ACID-BASE TITRATION

by Debbra Marcel
WHAT IS ACID-BASE TITRATION?
Acid-base titration is a technique to determine
the concentration of an acid or base solutions by
neutralizing the unknown concentration of a
solution (acid/base) with the known
concentration of base/acid.
The neutralization reaction is determined by
using an indicator where the indicator will
change its colour at the end point of the
titration. This method allows the quantitative
analysis for the unknown acid/alkali
concentration.
 What is Neutralisation???
Acids and alkalis are like chemical
opposite. If we add just the right Did you know?

amount of acid to an alkali, they Table salt is often

called common
cancel each other out, and we get salt. Its chemical
a neutral solution. A chemical name is sodium
reaction takes place. The acid and chloride. There are
many other salts
alkali react together. In any that can be made
chemical reaction a new substances by adding different
acids and alkalis
are made. In this case a salt and together.
water are formed. The reaction is
called neutralisation. We can show
the reaction like this:
Acid + Base Salt + Water
Acid + Alkali Salt + Water
 EQUATION
During the neutralisation, the actual reaction that
occurred is between one hydrogen ion H+ from the acid
and one hydroxide ion, OH- from the alkali to form one
molecule of water, H2O.

The ionic equation between an acid an alkali can be

constructed and written as shown below.

Chemical Equation:
HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)
H+Cl-(aq) + Na+OH-(aq) Na+Cl-(aq) + H2O(l)

Ionic Equation:
H+(aq) + OH-(aq) H2O(l)
 OVERVIEW
We fill a burette with the solution of reagent of known
concentration.
The burette is provided with the scales of volume expressing
cubic centimeters and 10 of cubic centimeters.
Now we add a known volume of the solution being
investigated to a conical flask followed by a few drops of an
indicator.
The reagent of known concentration is added in small portion
until the indicator just changes colour (end point of the
titration-achieved when all the OH- ions combine with all the
H+ ions in the solution to form water which is neutral)
The volume of the liquid added from the burette is calculated
because the titration technique is based on measurement of
volume (volumetric analysis)
THREE COMMON TYPES OF INDICATORS
AT DIFFERENT PH VALUES.
Colour in neutral
Indicator Colour in acids Colour in alkalis
solution

Methyl orange Red Orange Yellow

Phenolphthalein Colourless Colourless Light Pink

Litmus Red Orange Blue

PROCEDURE OF ACID-BASE TITRATION
1) Transfer 25.0 cm3 of sodium hydroxide, NaOH, into a conical flask
by using pipette.
2) Put a few drops of phenolphthalein into the sodium hydroxide,
NaOH solution.
3) Clamp the burette vertically on the retort stand and fill in with
0.1 mol dm-3 hydrochloric acid, HCl.
4) Place the conical flask containing sodium hydroxide solution on
top of the white tile at the base of the retort stand.
5) Record the initial volume of the hydrochloric acid in the burette.
6) Add the hydrochloric acid into the conical flaks slowly until the
pink solution changes to colourless while continuously shaking the
conical flask.
7) Record the final volume of the hydrochloric acid on the burette.
8) Repeat the titration process three times to obtain more accurate
volume of hydrochloric acid at the end point.
PROCEDURE OF
ACID-BASE
TITRATION
(Practical steps)
Answer:
To determine the concentration of an acid or base solutions by
neutralizing the unknown concentration of a solution (acid/base) with
the known concentration of base/acid.
 Pre-step 1

The pipette rinsed with distilled water followed by

sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution
 Step 1

25.0 cm3 of sodium hydroxide, NaOH, transferred

into a conical flask by using pipette.
 Step 2

A few drops of phenolphthalein added into the sodium

hydroxide, NaOH solution.
 Pre-step 3

The burette is rinsed with distilled water and a

little of hydrocloric acid (HCl)
 Step 3

The burette clamped vertically on the retort stand and

filled in with 0.10 mol dm-3 hydrochloric acid, HCl
 Step 4

The conical flask containing sodium hydroxide solution

placed on top of the white tile at the base of the retort
stand.
 Step 5

The initial volume of the hydrochloric acid in the burette

is recorded.(must be at 0.0 cm)
 Step 6

The hydrochloric acid is added into the conical flaks slowly

until the pink solution changes to colourless while
continuously shaking the conical flask.
 Step 7

22.0 cm3

The final volume of the hydrochloric acid on the

burette is recorded.
 Step 8

The titration process repeated three times to obtain

more accurate volume of hydrochloric acid at the end
point.
GRAPH CHANGES DURING TITRATION

Green button= before end point Red button = end point

BASIC CONCEPT OF THE CALCULATION.
a Acid + b Alkali Salt + Water

Molarity of acid = MA Molarity of alkali = MB

Volume of acid = VA Volume of alkali = VB

MAVA/1000 = a
a
= constant
MBVB/1000 b
b (fixed value)
MAVA = a
MBVB b
 SOLUTION:
1. Write a balanced equation for the
reaction. Deduced the mole ratio of
NaOH to HCl
2. Calculate the number of moles of HCl.
3. Calculate the number of moles of NaOH.
4. Equate the mole ratio from step 3 with
the mole ratio from step 1 and 2. Solve
the value of x.
 Answer:-
1. NaOH (aq) + HCl (aq) NaCl (aq) + H2O (l)
2. Moles of HCl.
= 0.01 mol dm-3 x 0.022 dm3
= 0.0022 mol
3. Moles of sodium hydroxide, NaOH
= x mol dm-3 x 0.0250 dm3
= 0.0250x mol
4. Moles equation:-
Number of moles of NaOH 1 0 . 0250 x

Number of moles of HCl 1 0 . 0022

0 . 0022
x 0 . 088
0 . 0250

-The molarity of sodium hydroxide, NaOH solution = 0.088 mol dm-3.

Answer:-
The molarity of sodium hydroxide, NaOH solution =
0.088 mol dm-3