Teacher packs in Experimental Science

CHE Pack 7

Determination of the Acid content of Vinegar

(Acid-Base titration analysis)

Pack contents:

A. Teacher’s Guide
B. Students Guide
C. Assessment – Student’s sheet
D. Extensions to experiments
E. Links to other packs
F. Health and Safety
G. Evaluation of pack

Curriculum areas covered:

Acids, bases and salt (sources, types and examples)

Determination of amount/moles of acids/ bases in acid-base reactions
Standard solutions

Produced as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University of Cape Coast and The Open
University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

Title: Determination of the Acid content of Vinegar (Acid-Base titration analysis)

Target group: DBE students
Also suitable for: SHS Students

Duration: 45 minutes plus discussion

Learning outcomes:

These are the learning outcomes expected after students have gone through this Pack

1. Knowledge and understanding

KN1 explain the term, titration
KN2 write a balanced chemical equation for the titration reaction

2. Cognitive skills
CS1 demonstrate knowledge and understanding of how acid and bases react to
produce salts
CS2 able to determine the moles of NaOH required to neutralize the acetic
acid in the vinegar

3. Key Skills
KS1 Able to calculate the amount of NaOH needed to neutralize acetic acid
(vinegar).
KS2 Able to calculate the concentration of vinegar

4. Practical skills
PS1 perform titration, using weak base and strong acid.
PS2 record the end point and calculate the titre value.

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

A. Teacher’s Guide

 NaOH (0.1 M) solution (NaOH is available as lye from the market and from soap
makers; dissolve 4.0 g NaOH in enough distilled water to make 1.0 L of solution)
 Malt vinegar can be used and can be found in the supermarket

Sample Assessment Questions

1. Give the balanced chemical equation for the titration reaction.

(Hint: one of the products is sodium acetate.)

2. Write a conversion factor that will allow you to convert between moles of NaOH
and moles of acetic acid.

3. Write a conversion factor that will allow you to convert between volume of NaOH
and moles of NaOH, if the molarity of the NaOH is 0.1203 M.

4. Write a conversion factor that will allow you to convert between moles of acetic
acid and grams of acetic acid.

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

B. Student Guide

Purpose:

To determine the acid content of Vinegar using Acid-Base titration

Background to Experiment
In everyday life, we deal with many compounds that chemists classify as acids and
bases. For example, orange juice and grapefruit juice contain citric acid. These juices,
and others, also contain ascorbic acid, a substance more commonly known as Vitamin
C. Salads are often flavoured with vinegar, which contains dilute acetic acid. Boric
acid is a substance that is sometimes used to wash the eyes. Milk of magnesia
(magnesium hydroxide), which is used as an antacid, is a base; lye (sodium
hydroxide), which is used in the manufacture of soap, is another familiar example of
base.

In any chemistry laboratory, we find acids and bases such as hydrochloric acid,
sulphuric acid, potassium hydroxide, ammonia solution etc. These are called mineral
acids and bases because they can be prepared from naturally occurring compounds
called minerals. Mineral acids are generally stronger than household acids, and should
be handled with great care because they can burn skin and clothing.

Acids and bases react in aqueous solution to form a salt and water. This reaction is
known as a neutralization reaction, e.g. Hydrochloric acid reacts with sodium
hydroxide to form sodium chloride and water acid (1); Sulphuric acid reacts with
potassium hydroxide to give potassium sulphate and water (2)

HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) NaCl (aq) + H2 O (l) ……………………....1

H2 SO4 (aq) + 2KOH (aq) K2 SO4 (aq) + 2 H2 O (l) ..........................2

Neutralization reactions are very common because there are many different acids and
bases. If a neutralization reaction is run in the laboratory under controlled conditions,
it can be used to determine the concentration of the acid or the base in the reaction.
This procedure is known as an acid-base titration analysis and it involves accurately
measuring the volume of a base that is required to neutralize a known volume of acid.
In order to calculate the concentration of the acid from the laboratory data, one must
also know the concentration of the base used in the titration. Thus to determine the
concentration of an acid, one must have a base of known concentration and the
equipment to accurately measure the volume of the acid and base reacting. The
concentration of the base is given in moles of acid or base per litre of solution or
molarity (M).

In this experiment, we will determine the concentration of acetic acid (CH3 COOH) in
household vinegar. A known volume of vinegar will be measured out with a
volumetric pipette and titrated with a solution of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) of known
molarity. The NaOH solution will be added from a burette until all of the acid in the

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

vinegar has been neutralized. Since we need to accurately measure the volume of
NaOH used in the titration, we must have a means of knowing when just enough of
the base (NaOH) has been added to react with all of the acid (CH3 COOH), in the
vinegar.

This point is called the end point. To detect the end point, an acid-base indicator is
added to the vinegar. The indicator, phenolphthalein, is colourless in acidic solutions
but turns pink in basic solution. The end point is when the vinegar turns very light
pink and the colour persists even when you swirl the solution.

Equipment/ Materials
 15ml household vinegar
 15ml 0.1M NaOH
 Phenolphthalein indicator
 10ml pipette / 10ml medical syringe
 15ml burette
 10ml Erlenmeyer flask (25ml graduated plastic cup)
 Stop cork/ cork/ rubber bung
 Retort stand
 funnel

Other requirements

 Working bench/table,
 Open space,
 Source of water supply,
 Laboratory coat, eye goggles, nose mask, hand gloves.
Pencil / pen and written exercise book

Experimental Procedure

1. Obtain a sample of vinegar from your instructor.

2. Record the sample number in the data table.
3. Obtain 100 ml of NaOH in a clean, dry 150 ml beaker.
4. Record the molarity of the NaOH in the data table.
5. Set up the burette using a burette clamp and ring stand.
6. Clamp your burette as shown in Figure 1.

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

Figure 1: titration set-up

7. Using a pipette, transfer 10.00mL of vinegar into the Erlenmeyer flask. [Note: -
the flask should not be under the burette].
8. Add 3 to 4 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the vinegar and swirl carefully
until the solution becomes colourless.
9. Rinse the burette with a little of the NaOH solution.
10. Close the stopcock and fill the burette to above the 0.00 line with NaOH using a
funnel.
11. Open the stopcock and allow a little of the NaOH to run out. This is to eliminate
air bubbles in the tip of the burette. Make sure you do not have an air bubble in the
tip of the burette when you begin to titrate.
12. Adjust the level of the NaOH in your burette so that the bottom of the meniscus is
at or below the 0.00 line.
13. Place your flask containing the 10 ml sample and the phenolphthalein under the
tip of the burette and add the NaOH by quickly turning the stopcock one half turn.
This allows one drop at a time to leave the burette. Swirl the contents of the
Erlenmeyer as you drop the NaOH (a pink colour may be observed where the
NaOH solution drops)
14. Continue adding the sodium hydroxide solution in this way, swirling the flask
with every addition. As the end point is approached, the pink colour will persist
for a longer time before the mixing changes the solution back to colourless. You
will have reached the endpoint when the well-swirled solution in the flask remains
a very pale pink and does not clear to colourless. If it remains a deeper pink
colour, then you have passed the end point, and the experiment should be repeated
to find the end point accurately.
15. Once you have reached the end point, read and record the volume of NaOH that
you have added to your flask. Record this volume to the nearest 0.01 ml in the
table below.
16. Calculate and record the titration volume. This is the volume of base required for
quantitative neutralization of the acid. (Hint: Vf - Vi = VT, where Vf is the final
volume, Vi is the initial volume and VT is the titration volume)

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

17. Do a second titration with a fresh 10.00 mL sample of your diluted vinegar and
phenolphthalein and a refilled burette. If the titration volumes for these two trials
are not in good agreement, within 0.02 mL of each other, do a third titration.
18. Calculate the average titration volume. The average titration volume will be used
in the calculation of the concentration of the acid.

Data table
Burette reading 1 2 3
Initial (Vi)
Final (Vf)
Volume of NaOH (VT)

Reflection on the experiment

 Can the titration be done using lemon juice as the acid source?
 The acid in vinegar is acetic acid; what acid is found in lemon juice?
 Suggest another indicator which can be used in this titration.

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

C. Assessment – Student’s sheet

On completion of the experiment, you should answer the following questions:

1. Write a balanced chemical equation for the reaction between the acetic acid in
vinegar and NaOH solution

2. Calculate the moles of NaOH required to neutralize the CH3 COOH in the
vinegar sample (Show working).

3. Calculate the moles of CH3 COOH neutralized by the NaOH.

4. Calculate the molarity of the vinegar sample.

5. Calculate the % acetic acid in the sample.

[The density of the vinegar is 1.0002 g/mL. % acid = (mass of CH3 COOH /mass
of vinegar sample) x 100%. ]

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

D. Extensions to experiment
 Determine the amount of NaOH in Key soap, using 0.1M hydrochloric acid (HCl)
 List some household chemicals and classify them as acids and bases.
 Discuss the properties of acids and bases

E. Useful links

[Link]
[Link]
[Link]

F. Health and Safety

Caution should be used when working with sodium hydroxide solution. It can be
irritating to the skin. Goggles must be worn throughout the experiment.

Basic safety rules:

a. Do not eat, drink or chew whilst doing the experiment.

b. Keep your face at a safe distance from open flames and heated solutions. Never
look into a heated solution from above.

c. Avoid breathing in dust or vapour. When smelling solutions, gently wave the air
above the solution towards your nose with your hand.

d. Wash any spilled solutions from your skin with plenty of water, and notify the
instructor.

e. Report any accident, no matter how minor, to the instructor/report to the nearest
health post.

Compulsory rules
You will not be allowed to do the experiment unless you are wearing the
following items:
a. Long-sleeved overcoat that is long enough to cover the hips, worn closed at all
times.
b. Safety glasses. Please note that contact lenses do not provide eye protection
and, in some cases, may complicate an emergency (caustic liquids which
splash into the eye can be trapped behind the contact lens). It is recommended
that you avoid wearing contact lenses in the laboratory, if possible.
c. Closed, flat-heeled shoes (no open sandals).
d. Long hair and loose scarves must be tucked away or tied up.
e. When you are using toxic or corrosive chemicals, you should wear protective
gloves.

Tidy working

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK
CHE Pack 7 – Determination of Acid Content

Keep your working area tidy. A cluttered bench is a common contributory factor to
accidents. Cleaning the glassware after use should be done immediately. This
prevents the organic tarry material from attacking the surface of the glass.
Always clean up a chemical spill without delay
Clean up and dispose of your unknown substances according to your teacher’s
instructions.

G. Evaluation
a. Was it difficult/easy to have access to the experimental materials listed?
b. Were the experimental procedures easy to follow? Explain
c. Suggest other methods and materials which can be included in this pack

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Produced by the Chemistry Group, UCC, as part of DelPHE-funded collaboration between University
of Cape Coast and The Open University, UK