Strong Acid/ Strong Base Titration

Introduction:

Titration is a procedure where one reactant is carefully added to another reactant until the two have combined in
their exact stoichiometric proportions.

The objective of a titration is to find the number of moles or grams, the concentration, or percentage of the
analyte (unknown solution) by comparison against the precise volume and concentration of a titrant
(standard solution).

The titrant (standard solution) is slowly added to the analyte (unknown solution) until the equivalence point
(the point that both analyte and titrant are present in the stoichiometric proportion) is reached.

This point of the reaction is called end point.

We use an indicator (a substance whose color depends on the acidity of a solution) to find out when the
equivalence point has been reached. Indicator is added at the beginning of the titration and changes its color at
the equivalence endpoint.

Please note that titrant and analyte rolls can be reversed. The unknown solution (analyte) can also be added
to the know solution (titrant).

Acid-Base Titration:

The acid-base titration is the one that one reactant is an acid and the other one is a base.

Example:
Sodium hydroxide (analyte – unknown solution) reacts with hydrochloric acid (titrant - standard solution with
known concentration) to produce salt and water.

HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq)  NaCl (aq) + H2O complete molecular equation

H+ (aq) + OH- (aq)  H2O (l) net ionic equation

A precisely measured volume on HCl (aq) with an unknown concentration (analyte) is transferred to a flask. A
few drops of the acid-base indicator phenolphthalein (colorless in acidic solution and pink in basic solution)
are added. By using a burette, NaOH(aq) (titrant – standard solution with known concentration) is slowly added
to the HCl solution.

At the beginning, the HCl is the excess and NaOH is the limiting reactant. When enough NaOH has been added
to neutralizes all the HCl (stoichiometric proportion), the endpoint is reached and the color of the solution
changes to pink.

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CHEL 111 Lab – Titration Revised – Heidary & Allara – 8/2020
Pre-Lab Questions Name:

1) Determine the molarity of a solution formed by dissolving 568 mg of CaI2 in enough water to yield
55.0 mL of solution.

2) How many milliliters of a 0.148 M NaNO3 solution contain 0.311 moles of NaNO3?

3) A 5.00 mL solution of 0.200 M Hydrochloric acid solution contains how many moles of hydrogen ions
[H+]?

4) What volume (in mL) of 0.200 M HCl solution is required to neutralize a 10.00 mL sample of 0.100 M
sodium hydroxide solution?

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CHEL 111 Lab – Titration Revised – Heidary & Allara – 8/2020
Chemistry Lab 111 Date:

Name: Partner:

Procedure:

Rinse a 125 mL clean Erlenmeyer flask with distilled water.

Transfer about 5.00 mL of HCl into the clean Erlenmeyer using a burette.

Record the molarity, initial and final HCl burette readings in your data sheet (lines 1, 2 and 3).

Calculate the actual volume of HCl solution being used and report it in your data sheet (line 4).

Add 2-3 drops of phenolphthalein.

Rinse the wall with about 20 mL of distilled water to wash down the inside of the reaction flask.

Obtain a burette. Clamp it to a metal stand.

Rinse the burette 1st with distilled water and then rinse it with the NaOH solution that is going to be used in
this experiment.

Fill the burette with the NaOH solution above the zero; wait for a minute for all the air bubbles to burst and
dissipate.

Drain enough NaOH solution out of the burette until the level is at or below 0.00 mL.

Read the meniscus, the curved surface of the liquid in the burette (line 5).

Place the reaction flask containing HCl solution on a white background paper underneath the NaOH burette.

At this point you are ready to start the titration.

Before starting your experiment, prepare a Control Sample by combining approximately 25 mL of distilled
water with 2-3 drops of phenolphthalein in a 125 mL Erlenmeyer Flask and label as “Control”.

Upon near completion of the titration, compare the “Control” sample against your titrated sample on a white
background.

The “Control” sample is clear, and the titrated sample is very slightly pink.

Start the titration.

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CHEL 111 Lab – Titration Revised – Heidary & Allara – 8/2020
The area in the acid where the drop of base falls will turn pink; then the pink color will quickly disappear as the
solution becomes mixed.

As more bases added, it will take longer for pink color to disappear.

From this point, add the base drop wise with constant swirling.

Occasionally wash down the sides of the flask with distilled water.

Titrate the acid until the solution in the reaction flask changes color from colorless to light crystal pink.

The equivalence point (end point) is where 1 drop or less of base causes the solution to become pale pink.

Make sure the color persists for 30 seconds.

After 10-15 seconds, read and record the final volume of NaOH (line 6).

Calculate the volume of NaOH solution required to neutralize the acid (line 7).

Repeat the titration using a clean flask.

If you overshoot the end point, the solution will be dark pink and you must discard your results and start over.

Clean up all the glassware with tap water first and then with distilled water.

Discard all chemicals in a waste container which is stored in the hood.

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CHEL 111 Lab – Titration Revised – Heidary & Allara – 8/2020
All calculations must be shown. All data must be reported with correct number of Sig. Fig., and proper
units, otherwise points will be deducted.

Experimental Data Trial 1 Trial 2

1) Molarity of HCl solution, M 0.200 M 0.200 M

2) Initial HCl burette reading, mL 0.00 mL 0.00 mL

3) Final HCl burette reading, mL

4) Volume of HCl solution used, mL 5.00 mL 5.12 mL

5) Initial NaOH burette reading, mL 0.00 mL 10.22 mL

6) Final NaOH burette reading, mL 9.94 mL 20.56 mL

7) Volume of NaOH solution required, mL

Calculations

Molarity of HCl solution, M

Volume of HCl solution used, L

Number of moles of HCl, mol

Number of moles of NaOH, mol

Volume of NaOH solution, L

Molarity of NaOH solution, M

Average molarity of NaOH solution, M

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CHEL 111 Lab – Titration Revised – Heidary & Allara – 8/2020
Post Lab Questions Name:

1) In a titration, a 25.00 mL sample of sodium hydroxide solution was neutralized by 32.72 mL of

2) What volume of 0.250 M HCl is required to neutralize a 10.0 mL sample of 0.750 M NaOH solution?

3) During a titration, a 40.00 mL portion of a 0.200 M sulfuric acid solution was carefully measured into a
flask. The solution required 28.47 mL of NaOH to reach a phenolphthalein endpoint.
What is the concentration of the NaOH?

4) How many grams of hydrochloric acid is required to reach the phenolphthalein endpoint during the
titrating of 15.60 mL of 0.084 M NaOH solution.

5) After transferring a 10.00 mL sample of the HCl solution into 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask, 3 drops of
phenolphthalein and about 50 mL of distilled water are added. The resulting solution requires 44.00 mL
of 0.1250 M NaOH solution to reach the end point.
Calculate the molarity of HCl solution?

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CHEL 111 Lab – Titration Revised – Heidary & Allara – 8/2020