Name of Student Joshua Lau

Grade Y10 Joy

Teacher Mr Ng

Experiment to investigate the

The effect of the concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate (Na2S2O3)to the rate of reaction with Hydrochloric
acid (HCl)

LABORATORY REPORT MYP 5

Investigation Question -Bi
How does (or to what extent does) the Concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate affect the rate of reaction with
HCl?
Background to the Investigation question -Bi
The aim of my investigation is to -- through comparing the rate of reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate
(Na2S2O3) and Hydrochloric Acid (HCl) while using varying concentrations of Sodium Thiosulphate -- investigate the
effect of concentration on reaction rate.
The reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric acid can be presented as the chemical equation
(balanced):
Na2S2O3 (aq) + 2HCl (aq) => 2NaCl (aq) + S (s) + H 2O (l) + SO2 (g)
We can measure the rate of reaction by measuring the time taken for enough Sulphur to be produced that the
resulting solution becomes completely opaque, as a yellow precipitate (Sulphur) is produced when Sodium
Thiosulphate reacts with Hydrochloric Acid, which makes the solution lose its transparency. We can do this by placing
a piece of paper with a large X under the beaker in which the chemical reaction occurs, and time how long it it takes
for the X to be completely blocked from our sight by the Sulphur precipitate formed in the reaction.
After calculating and comparing the relative rate of reaction (which can be calculated by the formula s-1 or
1/s, where s = time taken (in seconds )for the sulphur precipitate to opacify the resulting solution) at different
concentrations of Sodium Thiosulphate, it would be evident as to which concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate would
result in a higher or lower rate of reaction, though generally, a lower time needed for the solution to opacify would
indicate a faster and higher rate of reaction.

Relevant background information from class in the context of this experiment

Relative Rate of reaction: s-1 where s=seconds
For a reaction to occur: A collision between the reacting particles is necessary for a reaction to occur
-They should collide with the minimum activation energy for a reaction to occur
Higher Concentration affects the rate of reaction since there are more of the reacting particles in the same area, thus
increasing the rate of collision between the particles which increases the rate of effective collisions.

Hypothesis Bii
I predict that the higher the concentration of the Sodium Thiosulphate is, the less time it will take for the
Sulphur precipitate to opacify the solution when reacting to Hydrochloric acid, meaning a faster reaction rate.
Oppositely, the lower the concentration of the Sodium thiosulphate is, the more time it will take to opacify the
solution, and thus the slower the reaction rate will be.

Explanation of your HypothesisBii

The collision theory states that for a chemical reaction to occur, the particles of the reactants must collide
with each other [3] . When a higher concentration of a reactant is used within a solution, a greater number of said
reactant particles will occupy a given volume, meaning that the reacting particles will more frequently collide with
one another, and thus increasing the probability of having more successful/effective collisions. These successful
collisions possess enough energy (or activation energy) for the pre-existing bonds to break and in turn create new
bonds, which become the products of the chemical reaction. With the particles colliding more frequently, successful
collisions will also occur more frequently, and the product of the chemical reaction will be produced at a faster rate,
thus making the reaction rate faster. The reverse happens with a lower concentration of a certain reactant. [2]

Within the context of this experiment, the higher the concentration of the Sodium Thiosulphate is, the more
Na2S2O3 molecules there will be in the same given space, making it far easier for the Na 2S2O3 molecules to collide with
the HCl and increasing the rate of successful collisions in doing so, producing the Sulphur precipitate at a faster rate

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and opacifying the solution quicker, meaning a faster reaction rate. The reverse occurs with a lower concentration of
Na2S2O3.

VariablesBiii

Independent variable The concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate (Na2S2O3)

Unit(s) of IV Mole/Mol (M)

Range of IV measured 0.4M, 0.8M, 1.2M, 1.6M, 2.0M

Describe and explain In our lab requisition form we will request for Sodium Thiosulphate with the
the procedure to following concentrations: 0.4M, 0.8M, 1.2M, 1.6M, 2.0M.
change the
Within our experiment, 50 ml of the Sodium Thiosulphate with the lowest
independent
concentration we prepared (0.4M) will be mixed with 50ml of Hydrochloric acid in a
variable.
beaker, which will be repeated twice more. (to ensure accuracy and minimize
inconsistencies)
The above will be repeated exactly again only except with each of the other
concentrations of Sodium Thiosulphate (in order to investigate the effect of
concentration on rate of reaction)

Dependent variable The dependent variable will be the time taken for enough of the Sulphur precipitate to be
produced for the solution to opacify, which we will know when the cross below the
beaker is no longer visible. We will use a timer to measure the time taken for this
phenomenon to occur.

Unit(s) of DV Seconds (s)

Derived variable The rate of reaction is the derived variable

Unit(s) of DV x/s
- where x is the minimum amount of sulphur required to opacify the solution. The
value of x is unknown and hard to measure, but as we know it is constant (since
neither the volume or the concentration of the hydrochloric acid changes
throughout the experiment; the minimum amount of sulphur needed to opacify
the solution should remain the same), so using x to represent this value works as
well.

Describe and explain We can calculate the relative rate of reaction between the different concentrations of
the procedure to 1
calculate the derived Sodium Thiosulphate by using the formula . The rate of reaction
time taken(s )
variable. derived from this formula will not be the actual/absolute rate of reaction,[1] as we are
simply giving x - which we know to be constant - a random, but continuous value (x=1).
Instead, it will give the relative rate of reaction between the different concentrations of
Na2S2O3 when reacting to HCl, through which we will still be able to observe the effects
of concentration on the rate of reaction.

Controlled Explain why it matters to the Procedure to control it

variable investigation.

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Describe and explain Volume of For each time I vary the independent
the procedure to Sodium variable (concentration of sodium
control other Thiosulphate thiosulphate), the volume of the
variables in the sodium thiosulphate should remain at
investigation. a constant. If there is a greater
volume of Na2S2O3 in one of the IV
variations than that of the other
variations then the ratio of volumes
between Na2S2O3 with HCl will be
different; there will be more Na2S2O3
particles for the same number of
hydrochloric acid particles,
increasing the chances of effective
collisions, which will in turn cause
the experiment to not properly reflect
the sole effect of concentration on
the rate of reaction, as volume will
also act as a factor towards changing
the results.
Volume of the Similarly to above, the Volume of the
Hydrochloric Hydrochloric acid should also be kept
acid at a constant throughout the
experiment. This is because the ratio
between the volume of Na2S2O3 and
the volume of HCl will then vary
throughout the experiment, meaning
that there will be either more or less
HCl particles for every Na2S2O3
particle, resulting in either increasing
or decreasing the probability of
successful collisions and in turn
causing the experiment to not
properly reflect the sole effect of
concentration of Na2S2O3 on the rate
of reaction with HCl.
Temperature of The temperature of the area where we
the area conduct the experiment should be
kept at a constant throughout the
experiment. This is because
temperature is among the factors
which can result in a faster or slower
rate of reaction. This is because
heating causes the particles of the
reacting substances to gain energy,
and when particles gain energy they
In order to keep the volume
of the Sodium Thiosulphate
at a constant volume, we will
use a measuring cylinder
every time before we
actually mix the Sodium
Thiosulphate with the
Hydrochloric acid, so that we
are able to ensure that the
volume of the Sodium
Thiosulphate is always at a
constant. (we decided that
the volume of the sodium
thiosulphate should be kept
at 50ml every time).
Similarly to our procedure
to control the Volume of
Sodium Thiosulphate, we
will also use a measuring
cylinder every time before
we actually mix the two
chemical substances
together, so that we are able
to keep the volume of the
Hydrochloric acid at a
constant. (we decided that
the volume of the
Hydrochloric acid should be
at a constant volume of
50ml). We must also keep in
mind to use separate
measuring cylinders to
measure each of the two
chemical substances, as we
would not want to
inadvertently mix the two
chemicals, and in doing so
start the chemical reaction,
before we actually start
timing the reaction.
To minimize the effect
temperature on the results of
our experiment, we will
conduct our experiment at a
constant position within the
room, to avoid the possibility
that temperature is
distributed unevenly within
the laboratory.
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 move at a faster speed. Thereby, the
rate of collisions between the
particles of the reacting substances
will increase, in turn increasing the
rate of effective collisions between
the particles, resulting in a faster rate
of reaction. Contrastingly, if the
temperature drops the particles will
lose kinetic energy, the rate of
collisions decreases and in turn
causes the rate of reaction to
decrease.

Materials / Equipment ListBiv

Materials Equipment

150ml x 0.4M Sodium Thiosulphate 1 x Lab Coat (per person)

150ml x 0.8M Sodium Thiosulphate 1 x Safety Glasses (per person)
150ml x 1.2M Sodium Thiosulphate 1 x Face mask (per person)
150ml x 1.6M Sodium Thiosulphate 5 x 150ml Beaker
150ml x 2.0M Sodium Thiosulphate 2 x Measuring Cylinder
750ml x Dilute Hydrochloric acid 1 x Timer
1 x 1000ml beaker
1 x Paper tile with cross

Risk Assessment Biv

Safety Reasons that you have to consider Safety precautions Emergency/ Treatment
issue the safety issue

Emissions of When Sodium Thiosulphate reacts
Sulphur with Hydrochloric acid, one of the
dioxide byproducts is SO2, also known as
(SO2) Sulphur Dioxide. Being a very simple
molecular structure consisting of only
3 atoms ,and thus held by very weak
van der vaal bonds, Sulphur Dioxide
is a gas in room temperature, and is
known to cause health problems
when inhaled. Some of the minor
symptoms include irritation to the
skin, eyes and nose, coughing, and a
sore throat. Some of the rather severe
symptoms when exposed to high
levels of SO2 include swollen lungs
and can even cause difficulty
breathing.[4]
To minimize the exposure
and inhaling of the Sulphur
Dioxide, we will be wearing
face masks throughout the
entirety of the experiment.
We will also keep in mind
to keep a fair distance from
the apparatus when the
Sodium Thiosulphate and
the Hydrochloric Acid are
reacting. We should not,
under any circumstance, go
very near to the apparatus to
smell it or inhale it
purposely.
If you feel an irritation to the
skin during the experiment, go
to the sink and wash it off.
If you feel an irritation in your
eyes, wash your eyes
immediately using the eye
wash.
If the irritation persists or
more serious symptoms occur
(such as difficulty breathing)
contact the teacher or lab
technicians immediately.

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 Glass Glass is a fragile material and even
apparatus when dropped from a low altitude it
will shatter. Glass shards are very
breaking
sharp and is a physical hazard as
there is a risk of getting cut by the
glass shards. It is also dangerous in
the sense that the glass apparatus may
be contaminated with various toxic
chemicals, and if it punctures the skin
they might enter the body. [5]
Handle all glass apparatus
with care and be aware of
your surroundings when
near the glass apparatus to
prevent the possibility of
accidentally knocking
something over.
If there is broken glass
contact the teacher
immediately.
If someone is injured due to
broken glass then contact the
lab assistants or the teacher
in charge immediately.
Use warm water to clean the
wound

Exposure to Hydrochloric acid is a corrosive
Hydrochlori chemical substance, and can cause
c Acid irritation to the skin and eyes when in
(HCl) contact. Oral exposure (drinking it) to
Hydrochloric acid can cause
vomiting and nausea among other
symptoms, while inhaling it can
cause throat ulcerations and
inflammations. Depending on the
concentration and how much of the
substance is exposed, it can also
cause scarring and burning when
exposed to the skin. [6]
- Handle all apparatus with
hydrochloric acid inside of
it with extreme care
- Never attempt to drink
HCl
- Do not try to smell or
inhale the fumes of the
HCl
-Wear a Lab Coat, Safety
goggles, and even rubber
gloves to minimize the
chance of HCl coming into
contact with the skin.
If HCl comes into contact
with the skin wash it off as
soon as possible.
If Hydrochloric acid comes
into contact with your eye
then immediately use an eye
wash.
If any irritation persists after
attempting to wash it then
contact the teacher or lab
assistance immediately.

Method / ProcedureBiv

<= Diagram

Method Below

Step 1: Prepare all the equipment and materials needed and equip all the safety equipments necessary. Set up the
apparatus according to the diagram. Label the 5 x 150ml beakers Beaker 0.4M, Beaker 0.8M, Beaker 1.2M,
Beaker 1.6M, and Beaker 2.0M
Step 2: Measure 50ml of dilute Hydrochloric Acid in one of the measuring Cylinder
Step 3: Pour the 50ml of dilute Hydrochloric Acid from step 2 into the beaker labelled Beaker 0.4M
Step 4: Separately, measure 50ml of 0.4M Sodium Thiosulphate into the other measuring cylinder

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Step 5: Pour the 50ml of 0.4M Sodium Thiosulphate into beaker 0.4M, and once the two substances make contact,
start the timer. The solution should begin to turn into a yellow color.
Step 6: Once the sulphur precipitate has completely blocked the paper tile with a cross on it, stop the timer.
Step 7: Record the result down
Step 8: Pour the Sodium Thiosulphate+Hydrochloric Acid solution into the 1000ml beaker, then wash beaker 0.4M
thoroughly.
Step 9: repeat steps 2-8 two times more (3 times in total) to gather results from multiple trials
Step 10: Pour the contents of the 1000ml beaker (see step 8) into the sink, so that not too much of the substance
accumulates up
Step 11: Wash Beaker 0.4M for the last time and put it in the used apparatus tray
Step 12: Repeat steps 2-9,
- But instead of using 0.4M Sodium Thiosulphate in step 4, use Sodium Thiosulphate with the
following concentrations (in successive order): 0.8M, 1.2M, 1.6M, and 2.0M
- But instead of using Beaker 0.4M in step 3, step 5, step 8, and step 10, use Beaker 0.8M, Beaker
1.2M, Beaker 1.6M, and Beaker 2.0M respectively; to use a new beaker for every time the
Independent Variable is manipulated
- This is because after three trials the Sulphur precipitate will build up on the beaker, making it
hard to wash off completely, and compromises the transparency of the beaker, which would
affect our results.

Results - Ci
Table showing the time taken for the Na2S2O3 + HCl solution to completely opacify when different concentrations of
Na2S2O3 were used.
Concentration of Na2S2O3 Trial 1 (seconds) Trial 2 (seconds) Trial 3 (seconds)
(Mol)

0.4 14.47 sec 13.97 sec 14.68 sec

0.8 08.10 sec 07.74 sec 07.69 sec

1.2 05.83 sec 05.41 sec 05.69 sec

1.6 04.08 sec 03.75 sec 03.94 sec

2.0 03.59 sec 03.53 sec 03.28 sec

Qualitative Observations- Ci
1. As we used higher concentrations of Na2S2O3, the time taken for the solution to opacify clearly reduced
2. It took 5 or 6 seconds for the solution to actually start turning yellow when the lowest concentration of
Na2S2O3 was used (0.4M)
3. The solution produced a gas which we unknowingly inhaled, which in turn made us cough
4. After we poured the contents of the beaker a yellow substance (presumably sulphur) remained at the bottom
of the beaker.
5. The beaker heated up slightly, which made sense given that Na 2S2O3 +HCL is an exothermic reaction

Processed data- Ci

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Concentration of Na2S2O3 Avg. time (2 d.p) Reaction Rate(2 d.p)
(Mol) (seconds) (x/s)
*see section Biii if necessary- unit of
derived variable

0.4 14.37 0.07

0.8 07.84 0.13

1.2 05.64 0.18

1.6 03.92 0.26

2.0 03.47 0.29

Graph- Ci

Graph 1

Graph 2

Conclusion - Cii

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 Referring back to my initial hypothesis, I found that the results gathered within this experiment are able to
support my hypothesis. Like i had predicted, as the Concentration of the Sodium Thiosulphate increased, the time
needed for the sulphur precipitate to opacify the solution decreased, while the rate of reaction with HCl increased.
Oppositely, as the concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate decreased, the time needed for the solution to opacify
increased, while the rate of reaction with HCl decreased. This relationship can be observed clearly within both graph 1
and 2, where the positive linear relationship between Concentration and rate of reaction and then negative exponential
relationship between time and concentration are shown respectively.

Explanation of results Cii

The scientific reason as to why the time taken for the sulphur precipitate to opacify the solution decreased
while the rate of reaction with HCl increased when larger concentrations of Sodium Thiosulphate were used is largely
because with a higher concentration, there are more of the reactants particles that occupy the same volume compared
to when a lower concentration of the substance is used. With more particles, there is less free room for the particles to
move, thereby increasing the rate of collisions between the HCl and Na 2S2O3 molecules, and in turn increasing the
probability of more successful collisions within the same period of time as compared to a reaction with Sodium
Thiosulphate of a lower concentration.
As to why graph 2 displays an exponential relationship between the concentration of the Sodium Thiosulphate
and the time taken, it is because when the concentration of the sodium Thiosulphate equates to 0 mol, meaning that
there are no particles of Sodium Thiosulphate whatsoever, it would thus take an infinite amount of time for the
solution to opacify as there is no reaction at all. Oppositely, it would take an infinite concentration of Sodium
Thiosulphate for the solution to react and opacify instantaneously, as the collision theory (that either reactant particles
must collide with each other for a chemical reaction to occur) prevents this from happening, as any collision will
require time to occur, regardless of how fast it would take for the reactants particles to collide or how high the
concentration of the Sodium Thiosulphate is.
Also, I would like to reiterate that the rate of reactions shown in graph 1 are derived from the formula s -1
(where s=seconds), which finds the relative rate of reaction between all the variations of the experiment, and not the
real, or absolute, rate of reaction. [1] This allows me to compare the rate of reaction every time i use a different
concentration of the sodium thiosulphate, and does not hinder me from finding the relationship between concentration
and rate of reaction. However, it cannot be compared to data outside of the experiment, as the unit for the rates of
reaction i derived from the formula s-1 is actually x/s, where x is a unknown constant that represents the minimum
amount of sulphur precipitate needed to fully opacify the solution.

Evaluation-Validity of the hypothesis - Ciii

I would argue that my hypothesis is valid based off of several reasons. Firstly, the data that we had gathered
from the experiment did, in fact, fully correlate with my initial hypothesis, that the rate of reaction would increase as
the concentration of the Sodium Thiosulphate increased as well. We even repeated each variation of the independent
variable thrice in order to ensure accurate results and in order to minimize anomalies, while we also made an active
effort to maintain the controlled variables throughout the conducting of the experiment. The validity of my hypothesis
is also further reinforced as i double checked with some of the groups that conducted the same experiment, and found
out that they had discovered similar trends between the concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate and the rate of reaction
and came to the same conclusion that they share a positive linear relationship.

Evaluation - Validity of the method Civ

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 To a fairly high extent, I believe that the method we used for this experiment was appropriate and suitable in aiding
our investigation. It was mostly successful in the sense that we were able to clearly see and observe the positive
linear relationship between the concentration of Sodium Thiosulphate and the rate of reaction when reacting to
Hydrochloric acid from the results we gathered, which was highly beneficial in helping us answer our research
question fully. The method was also efficient and effective as it followed a systematic order which was easy to
follow throughout the experiment, as we simply worked our way up from the lowest concentration to the highest
concentration. We also ensured that we had changed the independent variable at least 5 times, so that we could get a
larger scope on the trend, which helped us to better understand the relationships between the concentration of the
Sodium Thiosulphate and the time taken or with the rate of reaction. Repeating each variation of the independent
variable also helped to ensure the accuracy of our results as it minimized the chances of us accidentally using
anomalies for our results.
Despite this, there are several problems that I noticed during and after the experiment which likely had an
adverse effect towards the accuracy of the results. The first problem I noticed was how fast it took for the sulphur
precipitate to fully opacify the solution by the time we had moved up to the higher concentrations of Sodium
Thiosulphate. With the solution reacting within 3 seconds, it became harder for us to stop the stopwatch in the exact
moment the solution lost its transparency. And with such a short time in total for the entire reaction there was
bound to be a higher percentage error than that of a reaction that would take 20 seconds if I made the person who
stopped the stopwatch missed the right time by, lets say, 0.2 seconds. With a larger percentage error for some of the
times we had recorded, the percentage errors for the rates of reaction (the derived variable) would also be larger,
thereby affecting the accuracy of our results.
The second problem i took notice of was the fact that the sulphur precipitate would build up on the beakers
after several usages. I noticed that after a few times we had recorded the results that the glass of the beaker was
becoming increasingly foggier, likely as a result of the sulphur precipitate slowly building up on the glass. Even
after we washed the beakers, the sulphur precipitate still remained on the glass, turning the glass from transparent to
translucent. Taking into account that every measurement in this experiment solely requires our eyesight to
determine whether or not the solution is fully opaque, having a material that hindered the transparency of the beaker
would have had slightly affected the accuracy of the result.
The last problem that i noted was when the Sodium Thiosulphate was poured into the beaker with Hydrochloric
acid. The measurer would be in charge of pouring the Sodium thiosulphate into the beaker, and would start the
stopwatch in the exact moment when the hydrochloric acid touched the sodium thiosulphate. Occasionally there
would be human error, resulting in occasional occurrences of starting the stopwatch too late or too early, which
would have definitely affected the accuracy of our result as there were inconsistencies in the timing.
Even though these problems seem miniscule, having only tiny effects on the accuracy of the results, but
together they might have accumulated to fairly large errors that might have had adverse effects on how precise the
final results actually were.

Evaluation of the Method and Suggested Improvements - Cv

The identified problem Describe how to improve on it Explain why the improvements would benefit
your investigation

Reaction times were In order to slow down the reaction
too fast times to get results, I would decrease
the volume of sodium thiosulphate
used. In the initial experiment, we
used 50ml of Sodium thiosulphate
every time, but it caused the reaction
to occur too fast so I would
recommend 20ml of Sodium
Thiosulphate every time instead.
Having slower reaction times would benefit us
as the percentage error would be far less
whenever a mistake in timing was made. For
example, if the measurer took 0.2 seconds too
long to stop the stopwatch, then it would have a
smaller percentage error if the reaction took 15
seconds in total compared to if the reaction
took 5 seconds in total.

Sulphur precipitate In order to keep the beakers at a Having a consistently transparent beaker will

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building up on the consistent transparency throughout
beakers and hindering the experiment, the beaker should be
transparency washed every time after a reaction
occurs in it. In addition, a new beaker
should be used every time the
independent variable changes as the
sulphur becomes quite hard to wash
off after 2 or 3 reactions.
greatly benefit the accuracy of the results, since
our measurements is solely based on our vision
and our ability to discern when the solution
loses its transparency; having the beaker
contribute to the loss of transparency will alter
our results slightly so it would be better if the
beakers stayed consistently transparent.

Timing measurement of To use something measureable,
the results involve instead of simply based off of visual
human error and are observation and looking for color
inaccurate. change, as the dependent variable, i.e
to measure the production of Sulphur
Dioxide
To have something actually measureable will
greatly improve the accuracy of our results as
having our results solely based off of
translucency - something that is difficult to
measure and observe accurately - can tend to be
inaccurate, especially as it relies on eyesight
alone.

Extensions to the experiment:

If i were to add extensions to the experiment, i would mainly try to add more trials for every concentration of the
Sodium Thiosulphate, as accuracy is somewhat of a large problem within our experiment and having more trials
would help rectify that. In addition, like i stated above, I would try to measure the production of Sulphur Dioxide
instead of the time taken for the sulphur precipitate to opacify the solution since measuring something more
tangible instead of looking for changes in translucency would likely result in more accurate results.

Works Cited
Binkley, Roger W. "II. Absolute and Relative Rate Constants." Chemistry LibreTexts. Libretexts, 24 Apr. 2015.
Web. 06 Feb. 2017. [1]

"The Effect of Concentration on Rates of Reaction." The Effect of Concentration on Rates of Reaction. N.p., n.d.
Web. 06 Feb. 2017. [2]

"The Collision Theory." Boundless. Boundless Open Textbook, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017. [3]

"Sulfur Dioxide." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 21
Oct. 2014. Web. 06 Feb. 2017. [4]

"Glass and Other Sharps Injury and Illness Prevention in Labs." Environmental and Health Safety. The
University of Iowa, n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2017. [5]

Hydrochloric Acid (Hydrogen Chloride). N.p.: United States Environmental Protection Agency, n.d. United States
Environmental Protection Agency. Jan. 2000. Web. [6]

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