Acid-Base Titrations

This experiment will focus on collecting quantitative data for an acid-base titration, and using that data to
perform quantitative analysis. Quantitative analysis reveals the amount of a chemical in a sample. There will
be two parts to this virtual experiment: a practice acid-base titration on an acid with known concentration,
which will serve as an introduction to the titration technique, and an acid-base titration on an acid of unknown
concentration to see how this technique is used to analyze real-world samples. Three titrations will be
conducted in each part in order to perfect the titration technique and achieve maximum accuracy and precision.

Background on Acids and Bases

Acids and bases are commonly encountered in both the chemistry laboratory and everyday substances. These
substances are often classified according to their characteristic chemical properties. Acids taste sour (like
lemons!), react with carbonates and bicarbonates to produce carbon dioxide gas, react with active metals to
produce hydrogen gas, and neutralize bases. Examples of common acids are acetic acid (found in vinegar) and
citric acid (found in citric fruits). Bases taste bitter, tend to feel slippery to the touch, and neutralize acids.
Examples of common bases are sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and ammonia (NH3).

Acids and bases can also be classified according to their behavior in water. According to the Arrhenius
definition of acids and bases, acids are compounds that produce hydrogen ions (H +, also called protons) when
added to water, and bases are compounds that produce hydroxide (OH –) ions when added to water. Table A
shows some examples of each.

Table A. Common acids and bases and their reactions in water.

Molecule Reaction in Water
HCl (acid) HCl(aq) → H+(aq) + Cl–(aq)
HC2H3O2 (acid) HC2H3O2(aq) → H+(aq) + C2H3O2–(aq)
NaOH (base) NaOH(aq) → Na+(aq) + OH–(aq)
NH3 (base) NH3(aq) + H2O(l) ⇌ NH4+(aq) + OH–(aq)

You will learn more about the different definitions of acids and bases in CHEM 1212K.

Aqueous solutions can be defined as acidic or basic based on their pH:

pH=−log¿ ¿ (1)

where [H+] is the molar concentration of the hydrogen ion. Pure water has a pH of 7, while acidic solutions have
a pH below 7 and basic solutions have a pH above 7. Most solutions (though not all) fall within a pH range of 0
– 14.

Acids and bases often react with each other in what are called acid-base or neutralization reactions. In this
week’s experiment, an acid-base reaction will be studied using a technique called a titration.

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Titration

In a titration, a solution of unknown concentration (the analyte) is investigated by carefully reacting it with a
solution of known concentration (the titrant). The titrant is added in small increments until the reaction reaches
the equivalence point, the point at which all of the analyte has been completely reacted (i.e. when the two
reactants exactly cancel each other out). By measuring the amount of titrant added to reach the equivalence
point, it is possible to determine the number of moles of analyte in the original solution, and therefore its
concentration. The background for using burettes and pipets, which are commonly used in titrations, is given in
this video. Volumetric glassware is used because if the volumes are measured with great accuracy, the
calculated results should also be very accurate.

A common type of titration is a colorimetric titration, which relies on a color change to determine when the
reaction has reached the equivalence point. In acid-base reactions, the equivalence point is often detected by
adding an indicator compound. Indicators are dyes that typically exhibit one color in acidic solutions and
another color in basic solutions. This occurs when a molecule has an intense color change when it either gains
an H+ ion (at low pH) or loses an H+ ion (at high pH). The point at which the color change occurs is called the
endpoint; ideally the endpoint occurs very near the equivalence point. The indicator bromocresol green will be
used to visualize the endpoint of this reaction. The acidic form of this indicator is yellow, while the basic form
is light blue.

This week’s experiment will utilize a colorimetric titration to determine the concentration of an HCl solution.
The technique will first be practiced on a solution of known concentration in Part I, and then used to determine
the concentration of an unknown acid solution in Part II. Three titrations will be conducted in each part in order
to perfect the titration technique and achieve maximum accuracy.

Objectives
1. Learn how to use volumetric glassware (pipet, burette)
2. Learn how to properly perform a titration
3. Perform a quantitative analysis to determine the concentration of an HCl solution.

STEM Skills Practiced in this Experiment

1. Technical Skills – perform a colorimetric titration
2. Data Analysis – determine the concentration of a species in solution using titration data

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Procedure

Part I: Practicing the Titration Technique – Titration of an Acid of Known Concentration

1. In this portion of the experiment, you will practice titrating 25.00 mL of 0.3000 M HCl (your analyte)
with 0.3000 M NaOH (your titrant). You will use your data to calculate the experimental concentration
of HCl, with the goal to get as close to 0.3000 M as possible (since we know this is the actual
concentration).

2. Since this is a practice titration, you are able to predict the amount of 0.3000 M NaOH needed to exactly
titrate 25.00 mL of 0.3000 M HCl.
a. Write a balanced molecular equation for the reaction between NaOH and HCl.
b. Perform a stoichiometry calculation to determine the amount of 0.3000 M NaOH required
to exactly titrate 25.00 mL of 0.3000 M HCl. This is the amount of NaOH you should expect to
add in the titration.

3. Start Beyond Labz: click here and log in with your registered email address and password. Once logged
in, you will be asked if you want to open the lab, click “Yes”.

4. Since this is a practice titration, everything is set up for you.

a. The burette is filled with 0.3000 M NaOH.
b. The beaker has 25.00 mL of 0.3000 M HCl.
c. The beaker also contains the indicator bromocresol green, which should change color from
yellow to light blue when the HCl has been exactly titrated.
d. There should be a Burette Zoom View window so that you can read the volume of NaOH in the
burette. You can collapse all the other sections in the simulation (pH Meter, Conductivity Meter,
and graph); you will not use these.

5. You are now ready to perform the titration.

a. First, record the initial volume reading on the burette to the correct number of significant
figures.
i. Notice that the burette reads from the top-down (i.e. the
numbers increase as you move down the burette), contrary to
most glassware you have seen so far.
ii. The burette is marked with two types of lines: solid lines that
go all the way across the glassware and are marked with a
number (in mL), and smaller incremental lines between them
denoting 0.1 mL. Since the markings on the burette are every
0.1 mL, all measurements should be recorded to two decimal
places, or to the nearest 0.01 mL. For example, here, the
burette starts out filled to the top, which is the “0” line. In this
case, the correct burette reading is 0.00 mL
b. The horizontal position of the orange handle is the “off” position for the burette stopcock. Open
the stopcock by pulling down on the orange handle. The vertical position delivers solution the
fastest with three intermediate rates in between. Turn the stopcock to one of the fastest positions
and deliver the 0.3000 M NaOH into your beaker. Continue adding NaOH at this rate until you
are ~1 mL away from the calculated amount needed for the titration.
c. When you reach ~1 mL away from the calculated amount needed for the titration, double-click
the stopcock to turn it off. Move the stopcock down one position to add volume drop by drop.

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 d. Stop the titration (close the stopcock) when a color change occurs. Record the final burette
reading (to the nearest 0.01 mL) in Table 1. Use the initial and final readings to determine
the volume of titrant added and record this value in Table 1. Also record any qualitative
observations for this reaction.
i. The Burette Zoom window can be a little challenging to read. As the stopcock on the
burette is opened and the NaOH is added to the beaker, the Burette Zoom View remains
focused on the meniscus of the NaOH. When you close the stopcock, the Burette Zoom
View will also stop moving, and you can record the new reading on the burette. Again,
note that the burette reads from the top-down. Unfortunately,
sometimes this means that numbers get cut off, so it is
necessary to “back track” what you measurement is.

Consider the Burette Zoom View to the right. The “6” and “7”
lines are denoted by the solid lines. The meniscus is above the
“6” line, indicating that the measurement is between 5 and 6
mL. If we count the small incremental lines backwards from the
“6” line (5.9, 5.8, 5.7, 5.6, etc.), we find that the meniscus is
between the lines for 5.7 and 5.8. Estimating the last digit, we
can record this measurement as ~5.73 mL.

6. Close the lab window when you have completed trial 1. Repeat Steps 3-6 to perform 2 additional trials.

Table 1: Titration Data for Practice Titration between 0.3000 M NaOH and 0.3000 M HCl

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Volume of HCl (mL) 25.00 mL 25.00 mL 25.00 mL

Initial NaOH burette reading

(mL)

Final NaOH burette reading

(mL)

Volume Titrant (NaOH) Added

(mL)

Molarity of HCl (M)

Average Molarity of HCl (M)

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Part II: Applying the Titration Technique – Titration of an Acid of Unknown Concentration

1. In this portion of the experiment, you will learn how to set up the titration equipment, and then use it to
titrate an HCl solution of unknown concentration.

2. Click on “Clear Lab”. This will put away all glassware (except your burette) and chemicals.

3. First, set up the burette with the titrant.

a. Click on Stockroom. Go down to the “Base” section and select “NaOH – 0.1104 M”. A bottle
should appear on the stockroom counter in the back.
b. Drag the bottle of NaOH to the top of your burette and allow it to fill with solution.

4. Next, generate an HCl solution with an unknown concentration.

a. Click on Unknowns. Select “Practice Unknown” and then “Create Unknown”. Select HCl, and
set the minimum concentration to 0.10 M, and the maximum concentration to 0.20 M. Click
“Create”.
b. Click on the “HCl – Unknown” link to the right. A bottle of unknown should appear on the
stockroom counter in the back.
c. You will eventually want to check your work to determine how accurate and precise you were.
Click on “Reveal” next to your Unknown HCl link to the right to see the actual concentration.
Record this value.

5. Next, transfer a precise amount of Unknown HCl (10.00 mL) to a beaker and place it under the burette.
a. Drag the bottle of Unknown HCl to your benchtop.
b. Click on the drawer labeled “Beakers”. Drag a beaker to the spot on the benchtop closest to the
Unknown.
c. Drag the Unknown HCl close to the beaker; this action should pour some of the Unknown into
the beaker. Pour until you see the liquid level rise in the beaker.
d. We need to transfer a precise amount of HCl to a new beaker for the actual titration. We will use
a pipet to do this. Click on the drawer labeled “Pipets”. Drag a 10 mL pipet to the holder above
the beaker. Click on the blue bulb to fill the pipet.
e. Drag the beaker to the back spot on the benchtop, closest to the stockroom, to get it out of the
way. Drag a new beaker from the drawer to the spot on the benchtop under the filled pipet.
f. Click on the pipet bulb to empty the 10.00 mL of Unknown HCl into your beaker. Record this
as the Volume of HCl in Table 2.
g. Drag your beaker to the stir plate under the burette. It is assumed that a stir bar has also been
added.

6. Finally, add the indicator.

a. There are a number of small dropper bottles on the benchtop behind the burette. Drag the
dropper from the “bromocresol green” bottle (all the way to the left in the front row) to your
beaker on your stir plate. Your Unknown HCl solution should turn yellow.

7. You are now ready to perform the titration.

a. Record the initial volume reading on the burette to the correct number of significant
figures.
b. Open the stopcock to begin adding the 0.1104 M NaOH (the titrant) to the solution.
c. Stop the titration (close the stopcock) when a color change occurs.
d. Record the final burette reading (to the nearest 0.01 mL) in Table 2.

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 e. Use the initial and final readings to determine the volume of titrant added and record this
value in Table 2.

8. Repeat this process on two additional trials of the same Unknown HCl.
a. Refill your burette with the 0.1104 M NaOH solution.
b. Drag your beaker of the titrated Unknown HCl to the red waste container on the right to dispose
of it.
c. Drag the beaker of Unknown HCl that you had previously set aside back under the pipet bulb.
Once again, click on the bulb to fill the pipet with 10.0 mL of Unknown HCl.
d. Drag the beaker to the back spot on the benchtop, closest to the stockroom, to get it out of the
way. Drag a new beaker from the drawer to the spot on the benchtop under the filled pipet.
e. Click on the pipet bulb to empty the 10.0 mL of Unknown HCl into your beaker.
f. Drag your beaker to the stir plate under the burette. It is assumed that a stir bar has also been
added.
g. Add the bromocresol green to your Unknown HCl beaker on your stir plate. Your solution
should turn yellow.
h. Record the initial volume reading on the burette to the correct number of significant
figures.
i. Open the stopcock to begin adding the 0.1104 M NaOH (the titrant) to the solution.
j. Stop the titration (close the stopcock) when a color change occurs.
i. Hint: You can use your first trial to estimate how much titrant you need to reach the
endpoint of the titration. On the second and third trial, you can quickly add titrant until
you are within 1 – 2 mL of this amount, and then switch to adding one drop at a time.
This will allow you to more easily stop the titration as soon as you see the color change.
k. Record the final burette reading (to the nearest 0.01 mL) in Table 2.
l. Use the initial and final readings to determine the volume of titrant added and record this
value in Table 2.

Table 1: Titration Data for Titration between 0.1104 M NaOH and HCl of Unknown Concentration

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Volume of HCl (mL)

Initial NaOH burette reading

(mL)

Final NaOH burette reading

(mL)

Volume Titrant (NaOH) Added

(mL)

Molarity of HCl (M)

Average Molarity of HCl (M)

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Calculations:

Part I: Practicing the Titration Technique – Titration of an Acid of Known Concentration

1. For Trial 1 of the practice titration, calculate the moles of NaOH required to reach the equivalence point.
2. Based on the answer to (1), for Trial 1, calculate the moles of HCl originally present in your solution.
3. Based on the answer to (2), for Trial 1, calculate the original concentration (in units of molarity) of the
HCl solution.
4. Repeat calculations 1 – 3 for Trials 2 and 3.
5. Calculate the average value of the molarity of the HCl.

Part II: Applying the Titration Technique – Titration of an Acid of Unknown Concentration
1. For Trial 1 of the actual titration, calculate the moles of NaOH required to reach the equivalence point.
[Hint: Make sure you are using the correct concentration of NaOH for this part!]
2. Based on the answer to (1), for Trial 1, calculate the moles of HCl originally present in your solution.
3. Based on the answer to (2), for Trial 1, calculate the original concentration (in units of molarity) of the
HCl solution.
4. Repeat calculations 1 – 3 for Trials 2 and 3.
5. Calculate the average value of the molarity of the HCl.

Analysis & Discussion:

Part I: Practicing the Titration Technique – Titration of an Acid of Known Concentration

1. Based on your three trials for the practice titration, discuss the precision of your data.
2. The actual concentration of the unknown is 0.3000 M. Calculate the percent error based on the average
molarity for your three trials.
|True value−Experimental value|
Percent error= ×100 %
True value

3. Based on your answer to (2), discuss the accuracy of your data.

4. Discuss potential sources of error that could have affected either/both your accuracy and your precision
in this portion of the experiment.

Part II: Applying the Titration Technique – Titration of an Acid of Unknown Concentration

5. Based on your three trials for the actual titration, discuss the precision of your data.
6. You should have recorded the actual concentration of your Unknown HCl. Calculate the percent error
based on the average molarity for your three trials (equation shown above).
7. Based on your answer to (6), discuss the accuracy of your data.
8. Discuss potential sources of error that could have affected either/both your accuracy and your precision
in this portion of the experiment.

Conclusion
Summarize this lab by answering the following questions in your lab notebook:
1. What was the main topic/concept investigated today?
2. How did you investigate this topic/concept?
3. What were the main results you found in this experiment?
4. Summarize the main errors encountered in this experiment and how they may have affected the results.