Experiment 2:

Determining Ka of weak acid by the Half-

Titration method.

The goal of this experiment is to use pH titration to calculate the Ka of

acetic acid. The data that you will use to complete your calculations
will come from the reaction of acetic acid with a solution of NaOH. The
point at which the reaction is half-titrated can be used to determine the
pKa of the weak acid. In this experiment, the half-titration point will
exist when you have added half as many moles of CH3COOH as
moles of NaOH. Thus, OH- ions will have reacted with half of the acid,
leaving the solution with equal moles of CH3COOH and CH3COO-. At
this point, according to the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation,

pH = pKa + log [CH3COO-] / [CH3COOH]

When [CH3COO-] = [CH3COOH] at the half-titration point, then pKa is

equal to the pH value of the solution.

Procedure:

1- Transfer by means of a pipette 10 ml. of 0.1 M acetic acid

solution to clean 100 mL beaker. Dilute the solution with distilled
water to 25 mL.

2- Rinse the combined glass electrode with distilled water.

3- Position a burette filled with 0.1 M NaOH solution.

4- Connect the electrode to the meter and record the initial burette
volume and the initial potential (or pH).

5- Conduct the titration carefully by adding NaOH solution in

portions (1 mL for each).

6- Continue the titration 2 to 3 mL beyond the equivalence point.

7- Tabulate your titration results as described in the results table.

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8- Plot the normal titration curve (volume of titrant in mL against
the measured pH).

9- From the curves deduce the end point of the titration and
calculate the value corresponding to half neutralization (half-
equivalence point volume).

10- Estimate the pKa from your plot and calculate the Ka, of acetic
acid. The pKa is the pH at the half-equivalence point volume.

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