Technique used to accurately measure the volume of one solution that reacts exactly with another solution
Titrations can be used for...
... finding the concentration of a solution
... Identification of unknown chemicals
... finding the purity of a substance
Checking purity is an important aspect of quality control,
especially for compounds manufactures for human used such
as medicines
Preparing a Standard Solution
Solution of known concentration
A volumetric flask is used to make up a standard solution very accurately
Measure volumes precisely
1) The solid is first weighed accurately
2) The solid is dissolved in a beaker using less distilled water than will be
needed to fill the volumetric flask to the mark
3) This solution is transferred to a volumetric flask. The last traces of the
solution are rinsed into the flask with distilled water
4) The flask is carefully filled to the graduation line by adding distilled water a drop at a time until
the bottom on the meniscus lines up exactly with the mark. Care at this stage is essential - if too
much water is added to solution will be too dilute and must be prepared again. You should view the
graduation mark and meniscus at eye level for accuracy
5) Finally, the volumetric flask is slowly inverted several times to mix the
solution throughly. If this stage is omitted, titration results are unlikely to
be consistent. You will be able to see the solution mixing when you invert
the flask as the more dense origional solution moves through the
solution
Acid-base Titrations
Solution of acid is titrated against a solution of a base using a pipette and
a burette, which are typically manufactured to the tolerances below:
a 10cm3 pipette: -+ 0.04cm3
a 25cm3 pipette: -+ 0.06cm3
a 50cm3 pipette: -+ 0.10cm3
A burette reading is recorded to
the nearest half division. Each
reading is measured to the
nearest -+ 0.05cm3 so the reading
always has two decimal places,
the last place being either 0 or 5
1) Add a measured volume of one solution to a conical flask using a pipette
2) Add the other solution to a burette and record the initial burette reading to the nearest 0.05cm3
3) Add a few drops of an indicator to the solution in the conical flask.
4) Add the solution in the burette into the solution in the
conical flask a bit at a time, swirling the conical flask
throughout to mix to the solutions. Eventually the indicator
changes colour at the end point of the titration. The end point
is used to indicate the volume of one solution that eactly
reacts with the volume of the second solution
5) Record the final burette reading. The volume of
solution added from the burette is called the titre,
which is calculated by subtracting the initial
reading from the burette reading
6) A quick, trial titration is
carried out first to find the
approximate titre.
7) The titration =
repeated. Carries out
until two accurate titres
are concordant -
agreeing within
0.10cm3.
The mean titre
Use only your closest accurate titres
By repeating titres until two agree within 0.10cm3, you can reject inaccurate titres
If you were to include all the titres in the mean, you have
lost the accuracy of the titration technique
Titration Calculations
From the results of a titration you will know both the concentration and the reacting volume of one of the solution, and only one reacting volume of the other solution.
Step 1: Work out the amount, in mol, of the solute
in the solution for which you know both the
concentration and volume
Step 2: Use the equation to work out the
amount, in mol, of the solute in the other
solution
Step 3: Work out the unknown
information about the solute in the
other solution
WORKED EXAMPLE
Pipette: 25.00cm3 of 0.100moldm-3 KOH (aq)
Mean titre from burette: 25.70cm3 of H2SO4 (aq)
Unknown Information: The concentration of H2SO4 (aq)
Step 1: From the titration results, calculate the amount of KOH
n(KOH) = (c x V) / 1000 = (0.100 x 25) / 1000 = 0.00250mol
Step 2: From the equation and step 1, determine the amount of H2SO4
2KOH (aq) + H2SO4 (aq) --> K2SO4 (aq) + 2H2O (l)
2 mol of KOH and 1 mole of H2SO4
2:1 Ratio
0.00250mol of KOH so there must be 0.00125 mol of H2SO4
Step 3: Work out the Unknown Information
n = (c x V) / 1000 is rearranged to give c = 1000n / V
c(H2SO4) = (1000 x 0.00125) / 25.70 = 0.0486moldm-3