Titration 2: Standard solution of Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) to

standardise Ethanoic Acid (CH3COOH) solution

Dilution of Vinegar Procedure:

1) Rinse out a 25cm3 pipette with deionised water, then
with the vinegar

2) Pipette 25cm3 of vinegar into a 250cm3 volumetric

flask – diluted 10 times

Known conc. 3) Using a funnel, add deionised water until 1cm below
the graduation mark
Ethanoic
Acid (Dilute 4) Remove the funnel and add deionised water
Vinegar)
dropwise using a dropper until the bottom of the
meniscus lies on the graduation mark, read at eye-level

5) Stopper and invert 20 times

Titration Procedure:
6) Rinse out a 25cm3 pipette with deionised water, then
with the sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH)

Dilute 7) Pipette 25cm3 of NaOH solution into the conical flask

unknown conc.
NaOH
+
Known conc. 8) Add 2 to 3 drops of phenolphthalein to conical flask
phenolphthalein
9) Rinse the burette with deionised water & then with
diluted ethanoic acid solution

10) Using a funnel, fill the burette up to above the 0

mark (read at eye-level) with the diluted ethanoic acid solution, then remove the
funnel and adjust until the bottom of the meniscus lies on the 0 mark with the tap,
ensuring the tap & jet is full of solution

11) Place conical flask on a white tile directly below the burette (held in place by clamp)

12) Open the tap & let some of the dilute ethanoic acid solution flow into the NaOH
solution in the conical flask

13) Close the tap, swirl the contents to mix thoroughly & rinse down the sides of the flask
using a wash bottle of deionised water to wash down drops of acid stuck to the sides

14) Repeat until 1 drop of CH3COOH turns the orange solution of the NaOH to colourless

15) Perform 2 more titrations – average of these 2 accurate readings is the volume you use
Why was the vinegar diluted? % w/v = percentage
weight per volume
To suit the concentration of the NAOH (g/100cm3)
The original vinegar is too concentrated so would require:
(I) very concentrated NaOH solution which is corrosive or Approx. 5% w/v ethanoic
(II) a very large volume of NaOH to get a reasonable titration acid in vinegar

What 2 titrations are required to standardise the NaOH used?

Ethanol in alcoholic drinks is
1) Anhydrous sodium carbonate titrated against HCl
converted to ethanoic acid by
oxidation if exposed to O2 in the air
2) HCl titrated against NaOH

Often, you are asked about other carboxylic acids & their uses/where to find them:
Methanoic acid – found in nettle & bee stings
Ethanoic acid – food flavouring i.e. vinegar
Benzoic acid – used as a food preservative

Calculations:
 Phenolphthalein

Pink to Colourless
(in base) (in acid)

Why phenolphthalein? It is a weak acid-strong base titration

Why only add a few drops of indicator?

Indicators are weak acids/bases

Phenolphthalein is a weak acid – only add a few drops
Therefore too much indicator would interfere with the results

It is important to use white vinegar rather than brown vinegar as the colour from
the brown vinegar may mask the colour change at the end point

All the precautions/methods listed on the Titrations Theory Document apply to this Titration.
Please refer to that document too when learning