TP No. III: Acid-base titrations.

I. Introduction. Acids and bases are substances that are found everywhere and around us. In
the kitchen we often use baking powder, baking soda and vinegar to make different recipes.
Most of the drinks are acidic like orange juice and soda. Acids and bases are very useful in
our everyday life.
II. Theoretical notions about acids and bases.
II.1. Properties of acids. They have a sour taste, their pH varies from 0 (strong acids) to 6.9
(weak acids), react with certain metals, carbonates and neutralize bases.
Examples of acids in aqueous solutions: battery acid (< 1), lemon juice (2.4 to 2.6), Coca
Cola (2.5), vinegar (2.5 to 2.9), orange juice (3.5), coffee (5.0 ), tea (5.5), milk (6.5), pure or
distilled water (7.0)
II.2. Properties of Bases. They have a bitter taste, viscous to the touch, their pH varies from
7.9 (weak bases) to 14 (strong bases), react with certain metals and neutralize acids.
Examples of bases in aqueous solutions: blood (7.34 to 7.45), sea water (8.0), soaps (9.0 to
10.0), soda (NaOH) and potash (KOH) it is 14.0

II.3. Definition of an acid and a base.

II.3.1. Definition according to Arrhenius.
An acid is a substance that can provide H+ or (H3O+) ions in a solution, [acid]= [H+]
HCl H+ + Cl-
A base is a substance that dissociates in water in the form of OH- ions, [base]= [OH-]
NaOH Na+ + OH-
II.3.2. Definition according to Brönsted-Lowry.
This theory recognizes that the acid-base reaction is a chemical equilibrium. There is a direct
reaction and a reverse reaction which involves the transfer of proton (H+). Acids are described
as proton donors and bases are the acceptors of its protons.
II.3.3. conjugated acid-base couples: acid + base conjugate base + conjugate acid
The conjugate base of an acid is referred to as the molecule that remains after releasing a
proton. The conjugate acid of a base is the molecule that attached the proton (the proton
attached to this base molecule).
Example : 1) CH3COOH (aq) + H2O(l) CH3COO- (aq) + H3O+(aq)
Acid base Conjugate Base Conjugate Acid
similarly we have:
1
2) CO32-(aq) + H2O(L) HCO3-(aq) + OH-(aq)
base + acid conjugate acid + conjugate base
The acid-base couple is written:
Acid/its conjugate base. Example: H2O/ OH -, CH3COOH/ CH3COO-
Note: In the two previous examples, we notice that water sometimes acts as an acid and
sometimes as a base, we say that it is an amphoteric. An amphoteric substance is a substance
that acts as a proton donor (an acid) for one reaction and as a proton acceptor (a base) for
another reaction. Water acts like an acid in the presence of a base and acts like a base in the
presence of an acid.
II.3.4. The strength of acids and bases: A strong acid is one which in solution dissociates
completely like HCl, HNO3, HClO4. A weak acid is partially dissociated like acetic acid
(CH3COOH). A strong base, in solution, dissociates completely into positive and negative
ions, such as sodium hydroxide or sodium hydroxide (NaOH). A weak base provides only
partial production of OH- ions such as ammonia (NH4OH) in solution which dissociates into
two parts: NH4+ and OH-. Most acids and bases dissociate very little in aqueous solution; they
can be characterized by an equilibrium constant Ka (acids) and Kb (bases).
Strength acids strength bases
HCl (chlorhydric acid) NaOH (sodium hydroxide)
HBr (acid bromique) KOH (potassium hydroxide)
HNO3 (nitric acid) Ca(OH)2 (calcium hydroxide)
H2SO4 (sulfuric acid) Ba(OH)2 (barium hydroxide)
II.3.5. Acidity constant of an acid–base couple in water. It measures the strength of the
acid or base. For any acid-base couple, in aqueous solution, an equilibrium is associated
schematically by an equation:
AH (acid) + H2O A- (base) +H3O+ ,
+
BOH (base)+ H2O B dissolved in water (base) + OH-
The acidity constant Ka =[A-].[H3O+] /[AH] = Keq . [H2O]
II.4. Concept of pH
The pH (Hydrogen potential) scale gives a measure of acidity by measuring the concentration
of hydronium ions (H3O+ or H+) in an aqueous solution: pH= - log10 [H3O+].
The pH of pure water: pure water has a pH equal to 7. Indeed, pure water is a neutral
solution: [H3O+] = [OH-]= 10-7 moles per liter at 25 °C , pH= - log10 [H3O+]= - log10(10-7)= -
(-7)= +7.

2
Notice: * a solution is neutral when [H3O+] = [OH-].
** a solution is acidic when [H3O+] > [OH-].
*** a solution is basic when [H3O+] < [OH-].
II.4.1. Neutralization.
Neutralization is the dosage of a strong acid with a strong base. Both solutions have H+ and
OH- ions that react together to form water leading to a neutral solution.
The neutralization of hydrochloric acid (HCl) and sodium hydroxide (NaOH):
The neutralization equation is: HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) H2O(liq) + NaCl(precipitated)
Neutralization is complete when the H+ ions of the HCl acid react with the OH- ions of the
NaOH base, the pH obtained is equal to 7, the concentration of ions [H3O+]=[OH-]=10-7M.
II.4.2. Acid-base titration.
Titration (or dosage) is a method which makes it possible to determine or know the
concentration of a substance in solution. It is an analytical method that uses a solution of
known concentration (control solution) to find the unknown concentration of a substance.
In a neutralization reaction, an acid and a base are combined to form a salt and water.
The final solution is neutral. To know when the solution becomes neutral, we use an indicator
(substances which, in the presence of an acid or a base, change colors) which have an acidic
or basic character and which have the property of changing the color of the solution at the
time of neutralization. We can also use a pH meter which will give us an exact measurement
of the pH upon neutralization.
II.4.3. Determination of the concentration of the titrated solution.
To do this, we use the value of the equivalent volume, denoted Vequivalent, of the aqueous
solution of the reagent found in the burette (titrant), to be poured onto a volume (test portion)
of the solution of the other reagent, found in the Erlenmeyer flask (titrated), to achieve
equivalence. The concentrations Ntest portion and Nburette as well as the volumes Vtest portion and
Vequivalent are linked together by the relationship, valid at neutralization (at the equivalence
point):
Nacid .Vacid= Nbase .Vbase or N test portion. V test portion = Nburette . Veq
II.4.4. Colorimetric acid-base titration (use of colored indicators).
A colorimetric acid-base titration consists of identifying the equivalence using the change of
an appropriate colored acid-base indicator, placed in a small quantity in the test portion of one
of the reagents.

3
A colored indicator is suitable for titration if its turning zone contains the pH at equivalence.
The jump in pH is generally very sudden at equivalence, the addition of a single drop of
reagent from the burette is enough to cause the indicator to change.
II.5. Acid-base indicators.
An acid-base or color indicator is used to determine the equivalence point during a dosage.
A dye sensitive to the concentration of H3O+ ions tells us the pH of the solution. Acid-base
indicators are usually weak acids or weak bases. The table below gives some examples of
common acid-base indicators
Indicator name pH range color in acidic zone color in the base zone
Methyl Orange (Helianthin) 3.1 - 4.4 Red Yellow orange
Bromophenol blue 3.0 - 4.7 Orange-Yellow Purple
Bromothymol blue 6.0-7.6 Yellow Blue

Phenol red 6.4 - 8.0 Yellow Red

Phenolphthalein (ph.ph) 8.0 -10.0 Colorless Pink

II.6. Steps of volumetric dosage. A volumetric dosage is made up of a

chain of operations:
1. determination of the concentration of the reference solution
(generally known C1),
2. filling the burette with the S2 solution (titrant), in the burette,
3. taking a known volume V1 of the solution S1 (titrated), place in the
Erlenmeyer flask + suitable indicator,
4. titration, i.e. pouring the S2 solution drop by drop until a change in color
is observed,
5. reading V2,
III. Operating mode.
III.1. Titration of a strong acid (HCl) with a strong base (NaOH).
1. Purpose. determine the normality and pH of hydrochloric acid (HCl).
2. Principle. It is the neutralization of a strong acid (HCl) by a strong base (NaOH).
HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) H2O(liq) + NaCl (dissolved precipitate)
3. Operating mode.
• Place 10 mL of the HCl solution in a erlenmeyer; add 2 to 3 drops of the colored indicator
(Bromothymol Blue),
• Place the NaOH solution (0.1N) in the burette using a funnel,
4
 • Pour the soda (NaOH) slowly into the Erlenmeyer flask (drop by drop and stirring) until the
color changes,
• Repeat the experiment twice.
III.2. Titration of a weak acid (CH3COOH) with a strong base (NaOH).
1. Purpose. Determine the normality and pH of acetic acid (CH3COOH).
2. Principle. It is the neutralization of a weak acid (CH3COOH) by a strong base (NaOH).
CH3COOH(aq) + NaOH (aq) H2O(liq) + CH3COO-, Na+ (dissolved precipitate)
3. Operating mode
* Place 10 mL of the acetic acid solution (CH3COOH) in an Erlenmeyer flask, add 2 to 3
drops of the colored indicator (phenophthalein).
* Put the NaOH solution (0.1N) into the burette using a funnel.
* Pour the soda (NaOH) slowly into the Erlenmeyer flask (drop by drop while stirring) until
the color changes
* Repeat the experiment twice.
(1)
(2)
(1) burette, (2) support (stand), (3) acid
(3)
solution, (4) base solution, (5) erlenmeyer, (6)
(6)

(4)

(5)
Experimental apparatus