• To prepare and standardize a sodium hydroxide solution
• To determine the molar concentration of a strong acid
The following techniques are used in the Experimental Procedure:
Experiment 9 127
Primary standard: a substance that
has a known high degree of purity, a
relatively large molar mass, is
nonhygroscopic, and reacts in a
predictable way
Standard solution: a solution having a
very well known concentration of a
solute
A titrimetric analysis requires the careful addition of titrant.
Objectives
Techniques
A chemical analysis that is performed primarily with the aid of volumetric glassware (e.g., Introduction
pipets, burets, volumetric asks) is called a volumetric analysis. For a volumetric analysis
procedure, a known quantity or a carefully measured amount of one substance reacts with
a to-be-determined amount of another substance with the reaction occurring in aqueous
solution. The volumes of all solutions are carefully measured with volumetric glassware.
The known amount of the substance for an analysis is generally measured and
available in two ways:
- As a primary standard—An accurate mass (and thus, moles) of a solid substance
is measured on a balance, dissolved in water, and then reacted with the substance
being analyzed. - As a standard solution—A measured number of moles of substance is present in
a measured volume of solution, generally expressed as the molar concentration
(or molarity) of the substance. A measured volume of the standard solution then
reacts with the substance being analyzed.
The reaction of the known substance with the substance to be analyzed, occurring
in aqueous solution, is generally conducted by a titration procedure.
The titration procedure requires a buret to dispense a liquid, called the titrant,
into a ask containing the analyte (Figure 9.1a, page 128). For the acid–base titration
studied in Part B of this experiment, the titrant is a standard solution of sodium
hydroxide and the analyte is an acid.
A reaction is complete when stoichiometric amounts of the reacting substances
are combined. In a titration this is the stoichiometric point.1 In this experiment, the
stoichiometric point for the acid–base titration is detected using a phenolphthalein
indicator. Phenolphthalein is colorless in an acidic solution but pink in a basic solution. The point in the titration at which the phenolphthalein changes color is called the
endpoint of the indicator (Figure 9.1b). Indicators are selected so that the stoichiometric point in the titration coincides (at approximately the same pH) with the endpoint of
the indicator.
Solid sodium hydroxide is very hygroscopic; therefore, its mass cannot be measured
to prepare a solution with an accurately known molar concentration (a primary standard solution). To prepare a NaOH solution with a very well known molar concentration, it must be standardized with an acid that is a primary standard.
In Part A of this experiment, dry potassium hydrogen phthalate, KHC8H4O4, is used
as the primary acid standard for determining the molar concentration of a sodium
hydroxide solution. Potassium hydrogen phthalate is a white, crystalline, acidic solid. It
has the properties of a primary standard because of its high purity, relatively high molar
mass, and because it is only very slightly hygroscopic. The moles of KHC8H4O4 used
for the analysis is calculated from its measured mass and molar mass (204.44 g/mol):
(9.1)
From the balanced equation for the reaction, one mole of KHC8H4O4 reacts with one
mole of NaOH according to the equation:
KHC (9.2) 8H4O4(aq) NaOH(aq) l H2O(l) NaKC8H4O4(aq)
mass (g) KHC8H4O4
mol KHC8H4O4
204.44 g KHC8H4O4
mol KHC8H4O4
128 A Volumetric Analysis
Stoichiometric amounts: amounts
corresponding to the mole ratio of the
balanced equation
Acid–base indicator: a substance
having an acidic structure with a
different color than its basic structure
pH: the negative logarithm of the
molar concentration of H3O, pH
log[H3O]. Refer to Experiment 6.
Figure 9.1 (a) Titrant in the buret is dispensed into the analyte until (b)
the indicator changes color at its endpoint.
Standardization of a
Sodium Hydroxide Solution
potassium hydrogen phthlate
COOH
COO_
K+
Hygroscopic: able to absorb water
vapor readily
1
The stoichiometric point is also called the equivalence point, indicating the point at which stoichiometrically equivalent quantities of the reacting substances are combined.
In Part A.4 of the Experimental Procedure, an accurately measured mass of dry
potassium hydrogen phthalate is dissolved in deionized water. A prepared NaOH solution in Parts A.1, 3 is then dispensed from a buret into the KHC8H4O4 solution until the
stoichiometric point is reached, signaled by the colorless to pink change of the phenolphthalein indicator. At this point, the dispensed volume of NaOH is noted and recorded.
The molar concentration of the NaOH solution is calculated by determining the
number of moles of NaOH used in the reaction (equation 9.2) and the volume of NaOH
dispensed from the buret.
(9.3)
Once the molar concentration of the sodium hydroxide is calculated, the solution
is said to be “standardized,” and the sodium hydroxide solution is called a secondary
standard solution.
In Part B, an unknown molar concentration of an acid solution is determined. The standardized NaOH solution is used to titrate an accurately measured volume of the acid to
the stoichiometric point. By knowing the volume and molar concentration of the
NaOH, the number of moles of NaOH used for the analysis is
(9.4)
From the stoichiometry of the reaction, the moles of acid neutralized in the reaction
can be calculated. If your acid of unknown concentration is a monoprotic acid, HA [as
is HCl(aq)], then the mole ratio of acid to NaOH will be 1:1 (equation 9.5). However, if
your acid is diprotic, H2A (as is H2SO4), then the mole ratio of acid to NaOH will be 1:2
(equation 9.6). Your instructor will inform you of the acid type: HA or H2A.
(9.5)
(9.6)
From the moles of the acid that react and its measured volume, the molar concentration of the acid is calculated:
(9.7)
Procedure Overview: A NaOH solution is prepared with an approximate concentration. A more accurate molar concentration of the NaOH solution (as the titrant) is
determined using dry potassium hydrogen phthalate as a primary standard. The NaOH
solution, now a secondary standard solution, is then used to determine the “unknown”
molar concentration of an acid solution.
Check with your laboratory instructor; stockroom personnel may have completed
Parts A.1, A.2, and/or A.3 (or all of Part A). Begin the Experimental Procedure with
the steps that follow those already completed by the stockroom personnel.
You are to complete at least three good trials (1% reproducibility) in standardizing
the NaOH solution. Prepare three clean 125-mL or 250-mL Erlenmeyer asks for the
titration.
You will need to use approximately one liter of boiled, deionized water for this
experiment. Start preparing that rst. - Prepare the stock NaOH solution. One week before the scheduled laboratory
period, dissolve about 4 g of NaOH (pellets or flakes) (Caution: NaOH is very
corrosive—do not allow skin contact. Wash hands thoroughly with water.) in
5 mL of deionized water in a 150-mm rubber-stoppered test tube. Thoroughly
molar concentration of the acid (mol/L) mol acid
volume of acid (L)
H2A(aq) 2 NaOH(aq) l Na2A(aq) 2 H2O(l)
HA(aq) NaOH(aq) l NaA(aq) H2O(l)
volume (L) molar concentration (mol/L) mol NaOH
molar concentration (M) of NaOH (mol/L) mol NaOH
L of NaOH solution
Experiment 9 129
Molar Concentration of an
Acid Solution
Experimental
Procedure
A. The Standardization of a
Sodium Hydroxide Solution
mix and allow the solution to stand for the precipitation of sodium carbonate,
Na2CO3.
2 - Dry the primary standard acid. Dry 2–3 g of KHC8H4O4 at 110C for several
hours in a constant-temperature drying oven. Cool the sample in a desiccator. - Prepare the diluted NaOH solution. Decant about 4 mL of the NaOH solution prepared in Part A.1 into a 500-mL polyethylene bottle (Figure 9.2). (Caution: Concentrated NaOH solution is extremely corrosive and can cause severe skin removal!)
Dilute to 500 mL with previously boiled,3 deionized water cooled to room temperature. Cap the polyethylene bottle to prevent the absorption of CO2. Swirl the solution
and label the bottle.
Calculate an approximate molar concentration of your diluted NaOH solution. - Prepare the primary standard acid.
a. Calculate the mass of KHC8H4O4 that will require about 15–20 mL of your
diluted NaOH solution to reach the stoichiometric point. Show the calculations
on the Report Sheet.
b. Measure this mass (0.001 g) of KHC8H4O4 on a tared piece of weighing
paper (Figure 9.3) and transfer it to a clean, labeled Erlenmeyer ask. Similarly, prepare all three samples while you are occupying the balance. Dissolve
the KHC8H4O4 in about 50 mL of previously boiled, deionized water and add
2 drops of phenolphthalein.
130 A Volumetric Analysis
Figure 9.2 A 500-mL
polyethylene bottle for the NaOH
solution
Figure 9.3 Weighing paper for
the KHC8H4O4 measurements
2
Carbon dioxide, CO2, from the atmosphere is an acidic anhydride (meaning that when CO2 dissolves in water, it forms an acidic solution). The acid CO2 reacts with the base NaOH to form the
less soluble salt, Na2CO3.
3
Boiling the water removes traces of CO2 that would react with the sodium hydroxide in solution.
CO2(g) 2 NaOH(aq) l Na2CO3(s) H2O(l)
Tared mass: mass of a sample without
regard to its container - Prepare a clean buret. Wash a 50-mL buret and funnel thoroughly with soap and
water using a long buret brush. Flush the buret with tap water and rinse several
times with deionized water. Rinse the buret with three 5-mL portions of the diluted
NaOH solution, making certain that the solution wets the entire inner surface. Drain
each rinse through the buret tip. Discard each rinse in the Waste Bases container.
Have the instructor approve your buret and titration setup before continuing. - Fill the buret. Using a clean funnel, ll the buret with the NaOH solution. 4 After
10–15 seconds, read the volume by viewing the bottom of the meniscus with the
aid of a black line drawn on a white card or see Figure 9.4 (the buret can be removed from the stand or moved up or down in the buret clamp to simplify this
reading; you need not stand on a lab stool to read the meniscus). Record this initial
volume according to the guideline in Technique 16A.2, using all certain digits
(from the labeled calibration marks on the glassware) plus one uncertain digit (the
last digit which is the best estimate between the calibration marks). Place a sheet
of white paper beneath the Erlenmeyer ask. - Titrate the primary standard acid. Slowly add the NaOH titrant to the first
acid sample prepared in Part A.4. Swirl the flask (with the proper hand5
) after
each addition. Initially, add the NaOH solution in 1- to 2-mL increments. As the
stoichiometric point nears, the color fade of the indicator occurs more slowly.
Occasionally rinse the wall of the flask with (previously boiled, deionized)
water from your wash bottle. Continue addition of the NaOH titrant until the
endpoint is reached. The endpoint in the titration should be within one-half drop
of a slight pink color (see opening photo). The color should persist for 30 seconds. After 10–15 seconds, read (Figure 9.4) and record the final volume of
NaOH in the buret. - Repeat the analysis with the remaining standard acid samples. Re ll the buret
and repeat the titration with the remaining two samples prepared in Part A.4. - Do the calculations. Calculate the molar concentration of the diluted NaOH solution. The molar concentrations of the NaOH solution from the three analyses should
be within 1%. Place a corresponding label on the 500-mL polyethylene bottle.
Three samples of the acid having an unknown concentration are to be analyzed. Ask
your instructor for the acid type of your unknown (i.e., HA or H2A). Prepare three
clean 125- or 250-mL Erlenmeyer asks for this determination. - Prepare the acid samples of unknown concentration. In an Erlenmeyer ask,
pipet 25.00 mL of the acid solution. Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein. - Fill the buret and titrate. Re ll the buret with the (now) standardized NaOH
solution and, after 10–15 seconds, read and record the initial volume. Refer to
Parts A.6 and A.7. Titrate the acid sample to the phenolphthalein endpoint. Read
and record the nal volume of titrant. - Repeat. Similarly titrate the remaining samples of the acid solution.
- Calculations. Calculate the average molar concentration of your acid unknown.
Disposal: Dispose of the neutralized solutions in the Waste Acids container.
Consult with your instructor.
Save. Save your standardized NaOH solution in the tightly capped 500-mL
polyethylene bottle for Experiments 10, 17, 18, and/or 19. Consult with
your instructor.
Disposal: Dispose of the neutralized solutions in the Erlenmeyer flasks in the
Waste Acids container.
Figure 9.4 Read the volume of
titrant with a black background.
Experiment 9 131
B. Molar Concentration of
an Acid Solution
4
Be certain all air bubbles are removed from the buret tip.
5
Check Technique 16C.3 for this procedure.
CLEANUP: Rinse the buret and pipet several times with tap water and discard
through the tip into the sink. Rinse twice with deionized water. Similarly clean the
Erlenmeyer asks.
Check and clean the balance area. All solids should be discarded in the Waste
Solid Acids container.
What are the acid concentrations for various noncarbonated soft drinks? the acid of
vinegar (Experiment 10), the acids used for treating swimming pools? the acid of fruit
juices? the antacids (Experiment 17), of aspirin (Experiment 19). Speci cally, what are
those acids? Design a procedure for determining the acidity for a select grouping of
foods, drinks, or other familiar commercial products.
132 A Volumetric Analysis
N OTES AND C ALCULATIONS
The Next Step
Experiment 9Prelaboratory Assignment
A Volumetric Analysis
Date _ Lab Sec. Name ___________________________________ Desk No. __ - a. De ne the analyte in a titration.
b. Is the indicator generally added to the titrant or the analyte in a titration? - a. What is the primary standard used in this experiment (name and formula)? De ne a primary standard.
b. What is the secondary standard used in this experiment (name and formula)? De ne a secondary standard. - Distinguish between a stoichiometric point and an endpoint in an acid–base titration.
- a. How do you know that glassware (e.g., a buret or pipet) is clean?
b. When rinsing a buret after cleaning it with soap and water, should the rinse be dispensed through the buret tip or the
top opening of the buret? Explain.
c. Experimental Procedure, Part A.5. In preparing the buret for titration, the nal rinse is with the NaOH titrant rather
than with deionized water. Explain.
d. Experimental Procedure, Part A.7. How is a “half-drop” of titrant dispensed from a buret?
Experiment 9 133 - Experimental Procedure, Part A.1. A 4-g mass of NaOH is dissolved in 5 mL of water.
a. What is the approximate molar concentration of the NaOH?
b. In Part A.3, a 4-mL aliquot of this solution is diluted to 500 mL of solution. What is the approximate molar concentration of NaOH in the diluted solution? Enter this calculation on your Report Sheet. Express this (approximate)
molar concentration of NaOH to the correct number of signi cant gures.
c. Part A.4. Calculate the mass of KHC8H4O4 (molar mass 204.44 g/mol) that reacts with 15 mL of the NaOH
solution in Part A.3. Express this mass KHC8H4O4 to the correct number of signi cant gures and record the calculation on the Report Sheet. - a. A 0.411-g sample of potassium hydrogen phthalate, KHC8H4O4 (molar mass 204.44 g/mol) is dissolved with
50 mL of deionized water in a 125-mL Erlenmeyer ask. The sample is titrated to the phenolphthalein endpoint
with 15.17 mL of a sodium hydroxide solution. What is the molar concentration of the NaOH solution? Express the
molar concentration of NaOH to the correct number of signi cant gures.
b. A 25.00-mL aliquot of a nitric acid solution of unknown concentration is pipetted into a 125-mL Erlenmeyer ask
and 2 drops of phenolphthalein are added. The above sodium hydroxide solution (the titrant) is used to titrate the
nitric acid solution (the analyte). If 16.77 mL of the titrant is dispensed from a buret in causing a color change of
the phenolphthalein, what is the molar concentration of the nitric acid (a monoprotic acid) solution? Express the
molar concentration of HNO3 to the correct number of signi cant gures.
134 A Volumetric Analysis
Experiment 9Report Sheet
A Volumetric Analysis
Date _ Lab Sec. Name ___________________________________ Desk No. __
Maintain at least three signi cant gures when recording data and performing calculations.
A. Standardization of a Sodium Hydroxide Solution
Calculate the approximate molar concentration of diluted NaOH solution (Part A.3).
Calculate the approximate mass of KHC8H4O4 for the standardization of the NaOH solution (Part A.4).
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 - Tared mass of KHC8H4O4 (g) ___ ___ ___
- Molar mass of KHC8H4O4 204.44 g/mol
- Moles of KHC8H4O4 (mol) ___ ___ ___
Titration apparatus approval __________ - Buret reading of NaOH, initial (mL) ___ ___ ___
- Buret reading of NaOH, nal (mL) ___ ___ ___
- Volume of NaOH dispensed (mL) ___ ___ ___
- Molar concentration of NaOH (mol/L) ___ ___ ___
- Average molar concentration of NaOH (mol/L) __________
- Standard deviation of molar concentration __________
- Relative standard deviation of molar concentration (%RSD) __________
Experiment 9 135
Appendix B
Appendix B
B. Molar Concentration of an Acid Solution
Acid type: _ Unknown No. _
Balanced equation for neutralization of acid with NaOH.
Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3 - Volume of acid solution (mL) 25.0 25.0 25.0 ___ ___ ___
- Buret reading of NaOH, initial (mL) ___ ___ ___
- Buret reading of NaOH, nal (mL) ___ ___ ___
- Volume of NaOH dispensed (mL) ___ ___ ___
- Molar concentration of NaOH (mol/L), Part A __________
- Moles of NaOH dispensed (mol) ___ ___ ___
- Molar concentration of acid solution (mol/L) ___ ___ ___
- Average molar concentration of acid solution (mol/L) __________
- Standard deviation of molar concentration __________
- Relative standard deviation of molar concentration (%RSD) __________
Laboratory Questions
Circle the questions that have been assigned. - Part A.2. Pure potassium hydrogen phthalate is used for the standardization of the sodium hydroxide solution. Suppose
that the potassium hydrogen phthalate is not completely dry. Will the reported molar concentration of the sodium
hydroxide solution be too high, too low, or unaffected because of the moistness of the potassium hydrogen phthalate?
Explain. - Part A.3. The student forgot to prepare any boiled, deionized water for the preparation of the NaOH solution and then
forgot to cap the bottle. Will the concentration of the NaOH solution be greater than, less than, or unaffected by this
carelessness? Explain. - Part A.7. A drop of the NaOH titrant adheres to the side of the buret (because of a dirty buret) between the initial and
nal readings for the titration. As a result of the “clean glass” error, will the molar concentration of the NaOH solution
be reported as too high or too low? Explain. - Part A. The mass of KHC8H4O4 is measured to the nearest milligram; however, the volume of water in which it is dissolved is never of concern—water is even added to the wall of the Erlenmeyer ask during the titration. Explain why
water added to the KHC8H4O4 has no effect on the data, whereas water added to the NaOH solution may drastically
affect the data. - Part B.2. The wall of the Erlenmeyer ask is occasionally rinsed with water from the wash bottle (see Part A.7) during
the analysis of the acid solution. Will this technique result in the molar concentration of the acid solution being
reported as too high, too low, or unaffected? Explain. - Parts A.7 and B.2. For the standardization of the NaOH solution in Part A.7, the endpoint was consistently reproduced
to a faint pink color. However, the endpoint for the titration of the acid solution in Part B.2 was consistently reproduced to a dark pink color. Will the reported molar concentration of the acid solution be too high, too low, or unaffected by the differences in the colors of the endpoints. Explain.
136 A Volumetric Analysis
Appendix B
Appendix B
Sample Solution