Determination of Ka of Indicator

Amy Wildes

Introduction

The acid dissociation constant, Ka can quantitively measure the strength of an acid when placed
into a solution. The Ka is an equilibrium for a dissociation of acid in an aqueous solution. 1 An indicator is
used to slow down a chemical reaction by changing the solution’s color until the reaction has reached
equilibrium. They are typically either a weak base or a weak acid. 2 In this lab we used a method called
spectrophotometry which we use to measure the how much a certain chemical substance can absorb
light. This measurement is achieved by the intensity of the lights that passes through a solution. 3 During
this lab, we determined the concentration of different colored forms of the acid-base indicator. Then,
using those concentrations to find the Ka of the indicator.

Experimental Section

To carry out this lab, we first had to place 3mL of the buffer into a cuvette and mixed with
0.500mL of the indicator. For the second cuvette, we pipetted 3mL of 0.1M HCl and 0.500mL of the
indicator then mixed it together. The third cuvette had a mixture of 3mL of 0.1M NaOH and 0.500mL of
the indicator. In a fourth cuvette we created a blank by filling the cuvette with deionized water. We then
collected the absorbances of each mixture by placing them one by one, into the spectrometer and
collecting the data using our spectral analysis software. 4

Results Unknown # 12 pH= 4.5

The base wavelength that was chosen to compare absorbances was 535.2nm. The absorbance of the
mixture was 0.105. Absorbance of the acid was 0.055 and the base absorbance was 0.188. The calculate
pKa value of the indicator is 4.7. The Ka we calculated was 1.99 x 10 -5.

Sample Calculations

pKa = pH + log(c1/c2)

Ka = 10-pKa

Discussion

Based on my observations on the different colors of the mixtures with the indicator in them, the
unknown indicator is bromocresol green. The bromocresol green has pH values that correlate to the
colors of the cuvettes. The buffer mixture was a light green, the acid was a pale-yellow color, and finally
the base was a sky blue. The experimental Ka value from this experiment was 1.99 x 10 -5. The true value
for the Ka of bromocresol green is 1.58 x 10 -5. To calculate the percent error for the value of Ka for this
indicator, I used the percent error calculation which is:

Percent error = Experimental -Actual x 100

Actual

The percent error from this experiment is 25.9%. My results were not completely accurate, however the
pKa from my experiment was 4.7 and the true pKa value of bromocresol green is 4.8. I was surprised
that the pKa values were almost identical, but the Ka values turned out very differently. From analyzing
both the observations and data, the more basic the solution was, the higher the absorbance that was
collected.
References
1
Acid Dissociation Constant (Ka) | Introduction to Chemistry.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introchem/chapter/acid-dissociation-constant-ka/. Accessed 8 Aug.
2021
2
“Types of Indicators in Chemistry With Examples & Applications.” Taveel, 13 May 2018,
https://taveel.com/types-of-indicators-in-chemistry/.
3
“2.1.5: Spectrophotometry.” Chemistry LibreTexts, 2 Oct. 2013,
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry_Textbook_Maps/Supple
mental_Modules_(Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry)/Kinetics/02%3A_Reaction_Rates/2.01%3A_Exp
erimental_Determination_of_Kinetics/2.1.05%3A_Spectrophotometry
4
Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Chemistry 104 Laboratory Manual, Fall
2019 ed., UW-Whitewater, 2019, 91-95.