Titration: A Quantitative Analysis
Technique
Lesson objectives
Describe titration experiment
Perform simple calculation on titration experiment
What is Titration?
•Definition: Titration is a quantitative chemical analysis method used to
determine the unknown concentration of a reactant (analyte) by reacting
it with a solution of known concentration (titrant).
•Purpose:
• Determine the concentration of an unknown solution.
• Determine the purity of a substance.
• Find the exact volume of a solution required to react completely
with another solution.
Key Terms:
•Analyte: The solution of unknown concentration in the conical flask.
•Titrant: The solution of known concentration (standard solution) in the
burette.
•Equivalence Point: The theoretical point where the moles of titrant exactly
react with the moles of analyte according to the stoichiometry of the reaction.
•End Point: The point at which the indicator changes colour, signaling the
completion of the reaction. Ideally, the end point should be very close to the
equivalence point.
Definition of Indicator
An indicator is a substance that changes colour when added to acidic or
alkaline solutions. Indicators are used to determine the pH of a solution or to
identify whether it is an acid or a base (alkali).
Indicator Colour in Acid Colour in Alkali
Litmus Red Blue
Methyl orange Red Yellow
Phenolphthalein Colourless Pink
Bromothymol blue Yellow Blue
Green (pH 7) to Purple (pH
Universal indicator Red (pH 1) to Yellow (pH ~6)
14)
Bromophenol blue Yellow Blue-violet
Thymolphthalein Colourless Blue
Apparatus Used in Titration
•Burette: A long, graduated glass tube with a tap at the bottom, used to deliver
precise, variable volumes of the titrant.
•Pipette: A glass tube used to measure and transfer a precise, fixed volume of the
analyte into the conical flask.
•Conical Flask (Erlenmeyer Flask): Used to hold the analyte and indicator during
the titration. Its shape allows for swirling without spilling.
•Clamp Stand & Clamp: To hold the burette vertically.
•White Tile: Placed under the conical flask to make the colour change of the
indicator more visible.
•Funnel: Used to fill the burette.
•Volumetric Flask: Used to prepare standard solutions of known concentration
accurately.
General Procedure for Acid-Base Titration
[Link]:
1. Rinse the burette with the titrant solution.
2. Rinse the pipette with the analyte solution.
3. Rinse the conical flask with distilled water.
[Link] the Burette:
1. Using a funnel, fill the burette with the titrant solution, ensuring the tap is
closed.
2. Open the tap briefly to fill the tip and remove any air bubbles.
3. Record the initial burette reading (volume of titrant
Measuring the Analyte:
•Using the pipette, accurately measure a fixed volume of the
analyte solution.
•Transfer this volume into a clean conical flask.
•Add 2-3 drops of a suitable indicator to the conical flask.
Titration Process:
•Place the conical flask on a white tile directly under the burette.
•Rough Titration: Perform a quick, initial titration to get an approximate
idea of the end point. Add the titrant relatively quickly until the indicator
changes colour permanently. Record this volume.
Significance of Rough Titration:
•It provides an estimate of the volume of titrant required, allowing you to add the
titrant much faster during subsequent accurate trials until you are close to this
estimated volume (e.g., within 1−2 cm3 of the rough titre).
•This saves time and prevents 'overshooting' the end point in your precise
titrations, which are the ones used for calculations. Without a rough titre, you might
add too much titrant in your first accurate attempt, making it invalid.
Recording Results:
•Record the final burette reading.
•Calculate the volume of titrant used (titre) by subtracting the initial reading from
the final reading.
•Repeat the titration several times (at least three concordant readings, i.e., within
±0.10 cm3 of each other) to ensure accuracy.
Titration Table for Recording Results
It is crucial to record your burette readings systematically to ensure
accuracy.
How to calculate Average Titre:
•Only use the readings that are within ±0.10 cm3 of each other
(concordant readings).
•In the example above, readings for Titration 1, 2, and 3
(21.00,20.90,20.90) are concordant as they are all within 0.10 cm3 of
each other. The rough titre is not used for calculating the average.
Worked Example 1 (Core)
Question: 25.0 cm3 of 0.100 mol/dm3 hydrochloric acid (HCl) was
completely neutralized by 20.0 cm3 of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution.
Calculate the concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution.
25.0 cm3 of a sulfuric acid (H2SO4) solution was titrated with 0.200 mol/dm3
potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution. An average titre of 30.0 cm3 of KOH
was required for complete neutralization. Calculate the concentration of the
sulfuric acid solution.
A 2.50 g sample of impure sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) was dissolved in
250 cm3 of distilled water. 25.0 cm3 of this solution required 28.5 cm3 of
0.150 mol/dm3 hydrochloric acid (HCl) for complete neutralization. Calculate
the percentage purity of the sodium carbonate sample. (Relative atomic
masses: Na=23.0, C=12.0, O=16.0)
Classwork 1 (Core)
1. In a titration, 20.0 cm3 of 0.120 mol/dm3 potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution
was completely neutralized by 24.0 cm3 of nitric acid (HNO3) solution. Calculate
the concentration of the nitric acid.
2. 25.0 cm3 of 0.125 mol/dm3 sodium carbonate (Na2CO3) solution was completely
neutralized by 21.5 cm3 of hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution.
(Extended)
3. A student dissolved 5.00 g of an unknown diprotic acid, H2A, in 500 cm3 of
distilled water. 25.0 cm3 of this acid solution required 35.0 cm3 of 0.100 mol/dm3
sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution for complete neutralization.
[Link] the concentration of the H2A solution.
[Link] the molar mass of the acid H2A.
Hint: A diprotic acid reacts with two moles of a monobasic alkali
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