Determination Of The % Acetic Acid
Objectives
In Vinegar Samples
Introduction
Titration is a form of quantitative
analysis, allowing one to determine
concentration of a substance in solution by the
amount of something else in a known solution
which reacts with it [ CITATION Pit18 \l
1033 ]. Titration is particularly a volumetric
process since this method involves the accurate
measurement of reagent volumes which are then
used to compute for the unknown concentration.
Furthermore, titration is the slow addition of one
solution of a known concentration (called a
titrant) to a known volume of another solution of
unknown concentration until the
reaches neutralization, which is often indicated
by a color change. The completion of the
neutralization reaction called the equivalence
point may be indicated by the endpoint
characterized by a color change
appropriate indicator or by the sharpest (most
abrupt) change in the pH of the solution during
titration. Typically, the titrant (the known
solution) is added from a burette to a known
quantity of the analyte (the unknown solution)
until the reaction is complete.
In this experiment, the
concentration of commercial vinegar samples
will be determined through titration.
1
After the experiment, the students should be able
to:
1. Perform acid-base titration.
2. Use the data from such experiment to
the
determine the % acetic acid in a vinegar
samples.
Methods
I. Preparation and Standardization of
the NaOH Titrant
Weigh 8.0 g of NaOH pellets
and transfer into a 1000-mL
volumetric flask through
dissolution
Dilute the solution to the mark
with distilled water and swirl the
reaction flask to mix
Wash the burette with distilled
water and rinse with prepared
NaOH titrant
of an On a piece of aluminum foil or
50-mL beaker, weigh 0.5 g of
dried KHP. Quantitatively
Dissolve and transfer it into a
250-mL Erlenmeyer flask with
25-mL distilled water.
Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein
acid and titrate this with the prepared
NaOH titrant until the first
permanent pink color (that
remains for  30 s) is obtained
 II. Titration of Vinegar Samples
Results and Discussion
Table 1. Data for the Standardization of the 0.1
M NaOH Titrant with a 25-mL Volume of KHP
Analyte

Replicate Mass of Vol. of 0.1 [NaOH]

KHP (g) M NaOH in M
(mL)
R1 0.5096 18.4 0.136
R2 0.5014 10.5 0.234
R3 ≈ 0.500 12.2 0.201
Average 0.5037 13.7 0.1903
Standard 0.0042 3.395 0.041
Deviation
Set-up the titration materials as shown
in the figure above. Fill the burette
with the NaOH titrant up to the 50-mL Sample Computation for [NaOH]:
mark with the aid of a funnel.
Replicate 1
KHP MW = 204.23 g/mol

mass∈g of KHP 1mol NaOH

Measure 5 mL of a vinegar sample and
dilute it with 20 mL of distilled water.
Hence, the volume of the analyte will be
25 mL ¿
(
MW of KHP∈
g
mol )(
1 mol KHP )
Vol .of NaOH titrant used n L

0.5096 g of KHP 1 mol NaOH

Add two drops of phenolphthalein

¿
( 204.23
g
mol )(
1 mol KHP )
0.0184 L

= 0.136 M NaOH
Titrate the diluted vinegar sample with
the standard 0.2 M NaOH titrant until
the first permanent pink color (that
remains for  30 s) is obtained.
Table 2. Data for the Determination of the %
Acetic Acid in a Vinegar Sample with a 25-mL
Volume of the Diluted Vinegar Sample

Replicate Vol. of 0.2 [H+] in M % (w/v)

M NaOH (mol/L) CH3COOH

2
 (mL) titration process. An “equivalence point” by
R1 17.5 0.6636 3.98 definition means “occurs when all the moles
R2 16.5 0.627 3.757
of H+ ions present in the original volume of
R3 18.1 0.686 4.122
acid solution have reacted with an equivalent
Average 17.37 0.659 3.95
number of moles of OH- ions added from the
Standard 0.808 0.0306 0.02257
burette. These equivalence points were
Deviatio
determined most often by chemical indicators, in
n
this case phenolphthalein, primarily because of
Sample Computation for [H+]: the inherent simplicity of this technique, but also
Replicate 3
because of availability of many excellent
indicators[ CITATION Eva12 \l 1033 ].
¿ The equivalence point indicates the

(0.2 M ) ( 0.0181 L ) point of neutralization. On the other hand, the

¿ × 5=0.686 M H +¿¿
0.025 L end point indicates the point at which there is
already an excess amount of the titrant.
Sample Computation for % (w/v) CH3COOH:
Replicate 3 Additionally, endpoint is the determining factor
in which a solution is already over titrated.
w mass of solute(g)
%
v ( )
=
vol of solvent (mL)
×100 Therefore, it is important that the equivalence
point must be close to the endpoint to determine
¿¿ if too much of the titrant has already been added.

( 10001 LmLprocess,
) x 100Before proceeding into the titration
the vinegar sample was first diluted.
This
mol is60.053
because
gC H vinegar has a high acid
3 COOH
(
¿ 0 .686 )(
concentration,
L thus )
molit is good to dilute the

= 4.122 % (w/v) CH3COOH
For the determination of
concentration of the acetic acid present in the
vinegar, NaOH was continuously added drop by
drop until a certain change of color has been
reached, indicating the equivalence point of the
( 10001 LmLsample
) x 100by incorporating aliquots to it. By
diluting it, the quantity of the acetic acid in the
bottle of vinegar can be determined by
introducing a “dilution factor.” This factor will
relate the amount of acetic acid in the diluted
the
vinegar solution per volume of portions of the
aliquot [ CITATION Eva12 \l 1033 ].

3
Table 3. Comparison of % Acetic Acid of techniques also play an important role in
Different Vinegar Samples
chemical titration; whenever one is going to
measure any solvent, it is important to read
Brand % (w/v) CH3COOH
meniscus at the eye level. Additionally, avoid air
Name Theoretical Experimental Error
bubble while measuring any solvent [ CITATION
S
Silver 3.536% 3.721% 11.51 Vis16 \l 1033 ].
Swan % Titration fundamentally has two distinct
S meanings in both the scientific and medical
Save 4.5% 3.420% 24% spheres. In science, it is a method used in the
more laboratory to analyze samples. While in
D
medicine, titration can refer to the process of
Datu 4.00% 3.95% 1.25
reducing a patient's dose gradually until they are
Puti %
healed. In the scientific world, and particularly
in chemistry it is the process of finding a
Although it seems like the experimental concentration of certain reactants in solutions.
value of each vinegar sample is approximately Because of this functionality, titration is also
close to the true value of its acidic concentration, known as volumetric analysis, due to a heavy
the percent error presented in the table above, reliance on the measurement of volume and
however, contradicts such thought. They are concentration. In addition it is often used in the
however close but not as precise and accurate as development of drugs for medical use. Without
it was hoped to be. the knowledge to conduct the process. it is
Titration is a sensitive analytical doubtful that as many drugs and solutions we all
method, which must be done with utmost care to use regularly would be as widely available as
avoid a number of errors. Care must be taken as they are today [CITATION Pre \l 1033 ].
the solution of the known concentration is Furthermore, titration is deemed to be
introduced into a specific volume of the significant in a variety of fields since it is
unknown through laboratory glassware such as a frequently utilized in many sectors.
burette or pipette. Several factors can cause
errors in titration findings, including misreading
volumes, mistaken concentration values or
faulty technique [ CITATION Car181 \l 1033 ].
To avoid such errors, practicing acid-base
titration with the use of a burette is a must as it
is a fundamental skill in the process. Measuring
4
 References

Pitt, M. (2018, July 21). Why is titration important in chemistry? Retrieved from Quora:
https://www.quora.com/Why-is-titration-important-in-chemistry
Pretty, T. (2008, September 13). Titration; Important In Chemistry And Medicine. Retrieved from Guide
to Technology: https://www.streetdirectory.com/etoday/titration-important-in-chemistry-and-
medicine-upwcua.html
Carpenter, M. (2018, March 13). Errors in Titration Experiments. Retrieved from Sciencing:
https://sciencing.com/errors-titration-experiments-8557973.html
Vishwajeet, K. (2016, November 15). How do I get my Titration accurate every time to avoid errors?
Retrieved from Quora: https://www.quora.com/How-do-I-get-my-Titration-accurate-every-time-
to-avoid-errors
Evangelista, D. K., Gotuato, G., Ocbina, J., & Padua, J. A. (2012, June 21). Experiment 1: Determination
of Total Acidity of Vinegar. Retrieved from Philippine Normal University:
https://geneizzelgotuato.weebly.com/uploads/1/6/7/5/16758054/final_laboratory_report_1.docx

5
Safety issues encountered

Sodium hydroxide is odorless; thus,

odor provides no warning of hazardous
concentrations. Sodium hydroxide, however, is
very corrosive and can cause severe burns in all
tissues that it comes in contact with.
Phenolphthalein may cause skin, eye
and gastrointestinal irritation with nausea,
vomiting and diarrhea. It may also cause
respiratory tract irritation and kidney injury.
Potassium-Hydrogen-Phthalate (KHP)
may be harmful if absorbed through the skin and
may cause irritation of the digestive tract.