Ted Vo

4/24/13
Per: 1
Mr. Cain

Ka Lab
Purpose: To use a pH sensor to measure the initial pH of acetic acid and monitor
changes as sodium hydroxide solution is added to the weak acid, determine the:
molarity, molar mass, and Ka of the acetic acid solution. To repeat the same procedure
on the unknown monoprotic acid, and determine the: molarity, molar mass, and Ka of
the unknown acid solution.
Results:

Calculating Molar Mass of Acetic Acid

Ph Curve:

Unknown Soln.B

Calculating molar mass of unknown

% Error:
*12.8% error for Benzoic
* 7.0% error for Trans-C
Therefore unknown is trans-C

Conclusion:
The purpose of this lab is to calculate molarity, molar mass, and pH titration
curve of an acid through titrations and to use these skills to determine an unknown acid.
We used a pH sensor to measure the initial pH of acetic acid and monitor changes as
sodium hydroxide is added to the weak acid. In order to find Ka of a weak acid or weak
base, we need to do a titration with a base or acid to find molar mass. CH3COOH +
NaOH <-> (CH3COO-) + (Na+) + H2O was the reaction of acetic acid we used. the
unknown sample equation is HA + NaOH <-> (A-) + (Na+) + H2O Titration will work if
we know the initial mass concentration of the acids, with that, it can help us determine
the molar mass, molarity, and Ka of the substances. After all calculations, the average
of the trials molar mass of acetic acid is 61.6 g/mol, the molarity is 0.039 M, and the Ka
is 30.07. The calculations are off because the exact answer for Ka is 4.74 x 10^-4. The
pH curve, if the titrant volume and pH are the same, the pH = pKa.
For our unknown solution, we did the exact same thing as what we previously did
with the acetic acid. So, the average molar mass is 137.47 g/mol and the molarity is
0.0618M. This acid may be benzoic acid, but we do not know for sure because we did
you check with Mr.Cain. We concluded our unknown to be Trans-C because it had the
least amount of error, compared from 12.8% error in benzoic acid, to 7.0% error in
Trans-C. The sources of error in this lab came from uncalibrated pH probe and not fully
titrating samples given to us, which turned yellow then back to green, which messed up
our data.