
11 12 d block 13 14 15 16 17 18
Na Mg Al Si P S Br Ar
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Cl Kr
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
55 56 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
Cs Ba Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
87 88 104 105 106 107 108 109
Fr Ra Rf Ha Sg Ns Hs Mt
f block
57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71
La Ce Pr Nd Pm Sm Eu Gd Tb Dy Ho Er Tm Yb Lu
89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103
Ac Th Pa U Np Pu Am Cm Bk Cf Es Fm Md No Lr
Aside from periods and families, elements can be classified according to how subshells
are filled. They are classified as representative elements or main group elements (s and p
block elements), transition elements (d block elements), noble gases (group 8A or 18) and
the lanthanide and actinide series (f block elements).
B-6
The electronic configurations of elements show a periodic trend as the atomic number
increases in the periodic table. Physical and chemical behaviors of these elements also
vary the same way. The following atomic properties are observed in this section:
1. Atomic Size. One half the distance between two adjacent nuclei measured from
crystalline forms of the elements and molecules of gaseous elements. Generally,
the atomic radius increases down a group and decreases across a period. The
increase in atomic size down a group is due to the increase in energy level or shell
compared to the element above it. On the other hand, the increased nuclear charge
decreases the radii of the atom by drawing the electron shells together. For
elements across a given period, the element with the higher atomic number has a
greater nuclear charge than the element prior to it. The greater the nuclear charge
implies greater attraction between the electrons and the nucleus that result in the
shrinking of the atoms across a given period.
2. Ionic Size. The radius of a cation or anion measured using X-ray diffraction. If an
atom forms a cation, the nuclear charge is unaffected but the electron-electron
repulsion is reduced. This results in the shrinkage of the electron cloud. Thus, the
cation formed is smaller than the atom. On the other hand, when an atom forms an
anion by accepting an additional electron, the electron cloud increases making the
anion larger than the parent atom.
3. Ionization Energy. The energy required knocking off an electron from a gaseous
atom in its ground state. Metals have low ionization energy and nonmetals have
relatively high ionization energy. Such high ionization energy of nonmetals
particularly of noble gases explains its relative inertness or unusual stability.
Down a group, ionization energy decreases due to the increase in energy level that
results in the decrease in attraction between the nucleus and the outer-most
electrons. Within a given series, an increase in the ionization energy is observed
but not in a regular manner. Fluctuations are due to the stability attained when
subshells are being filled.
4. Electron Affinity. The energy change that accompanies the acceptance of an
electron by a gaseous atom to form an anion. It indicates how bound an additional
electron is to an atom. If the electron affinity is negative or energy is released
when an atom accepts an electron, the ion formed is less stable than the neutral
atom. Generally, electron affinity decreases from top to bottom and from right to
left.
The following general observations are summarized below for the representative
elements. Note that fluctuations may occur due to the filling of subshells.
B-7
1 5 6 7 8 9 10
H B C N O F Ne
3
Li
11 From right to left
Na
19
K Increasing
37 From top to bottom Atomic Size
Rb Ionic Size (anions) / (cations)
55 Metallic Property
Cs Decreasing
87 Ionization Energy
Fr Electron Affinity
Figure B.3 Lewis Dot Symbols of Representative Elements and Noble Gases
H He
Li Be B C N O F Ne
Na Mg
Ca
B-8
B.1.12 Ionic Bond
Bond formed that involves loss and gain of electron of an atom. An ionic bond results in
the electrostatic attraction between ions. It usually involves metals and nonmetals. A
concrete example is the reaction between sodium and chlorine to form sodium
chloride. When the two atoms come in contact, the outer electron of sodium is
transferred to the chlorine atom. The reaction is shown below:
+
Na + Cl Na Cl
2e 8e 1e 2e 8e 7e
If the formation of compounds from a metal and a nonmetal is due to the electrostatic
attraction between two ions, the formation of a molecule is due to sharing of electrons
forming a covalent bond. He proposed the formation of a hydrogen molecule resulted
from equal sharing of electrons of two hydrogen atoms. The reaction is as follows:
H + H H H or H H
With such sharing of electrons, the hydrogen atom in the molecule is said to be more
stable than its atom by depicting the electronic configuration of the noble gas helium.
In some cases, atoms in a covalent bond do not equally share electrons. The ability of an
atom to attract towards itself the electron in a covalent bond is known as
electronegativity. Elements with high electronegativity tend to attract towards itself an
electron in the covalent bond more than elements with low electronegativity thus forming
polar covalent bonds. Polar covalent bond is the bond formed due to unequal sharing of
electrons between atoms that results in a shift of electron density towards the atom of
greater electronegativity. In the periodic table of elements, the same trend as ionization
energy and electron affinity is observed for electronegativity. Electronegativity is low for
metals and high for nonmetals. It decreases from top to bottom and from left to right.
Figure B.3 shows the electronegativity of the representative elements as devised by
Pauling:
B-9
Figure B.3 Electronegativity of Representative Elements
2.1
H
1.0 1.5
Li Be
0.9 1.2 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
Na Mg B C N O F
0.8 1.0 1.5 1.8 2.1 2.5 3.0
K Ca Al Si P S Br
0.8 1.0 1.6 1.8 2.0 2.4 35
Rb Sr Ga Ge As Se Cl
0.7 0.9 1.7 1.8 1.9 2.1 2.5
Cs Ba In Sn Sb Te I
0.7 0.9 1.8 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.2
Fr Ra Tl Pb Bi Po At
Relatively, covalent bonds are weaker than ionic bonds. Covalent compounds are usually
low-melting solids, liquids or gases and ionic compounds are high-melting solids. Most
ionic compounds are soluble in water, and their aqueous solutions conduct electricity. On
the other hand, covalent compounds are insoluble or may be slightly soluble in water.
Their solutions in water do not conduct electricity or are non-electrolytes.
B - 10
O O O
O C O
O C O O C O
I II III
HgO Hg + O2
b. metal carbonates metal oxide + CO2
KNO3 KNO2 + O2
2 KClO3 2 KCl + 3 O2
B - 11
Activity Series of Halogens (arranged in decreasing activity)
F2 Cl2 Br2 I2
MOLAR AVOGADROS
NUMBER
MASS
B.1.17 Solutions
Many chemical reactions take place between ions and molecules dissolved in water or in
any other solvents. Numerous reactions in nature takes place in water solutions like in
rivers, lakes and oceans. Aqueous solutions are of great interest to scientists since water is
considered to be a universal solvent.
This section includes properties of solutions, methods of expressing concentration of
solutions and reactions in solutions. Colligative properties of solutions are also included
in this section both for solutions of electrolyte and non-electrolyte.
B - 12
Solutions can be classified based on their capacity to dissolve a solute. A saturated
solution is a solution that contains the maximum amount of solute dissolved in a given
amount of solvent. This maximum amount of solute a solvent can hold is known as the
solubility and is a fixed value for a given temperature. An unsaturated solution contains
less amount of solute a given solvent can dissolve. A supersaturated solution contains
more than the maximum amount of solute a solvent can hold. This type of solution is
unstable and dissolved solute crystallizes out of the solution.
B - 13
mol solute
m 100% (8)
wt solvent (kg)
7. Normality, N
equiv solute
N (9)
vol solution (L)
The colligative properties of an aqueous solution can best viewed using a phase diagram
of both water and solution.
P
H2O
L
solution
B - 14
1 atm
T
TF TB
In this section, ideal gases and mathematical expressions describing its behavior are
discussed.
B - 15
Based from experiments on the physical properties of gases, several generalizations was
made to explain the macroscopic behavior of ideal gases as temperature, volume,
pressure and its amount in moles are varied.
1. At constant temperature (isothermal condition), the pressure of a gas varies
inversely to its volume. Robert Boyle using a U-tube filled with mercury observed
this relationship of pressure-volume as the temperature of a gas is fixed.
P1V1 = P2V2
(14)
Boyles Law
2. At constant pressure (isobaric condition), Jacques Charles and Joseph Louis Gay-
Lussac proposed that the volume of a fixed amount of gas varies directly to its
temperature in Kelvin.
V1 V2
T1 T2 (15)
Charles Law
3. At constant volume (isochoric condition), the pressure of a fixed amount of gas
increases as the temperature increases. This study was done by Guillaume
Amonton.
P1 P
2
T1 T2 (16)
Amontons Law
4. At constant pressure and temperature, volume of a gas is directly proportional to
the number of moles of the gas. At 1 atm and 0C, one mole of a gas occupies
22.414 L. The mathematical expression of Avogadros Law is
V1 V2
n1 n2 (17)
Avogadros Law
Combining these laws, the relationship of pressure, volume, temperature, and the amount
of gas in moles can be expressed as
PV nRT (18)
The values of the universal gas constant, R is given in Table B.1
B - 16
cal ft 3 psia
1.987 10.73
gmol K lbmol R
For mixture of ideal gases at constant temperature and volume, the total pressure of an
ideal gas mixture is equal to the sum of the partial pressures of the individual gases in the
mixture. This is a statement of the Daltons Law of Partial Pressure. Consider a mixture
of three ideal gases with nA, nB and nC number of moles at temperature, T and occupying
a volume V
PT PA PB PC (19)
nA nA
PA PT PT y A PT (20)
nA nB nC nT
Similarly at constant temperature and pressure (Amagats Law of Partial Volume)
VA
yA (21)
VT
For the diffusion of gases, Thomas Graham in 1830 states that rates of diffusion of two
gases is inversely proportional to the square root of their densities. Since the density of an
ideal gas is directly proportional to its molecular weight, Grahams Law of Diffusion can
be expressed as:
rA B MWB
(22)
rB A MWA
B - 17
gamma ray 0
0
0
alpha particle or helium nucleus +2 4
2 or 4
2 He
A t A o e kt (23)
The specific rate constant, k can be obtained using the half-life of the radioactive
substance.
ln2
k (24)
t 1/2
The half-life of a substance is the time required for 50% of the original amount to decay.
Typical half-life of radioactive materials are given in Table B.4
B - 18
U238 4.51 x 109 yrs Estimation of ages of rocks and extraterrestial objects
Used in geochemistry for age of specimens by electron
K40 1.2 x 109 yrs
capture
Used in ionization chambers of smoke-detecting
Am241 433 yrs
devices
Sr90 28 yrs Used as power sources for instruments in space or sea
Cm247 18 yrs explorations
I131 8 days Used for treatment of thyroid cancers
Used for the detection of damaged or malfunctioning
Tl201 74 hrs
cells in the heart or blood vessel cells
Tc99 6 hrs Used in the detection of diseased tissues
B - 19
B.2 Analytical Chemistry
This branch of chemistry involves the study of separation, identification and composition
of matter. It is divided into two: quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis.
Qualitative analysis involves identification of the components of a given sample while
quantitative analysis deals with the determination of the proportions at which the
components are present.
A typical analysis starts with the search for an appropriate method that will satisfy the
need for an accurate and economical one. Standard analyses can be obtained from
published journals like Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC). After the
method selection, sampling is done. A laboratory sample is obtained in such a way that it
represents the entire bulk sample. Physical treatment like grinding and crushing is done to
the sample to attain a size fit for the laboratory. Replicate samples are also prepared to
ensure reliability of the analysis. Commonly, analyses are done in solutions. The most
common solvent is water. If the sample is sparingly soluble, acids, bases and fluxing
agents in varying concentrations and application of heat are used to completely dissolve
the sample. In most of the samples, some substances are present that interferes in the
analysis. Precipitation and masking are usually employed to eliminate such interferences.
After these substances are removed, measurement of the analyte is done based on the
methods described. Statistical methods are then finally applied to the data obtained to
check on the accuracy and precision of data.
B - 20
volatilization method. In this method, the analyte decomposes and the lost of mass of the
sample indicates the amount of product that is chemically related to the analyte. In some
cases, the decomposition product is collected or absorbed and then weighed.
The percentage of the analyte by mass in the sample can be computed using the
gravimetric factor, (GF):
substance weighed GF
% wt analyte 100% (25)
mass of sample
Molar Mass of desired substance (ds) x ds
GF (26)
Molar Mass of substance weighed (sw) y sw
B - 21
solution of known concentration. Methods of expressing concentrations of solutions are
discussed in section B.1.20. For a standard solution, it must be stable, reacts rapidly and
completely with the analyte and its reaction with the analyte can be described by a simple
chemical equation. The concentration of a standard solution is done by standardization
using a primary standard. A primary standard is a compound of high purity, stable
towards air, soluble in water and readily available at a reasonable cost. In this section,
acid-base, precipitation, complex formation, and oxidation-reduction titrations are
discussed with its applications.
Acids and bases can be classified according to the number of replaceable hydronium ions
or equivalent hydroxide ions or according to their extent of ionization or dissociation in
water. Strong acids/bases ionize completely in water while weak acids/bases partially
ionize in water. Table B.7 summarizes this classification.
B - 22
According to Number of Replaceable Hydronium Ion and Equivalent Hydroxide Ion
ACIDS BASES
Monoprotic HNO3 HCN LiOH NH3
Monoequivalent HCl CH3COOH NaOH CH3NH2
Diprotic H2SO4 H2C2O4 Ba(OH)2
Mg(OH)2
Diequivalent H2CO3 H2C4H4O6 Ca(OH)2
Polyprotic H3PO4
H3AsO4 Al(OH)3
Polyequivalent H3PO3
Note that for strong acids and bases, reaction goes to completion and the concentration of
the acid or base is equal to the concentration of the hydronium or hydroxide ion. For
weak acids and bases, the extent of ionization is given by their ionization constant, KI.
Table B.8 shows the ionization constant of common weak acids and bases.
Table B.8 Ionization Constant of Common Weak Acids and Bases at 25C
ACID KA BASE KB
Acetic Acid 1.75 10 5
Ammonia 1.75 105
Benzoic Acid 6.28 105 Aniline 3.98 1010
Formic Acid 1.80 104 Methyl amine 4.35 104
Hydrogen cyanide 6.2 1010 Dimethyl amine 5.95 104
Hydrogen fluoride 6.8 104 Trimethyl amine 6.33 105
Nitrous acid 7.1 104 Hydrazine 9.52 107
The pH of acids and bases can be computed using the following equations:
B - 23
Strong Acid pH log C acid 30
K 2 4K C
acid K A
pH log
A A
Weak Acid 31
2
Strong Base pH log n OH C base 32
K 2 4K C
base K B
pH 14 log
B B
Weak Base 33
2
% ionization
H O or HO 100%
3
-
34
C acid or C base
Based from the equations presented, the higher the ionization constant, the more acidic or
alkaline the solution is and therefore the higher the percentage ionization. It is also
important to note that pH is applicable to dilute solutions of acids and bases and the
logarithmic function is used solely for convenience thus avoiding very small number
expressed in scientific notation. For acids greater than 1M, the pH is not anymore
applicable. Since the logarithm of real numbers greater than one is positive, the pH value
that can be obtained is negative.
Tris-hydroxylmethylamino
O HC CH methane
OH
Sulfamic Acid, HSO3NH2
H2C
H2C C NH2
HO
B - 24
H2C
OH
Molar Mass = 121
Hg ++
O--2
Molar Mass = 122.12
C C CH
Molar Mass = 216.59
O O CH
HC
HgO + 4I + H2O HgI42 + 2HO
2 3O 2H2O
+
HO SHO NH+H Oxalic acid, H2C2O4
O
Sodium
O Tetraborate Decahydrate
C OH
Molar Mass = 90
HO C Na2B4O7 . 10H2O
Molar Mass = 381
O
B4O7 + 2H3O+ + 3H2O 4 H3BO3
2
H2C2O4 + 2HO C2O42 + 2H2O
Note: Primary standards listed reacts in 1:1 ratio with an acid or base otherwise reaction
is specified.
B - 25
BASE TYPE
Methyl orange 3.1 4.4 red to yellow
Methyl red 4.2 6.3 red to yellow
Methyl yellow 2.9 4.0 Red to yellow
When the acid reacts completely with the base, salt and water is formed. The nature of
the salt dictates the pH of the solution thus the indicator to be used for titration.
At equivalence point, only the salt is responsible for the relative acidity or alkalinity of
the solution. For titration of a strong acid with a strong base, the pH at equivalence point
is 7 or nuetral. A concrete example is the titration of HCl and NaOH.
HCl + NaOH NaCl + H2O
For titration of a weak acid with a strong base, the salt formed is basic and therefore the
pH at equivalence point is greater than 7. Titration of acetic acid with sodium hydroxide
is a typical example.
CH3COOH + NaOH CH3COONa + H2O
(pH at equivalence point > 7.0)
When the salt is formed, it may undergo hydrolysis. As a general rule, salt coming from
weak acids or weak bases hydrolyzes in water. For sodium acetate, the hydrolysis
reaction is
CH3COO + H2O CH3COOH + HO
The pH at equivalence point can be calculated as:
K 2 4K C K
pH 14 log
h h salt h
35
2
K W 110 14
Kh , hydrolysis constant 36
KA KA
For titration of a weak base with a strong acid, the resulting solution is acidic. Titration of
ammonia with HCl gives the reaction:
HCl + NH3 NH4Cl
The hydrolysis reaction for NH4Cl is
NH4+ + H2O H3O+ + NH3
The pH of the solution is calculated as follows:
K 2 4K C K
pH log
h h salt h
37
2
The titration of weak acid with a weak base is not commonly used in volumetric analysis.
This is because there is no sharp endpoint observed and no indicator can be used to signal
B - 26
the end of titration. However, the pH at equivalence point can be calculated using the
equation:
KWKA
pH 1 2 log 38
KB
For the reaction,
NH4OH + CH3COOH NH4OOCH3 + H2O
The ionization constants for acetic acid and ammonia are used to calculate the pH at
equivalence point and KW is the ionization constant for water at 25C having a value of 1
x 1014. The self-ionization or autoprotolysis of water is given by the reaction:
H2O + H2O H3O+ + HO
Titration curves are being used to identify the indicator fit for a given combination of
acids and bases. Table B.11 are examples of titration curves.
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
pH
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60
B - 27
Titration Curve of 0.1 M HCl with 0.1 M NaOH
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
pH
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60
Note that in the titration of a weak acid with a strong base, a region wherein the addition
of base has a little effect on the pH of solution. This region is known as the buffer region.
In this region, the solution contains the unreacted weak acid and its conjugate salt. The
solution formed is known as buffer solution. At this point in titration, the pH of the buffer
solution formed can be computed using the HendersonHasslebalch Equation given as
follows:
pH pK A log
acidic component
39
basic component
If a buffer solution containing a weak base and its conjugate salt is present, pK A can be
obtained using the relationship:
K
KA W 40
KB
B - 28
2. Distillation. The oxidized solution is cooled and treated with NaOH to liberate
ammonia gas according to the reaction: NH4+ + HO- NH3(g) + H2O
3. Titration. Ammonia due to its high volatility can be collected in two ways:
i. Using an excess amount of hydrochloric acid, HCl. The NH3 liberated
from the sample is collected in an excess amount of standard HCl solution
and the excess is determined by a standard NaOH solution using methyl
red indicator. This type of titration is called back titration. The amount of
nitrogen in the sample is calculated as:
1 mol HCl 1 mol NH 3 1 mol N 14.07 g N
g N M HCl VHCl M NaOH VNaOH 41
1 mol NaOH 1 mol HCl 1 mol NH 3 1 mol N
ii. Using an excess amount of boric acid, H 3BO3. Ammonia is collected in an
excess amount of boric acid solution. The reaction is
NH3 + H3BO3 NH4+ + H2BO3-2
The reaction of ammonia with boric acid produces a strong conjugate
base, H2BO3-2 that is titrated by a standard HCl solution. This type of
titration is called replacement titration. The nitrogen content of the sample
is determined by the equation:
-2
1 mol H 2 BO 3 1 mol NH 3 1 mol N 14.07 g N
g N M HCl VHCl -2
42
1 mol HCl 1 mol H 2 BO 3 1 mol NH 3 1 mol N
To get the nitrogen content of the sample,
gN
% N wt 100% 43
g sample
The protein content of the sample can also be calculated using the following factors:
% CHON = % N * f 44
where f = 6.25 for meat products
f = 6.38 for dairy products
f = 5.70 for cereals
Mixture of Bases. These samples contain sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide and
sodium bicarbonate, either alone or in compatible combinations. In this method, the
sample is titrated with standard HCl to the phenolphthalein endpoint. When the solution
becomes colorless, methyl red is added and titrated until the solution turns salmon pink.
Table B.12 shows the variation of volume for two endpoints and the corresponding
components of the mixture.
B - 29
Table B.12 Mixture of Bases using Phenolphthalein and Methyl Red
COMPONENT VOLUME OF TITRANT
Na2CO3 and NaOH *V0-Ph > VPh-MR
Na2CO3 and NaHCO3 V0-Ph < VPh-MR
NaOH only VPh-MR = 0
Na2CO3 only V0-Ph = VPh-MR
NaHCO3 only V0-Ph = 0
* All volume terms used in this text are in liters (L)
For a mixture of Na2CO3 and NaOH, the percentage of each component in the sample is
calculated using the following equations:
1 mol Na 2 CO3 106.00 g Na 2 CO3
2 VPh MR ( M HCl )
2 mol HCl 1 mol Na 2 CO3 45
% Na 2 CO 3 100%
mass of sample (gram)
V0Ph - VPh MR (M HCl ) 1 mol NaOH 40.00 g NaOH
% NaOH 1 mol HCl 1 mol NaOH 100% 46
mass of sample (gram)
For samples containing NaOH, Na2CO3 or NaHCO3, the amount of each component in
weight percentage is given as follows:
B - 30
1 mol Na 2 CO 3 106.00 g Na 2 CO 3
2 V0Ph M HCl
2 mol HCl 1 mol Na 2 CO 3 51
% Na 2 CO 3 100%
mass of sample (gram)
In some procedures, duplicate samples are titrated with standard HCl, one with
phenolphthalein indicator and the other sample with bromocresol green. Table B.13
shows the volume at phenolphthalein and bromocresol green endpoint for sample of
mixture of bases.
Table B.13 Mixture of Bases using Phenolphthalein and Bromocresol Green
COMPONENT VOLUME OF TITRANT
Na2CO3 and NaOH V0-Ph > V0-BCG
Na2CO3 and NaHCO3 V0-Ph < V0-BCG
NaOH only V0-Ph = V0-BCG
Na2CO3 only V0-Ph = V0-BCG
NaHCO3 only V0-Ph = 0
B - 31
For individual samples of NaOH, Na2CO3 and NaHCO3
V0BCG M HCl 1 mol NaOH 40.00 g NaOH
% NaOH 1 mol HCl 1 mol NaOH 100%
56
mass of sample (gram)
Note: V0-BCG = V0-Ph
Free Fatty Acid (Acid Number). It is expressed as the milligram of KOH needed to
neutralize the free fatty acid released by one gram of oil due to water oxidative
degradation. High value of the acid number implies deterioration of the oil or fat. The
Acid Number is computed as follows:
B - 32
PbCl2(s) Pb2+(aq) + 2Cl(aq)
The mathematical expression of this equilibrium is expressed as
[Pb 2 (aq) ] [Cl- (aq) ]2
K eq
[PbCl 2(s) ]
Since the activity of a pure substance is unity and for a solute in dilute solution is the
same as its concentration, the solubility product constant is defined as:
K sp [Pb 2 (aq) ] [Cl (aq) ]2
From this expression, high Ksp value means the salt is more soluble in water. If x, is the
molar solubility of PbCl2, then x moles of lead ion and 2x moles of chloride ion will be
present in solution. Therefore, the Ksp expression for PbCl2 in terms of its molar solubility
is 4x3. Some values of Ksp are given in Table B.14.
Mohr Method. This method is used for the direct determination of chlorides and
bromides. The titration uses a small amount of K2CrO4 (about 1 mL of a 5% wt. K2CrO4)
as indicator. During titration, the solution must be neutral to avoid precipitation of silver
oxide (pH>10) or conversion of the indicator to dichromate (pH<6). The endpoint is
observed through the formation of a red precipitate of Ag 2CrO4. The titration and
indicator reactions are as follows:
Titration Reaction: Ag+ + Cl AgCl(s)
Indicator Reaction: Ag+ + CrO42 Ag2CrO4(s)
Fajan Method. The use of adsorption indicators is used for the direct determination of
chlorides, bromides, iodides and thiocyanates. Fluorescein, dichlorofluorescein and Eosin
B - 33
are used as indicators. In the titration of chloride ion with AgNO3, the addition of excess
silver ion results in the adsorption of this ion to the AgCl precipitate hence acquiring a
positive charge and attracts negative ion to the counter-ion layer. The indicator anion,
initially yellow in color, is then attracted to the counter-ion layer and changes color to
pink, signaling the endpoint of the titration.
Titration Reaction: Ag+ + Cl AgCl(s)
Indicator Reaction: AgClAg+ + DCF AgClAg+:DCF
Volhard Method. This method is used for the direct determination of silver using KSCN
as titrant and ferric ions as indicator. It is also applied for the indirect determination of
halides. Titration is carried out in acidic medium to prevent precipitation of the ferric ion
indicator to its hydrated oxide form. The endpoint is observed by the formation of a red
brown complex of Fe(SCN)2+.
Direct Titration Reaction: Ag+ + SCN AgSCN(s)
Indirect Titration reaction: Ag+ + Cl AgCl(s)
Ag+ + SCN AgSCN(s)
Indicator Reaction: Fe+3 + SCN Fe(SCN)2+
This type of titration is usually used for the determination of cations. In this section
titration with aminocarboxylic acids and the Liebig Method for cyanides are discussed.
Most metals react with Bronsted bases to form coordination compounds. Typical
examples of these Bronsted bases are water, ammonia and the halide ions.
Ethylenediamminetetraacetic acid or commonly known as EDTA is used for
compleximetric titration. It is a hexadentate ligand that is capable of bonding with metal
ions. EDTA has six sites available for bonding that include four carboxyl groups and two
amino groups. Commercially, the free acid and the dihydrate disodium salt is available.
The standard solutions of EDTA combine in a 1:1 ratio with any metal ion and titration is
carried out using Eriochrome Black T (EBT) or Calmagite. Calcium carbonate is used as
primary standard dried at 110C and dissolved in concentrated HCl solution.
B - 34
B.2.3.3.2 Displacement Titration with EDTA
In the determination of cations, it is necessary to add metal cations that forms complex
with EDTA and is less stable with the analyte ionEDTA complex. In the determination
of calcium, a small amount of magnesium ion is added using magnesium chloride in an
EDTA solution. In the first stage of the titration, calcium ion displaces the magnesium ion
in the EDTA complex and a red complex of calcium-EDTA is formed. When all calcium
ions are titrated, the magnesium ion combines with the EDTA imparting a blue color
using EBT as indicator thus signals the endpoint of the reaction.
Determination of aluminum involves back titration with EDTA. In the analysis, the
solution is buffered to pH=7 to avoid precipitation of aluminum as Al(OH) 3. To ensure
complete formation of the aluminum complex, the solution is boiled and the excess
EDTA is determined by a standard magnesium solution using calmagite as indicator.
The dropwise addition of silver nitrate results in the formation of a soluble silver cyanide
complex:
Ag+ + CN Ag(CN)2
The endpoint of the titration is observed through the formation of a faint turbid solution
as shown in the reaction:
Ag(CN)2 + Ag+ Ag[Ag(CN)2]
For a mixture of cyanide and halide, the addition of AgNO 3 causes the precipitation of
CN as soluble Ag(CN)2 complex. Further addition of a measured excess amount of
standard AgNO3 results in the formation of insoluble precipitates of Ag[Ag(CN)2] and
AgCl. The precipitate is filtered and the excess solution is determined by a standard
KSCN. This method is a combination of Liebig and Volhard Method.
B - 35
B.2.3.3.5 Determination of Nickel
A sample containing nickel was treated with ammonia solution forming a soluble
hexaamminenickel(II) complex:
Ni+2 + 6NH3 Ni(NH3)6+2
The ammoniacal solution of nickel is treated with excess standard cyanide solution. The
excess cyanide is determined using the Liebig Method.
Ni(NH3)6+3 + 4CN1 + 6H2O Ni(CN)41 + 6NH4OH
In this analysis, mercury complexes with EDTA and forms a stable complex but cannot
be titrated using Calmagite or EBT indicator. Instead, a solution of MgY2 is added in
excess and the liberated Mg+2 is titrated by EDTA. The reaction proceeds as follows:
Hg+2 + MgY2 HgY2 + Mg+2
Modern methods utilize the electrical properties of materials due to their ability to accept
and donate electrons during reaction. This method of volumetric titration involves
oxidation and reduction reactions wherein reactants undergo changes in its oxidation
state. Oxidation reaction involves an increase in the oxidation number of the substance
by losing electrons. Reduction reaction, on the other hand, results in the decrease of
oxidation number by gaining electrons.
In this process, potassium permanganate (KMnO4) is used as titrant and can oxidize
various ions of iron, mercury, tin and anions such as oxalate, nitrite and sulfite. It is a
powerful oxidizing agent and reduced to Mn+2 in acidic medium and to MnO2 in weakly
acidic or alkaline and neutral solutions according to the reactions:
MnO41(aq) + 8H+(aq) + 5e Mn2+(aq) + 4H2O(l)
MnO41(aq) + 2H2O(l) + 3e MnO2(s) + 4HO(aq)
The solution of KMnO4 is quite unstable and normally kept in a colored bottle. It is a
very powerful oxidizing agent in which even water is oxidized and wavelengths of light
can actually promote such reaction. The endpoint is observed by a pink color of the
solution due to the excess addition of the titrant. Standardization of KMnO 4 is done using
sodium oxalate and arsenious oxide.
B - 36
Sodium oxalate, Na2C2O4 dried at 105C is dissolved in water and sulfuric acid and
titrated with the solution, adding about 140 times the weight of dissolved primary
standard. The solution is then heated from 55-60C and titrated until a faint pink color
persist after 15 minutes of stirring. The titration reaction is as follows:
5H2C2O4 + 2MnO4 + 6H+ 2Mn+2 + 10CO2 + 8H2O
Arsenious oxide, As2O3 dissolved in 6N NaOH is made acidic with HCl and treated with
a dilute solution of KI that serves as a catalyst in the reaction. Titration with KMnO 4 then
proceeds until a faint pink solution is observed. The reactions are:
As2O3 + 6HO 2AsO33 + 3H2O
AsO33 + 6H+ As+3 + 3H2O
5As+3 + 2MnO4 + 12H2O 5H3AsO4 + 2Mn+2 + 9H+
B - 37
B.2.3.4.2 Dichromate and Ceric Titration
Dichromate and ceric ions are also used for many redox titrations due to their stability
even at higher temperatures. Potassium dichromate crystals have no water of
crystallization and usually obtained in high purity. Ceric solutions are commonly
obtained from ceric ammonium sulfate or ceric ammonium nitrate. Sodium salt of
diphenylamine sulfonate and ferroin (ferrous complex of phenanthroline) are used as
indicators. The halfcell reaction for these oxidants are:
Cr2O72 + 14H+ + 6e 2Cr+3 + 7H2O
Ce+4 + e Ce+3
Primary standards for K2Cr2O7 and Ce+4 include pure iron, and ferrous sulfate. The half-
cell reactions are:
Fe(s) Fe2+(aq) + 2e
Fe2+(aq) Fe3+(aq) + e
The applications of this type of titration are the same as to that of permanganate. If back
titration is to be employed in the analysis, the excess reagent is determined by a standard
ferrous solution. Such method is used in the determination of chemical oxygen demand,
which is the measure of the oxygen equivalent to the organic matter in the water sample
which can oxidized by K2Cr2O7. In the analysis of COD, the water sample is treated with
excess K2Cr2O7 and refluxed for about two hours. The excess oxidizing agent is
determined by standard FeSO4 solution with ferroin as indicator. The half-cell reactions
involved are:
O2 + 4H+ + 4e 4H2O
Cr2O7 + 14H+ + 6e 2Cr+3 + 7H2O
2
Direct Titration with Iodine. Iodimetric titration involves a standard solution of iodine
solution in iodide solution forming the triiodide ion, I3 as titrant. Freshly prepared starch
solution is used as indicator and imparts a blue color at the endpoint. The half-cell
reaction for the titrant is
I3 + 2e 3I
B - 38
Indirect Titration with Iodine. Iodometric titration is an indirect method where the sample
is treated and iodine is released. The iodine released is titrated with a standard Na 2S2O3
solution. The reaction is governing the titration is
I2 + 2e 2I
2S2O32 S4O62 + 2e
2Cu+2 + 4I 2CuI(s) + I2
B - 39