Experiment 1:

Laboratory Techniques
Objectives:

• To practice basic acid-base titration.

• To determine the percentage composition of commercial acetic acid or vinegar.

Introduction:
Vinegar is essentially a solution of acetic acid (HC2H3O2) in water. The concentration of
acetic acid in vinegar may be expressed as a molarity (in mol/L) and percentage by mass.
In this experiment, a technique known as a titration will be used to determine the
concentration of acetic acid in vinegar. A titration involves performing a controlled reaction
between a solution of known concentration (the titrant) and a solution of unknown
concentration (the analyte). Here, the titrant is an aqueous solution of ~0.1 M sodium
hydroxide (NaOH) and the analyte is vinegar. When mixed, a neutralization reaction
occurs between sodium hydroxide and the acetic acid in vinegar.

The sodium hydroxide will be gradually added to the vinegar in small amounts from a
burette. A burette is a device that allows the precise delivery of a specific volume of a
solution. The NaOH will be added to the vinegar sample until all the acetic acid in the
vinegar has been exactly consumed (reacted away). At this point the reaction is
completed, and no more NaOH is required. This is called the equivalence point of the
titration.

In order to know when the equivalence point is reached, an indicator solution called
phenolphthalein is added to the vinegar at the beginning of the titration. Phenolphthalein
is a pH sensitive organic dye. Phenolphthalein is colorless in acidic solutions like vinegar,
and deep pink in basic solutions like sodium hydroxide. At the equivalence point of the
titration, just one drop of NaOH will cause the entire solution in the Erlenmeyer flask to
change from colorless to a very pale pink.

1
Materials:

Apparatus: 1 piece of 500-mL volumetric flask

1 piece of 250-mL volumetric flask
1 piece of 25-mL volumetric pipette
1 piece of 20-mL volumetric pipette
1 piece 50-mL burette including iron stand with clamp.
2 pieces of 250-mL beaker
2 pieces of 250-mL Erlenmeyer flask

Reagents: 1-M NaOH stock solution

Phenolphthalein indicator
Deionized water or distilled water (provided by student, per group)
Commercial acetic acid (provided by students)

Procedure:

PART A: How to prepare your 500-mL of 0.100-M NaOH titrant?

1. Place 50-mL of 1-M NaOH stock solution in 500-mL volumetric flask.

2. Add enough distilled water to fill your flask up to the mark.
3. Transfer your solution from volumetric flask to reagent bottle.
4. Repeat the processes if the titrant is not enough.

PART B: How to prepare your sample?

1. Transfer 25-mL aliquot (part) from your commercial acetic acid sample to 250-mL
volumetric flask.
2. Add enough distilled water to fill your flask up to the mark.
3. Repeat this process if the sample is not enough for the whole member to try.

PART C: How to titrate an acid (as your analyte) using NaOH (as your titrant)?

1. Transfer 20-mL of your diluted sample in Erlenmeyer flask.

2. Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein indicator in your sample.
3. Place your 0.100-M NaOH titrant in burette.
4. Gently add 0.100-M NaOH titrant in your sample using reaching end point.

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Data Sheet:

A. </insert group member’s name/>

Trial 1 Trial 2
Volume of sample
Initial reading in burette
Final reading in burette
Volume of NaOH
Dilution factor
Concentration of Sample

Average:

B. </insert group member’s name/>

Trial 1 Trial 2
Volume of sample
Initial reading in burette
Final reading in burette
Volume of NaOH
Dilution factor
Concentration of Sample

Average:

</add more tables depends on the number of group members/>