ACID BASE TITRATION

CHEMISTRY LAB NAME:

Introduction:

Acids are substances that release H+ ions in water while bases are substances that
release OH- ions in water. If an acid solution is mixed with a base solution, a neutralization
reaction occurs. Example: HCl + NaOH → NaCl + HOH . This balanced equation
show that one H+ from the acid combines with one OH- from the base to form one water
molecule. Another way of stating this is that one mole of H+ from the acid combines with
one mole of OH- from the base to form one (1) mole of water.

At neutralization the moles of H+ and OH- are equal. We can then use the following
formulas to show this fact.

moles H+ = moles OH-

V x M = V x M

mL X M = mL x M

M refers to molarity (concentration) of the acid or base solutions and L mL refer to

the volumes of acid or base solutions.

Procedure:

Use a buret to measure exactly 5 mL of an unknown HCl solution into a 250 mL

Erlenmeyer flask. Add about 20 mL of distilled water to the flask, and then also add
3 drops of phenolphthalein to the flask.

Fill a clean buret with 0.100 m NaOH solution and record the starting volume in the
buret. Place the Erlenmeyer flask beneath the buret and carefully start dripping NaOH
solution into the flask. Swirl the solution in the flask as the NaOH is dripped into the flask.
As you approach the neutralization point (endpoint) the solution will start to take on a
temporary pink color. Swirling makes the pink color disappear. As the pink color remains
longer, slow down the flow of NaOH from the buret. As you get very close to the end point,
add the NaOH solution drop by drop. (Let out a drop, swirl to get rid of the color, add another
drop, swirl, etc.) At the same point, you will add one drop of NaOH and the pink color will
not disappear with swirling. This is the endpoint of the titration. Read the volume of NaOH
that you let out of the buret and record this value. Rinse out the flask, add another 5mL
sample of HCl to the clean flask, add water and phenolphthalein, refill the buret with NaOH
and repeat the titration procedure as you did before. Record the mL of NaOH used in this
trial. Repeat for a third trial.

OVER →
 DATA:

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

mL HCl used

mL NaOH used

Molarity of NaOH

Average mL of NaOH used =

CALCULATIONS:

RESULTS:

Molarity of the HCl =

Questions:

1. Which substance in this experiment is the STANDARD SOLUTION? Why ?

2. What is the meaning of the ENDPOINT of titration? What is the pH?

3. Why is the chemist using the AVERAGE ml of NaOH used?

4. HCl is described as being a MONOPROTIC acid. What does that mean?

5. If H2SO4 was the acid used in this experiment, what changes would have to be made to
the titration calculation?

6. Calculate your percent error using the accepted value of HCl: Show all work.