Laboratory Of Analytical Chemistry And Instrumental Analysis

Experiment(4)
Complexometric titration : Determination of water hardness

# Objective :
Determination of the total hardness of water .
By measuring the concentrations of calcium and magnesium in water samples
by titration .

Water hardness is a measure of the amount of calcium and magnesium

salts dissolved in water. Hard water should be not used for washing
(it reduces effectiveness of detergents) nor in water heaters and kitchen
appliances like coffee makers (that can be destroyed by scale) . It is also
not good for fish tanks . In general, there are many applications where
ability to easily determine water hardness is very important.

Complexometric titration is one of the

best ways of measuring total water
hardness.
At pH around 10 EDTA easily reacts
with both calcium and magnesium in
the same molar ratio (1:1) . Stability
constant of calcium complex is a little
bit higher, so calcium reacts first,
magnesium later .
Materials :
1. Disodium Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid Dihydrate (EDTA) .
2. Eriochrome Black T (indicator) , (EBT) .
3. Ammonia Buffer solution (pH 10) .
4. Pipette .
5. Burette .
6. Conical flask .
7. Volumetric flask .
8. Funnel .

Procedure :
1. Dilute 25 ml of sample (V) to above 50 ml with distilled water in an Conical flask .
2. Add 1 ml of buffer solution .
3. Add two drops of indicator solution . The solution turns wine red in color .
4. Add the standard (EDTA) titrant slowly with continuous stirring until the
last reddish tinge disappears from the solution . The color of the solution
at the end point is blue under normal conditions .
5. Note down the volume of (EDTA) added (V1) .
Data for Tap Water :
Total
Volume of Initial Final Volume
Run Sample(ml) burette burette of Average
reading reading Titrant
used
1 25 0 13 13
2 25 13 30 17 14
3 25 38 50 12

Reaction equation :

Ca+2 , Mg+2 + EBT Ca+2 EBT , (complex unstable red)

Ca+2 , Mg+2 EBT + EDTA Ca+2 EDTA + EBT , (Blue)

Degree of hardness Hardness (mg/L)

Soft 0-75
Moderately hard 75-100
Hard 150-300
Very hard >300
Calculation :
Tap Water :
PPm (CaCo3) = (C * V) EDTA * M.wt CaCo3 * 103 / Vsample (L)
PPm (CaCo3) = 0.01 M * 14 ml * 100 g/mol * 103 / 25 ml
PPm (CaCo3) = 560 g/L
[EDTA] = 0.01 M
Tap Water is very hardness . M.wt CaCo3 = 100 g/mol
Volume of sample = 25 ml

Distilled Water :
PPm (CaCo3) = (C * V) EDTA * M.wt CaCo3 * 103 / Vsample (L)
PPm (CaCo3) = 0.01 M * 1 ml * 100 g/mol * 103 / 25 mlPPm
(CaCo3) = 40 g/L

Distilled Water is soft .

Drinking Water :
PPm (CaCo3) = (C * V) EDTA * M.wt CaCo3 * 103 / Vsample (L)
PPm (CaCo3) = 0.01 M * 1.4 ml * 100 g/mol * 103 / 25 ml
PPm (CaCo3) = 56 g/L

 Drinking Water is soft .