BACK TITRATIONS Determinations involving back titrations consist in the addition of excess of a standard volumetric solution (from a pipette)

to a weighed amount of sample, and determination of the excess not required by the sample. Hence the amount of volumetric solution used by the substance is determined.

In general this method is used for: (1) volatile substances, e.g. ammonia, some of which would be lost during the titration, (2) insoluble substances, e.g. calcium carbonate, which require excess volumetric solution to effect a quantitative, reaction, (3) substances for which a quantitative reaction proceeds rapidly only in presence of excess of the reagent, e.g. lactic acid, (4) substances which require heating with a volumetric reagent during the determination in which decomposition or loss of the reactants or products would occur in the process, e.g. formaldehyde.