CHEMISTRY

INVESTIGATORY
PROJECT

PERCENTAGE OF
ACETIC ACID IN
Nanditha K
VINEGAR 11th B
 CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that NANDITHA K of 11th ‘B’ has submitted the
Chemistry Investigatory Project Report on the topic – PERCENTAGE
OF ACETIC ACID IN VINEGAR for examinations as prescribed by the
Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) for the year 2023-24.

Internal Examiner Teacher in charge

External Examiner Principal

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge and thank Vijai Sir
and Vasuma Ma’am for their encouragement and support. Without
their constant motivation, this project would not have been
possible.

I would like to express my gratitude to my Chemistry teacher, Saritha

Ma’am for her invaluable guidance and support throughout the
project. Her expert knowledge and tireless efforts have been
instrumental in the successful completion of this project.

I am also grateful to Mr. Lalith, the lab attendant, for his assistance
in the lab and for ensuring that I had everything I needed to
complete my experiment safely. His support is greatly appreciated.

I would like to thank the rest of the staff at Vidyaniketan for

providing me with the necessary resources and facilities to complete
this project.

Finally, I would like to thank my parents and friends who have

helped me with their suggestions, which have proved to be very
helpful throughout this project.
 CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. OBJECTIVE
3. REQUIREMENTS
4. PROCEDURE
5. CALCULATION
6. RESULT
7. BIBLIOGRAPHY
INTRODUCTION:
Vinegar, a common household product, primarily
consists of acetic acid (CH₃COOH), water, and trace
amounts of other compounds. Acetic acid gives
vinegar its characteristic sour taste and is
responsible for its various applications in cooking,
pickling, and as a condiment. The determination of
the percentage of acetic acid in vinegar is essential
not only for quality control in food production but
also for understanding its chemical composition.
USES:

Accurate determination of the acetic

acid content in vinegar is crucial for
ensuring product quality, adherence
to food safety standards, and meeting
regulatory requirements. This
information is particularly relevant
for both commercial food production
and at-home culinary purposes.
Titration, with its precision and
versatility, serves as a reliable
method for quantifying the acidic
content of vinegar.
OBJECTIVE:
The primary objective of this experiment is to
quantitatively determine the percentage of acetic
acid in a given sample of vinegar through a titration
method. Titration, a volumetric analysis technique,
involves the controlled addition of a solution of
known concentration (titrant) to a solution of the
analyte (substance being analyzed) until the
reaction reaches completion. In this case, sodium
hydroxide (NaOH) of known concentration will be
titrated against acetic acid in vinegar.
REQUIREMENTS:
1.Vinegar (acetic acid solution)
2.Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution of known
concentration (approximately 0.1 M)
3.Phenolphthalein indicator
4.Burette
5.Pipette (25 mL)
6.Erlenmeyer flask
7.Distilled water
8.White tile or paper
9.pH paper (optional)
PROCEDURE:

1. Standardization of Sodium Hydroxide

Solution: a. Pipette 25 mL of the sodium
hydroxide solution into an Erlenmeyer flask.
b. Add a few drops of phenolphthalein
indicator. c. Titrate the sodium hydroxide
solution with a standardized hydrochloric
acid solution until the solution changes
colour permanently. d. Record the initial and
final burette readings.
2. Titration of Vinegar: a. Pipette 25 mL of
vinegar into a clean Erlenmeyer flask. b. Add
2-3 drops of phenolphthalein indicator. c.
Titrate the vinegar with the standardized
sodium hydroxide solution from the burette
until the solution turns a faint pink colour,
indicating the endpoint. d. Record the initial
and final burette readings.
3. CALCULATIONS
a. Calculate the moles of sodium hydroxide used in the
titration using the equation: moles of NaOH=
volume of NaOH (L)×concentration of NaOH (mol/L)​
1000 moles of NaOH

b. Use the balanced chemical equation to find the

moles of acetic acid:
CH₃COOH+NaOH→CH₃COONa+H₂OCH₃COOH+NaO
H→
CH₃COONa+H₂O

c. Calculate the moles of acetic acid:

moles of acetic acid= moles of NaOH
1
(since the coefficient of acetic acid is 1 in the balanced
equation).

d. Calculate the mass of acetic acid:

mass of acetic acid (g)=moles of acetic acid×molar mass
of acetic acid (g/mol)

e. Calculate the percentage of acetic acid in vinegar:

(
Percentage of acetic acid=
mass of acetic acid X 100
initial mass of vinegar
)
BURETTE TRIAL NO

1 2 3
Final 30.3 60.3 90.3

Initial 0 30.3 60.3

Vol. of 30.3 30 30
NaOH

Concordant Readings = 30 mL
The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:

CH3COOH+NaOH→CH3COONa+H2OCH3​
COOH+NaOH→CH3​COONa+H2​O

Since the stoichiometry of the reaction is 1:1, the moles

of acetic acid are equal to the moles of NaOH used in the
titration.

Moles of acetic acid=Moles of NaOH X Molar Mass

Moles of NaOH=Molarity×VolumeMoles of NaOH
Moles of NaOH=4 mol/L×0.030 L=0.12 mol

Since the stoichiometry is 1:1, there are also 0.12 moles

of acetic acid in the vinegar.

Mass of acetic acid=Moles of acetic acid×Molar mass

Mass of acetic acid=0.12 mol×60.05 g/mol=7.206 g

Percentage of acetic acid=

7.206
( 171.57 )
X 100
RESULT
The Percentage of Acetic Acid in Vinegar= 4.2%

BIBLIOGRAPHY
• Chemistry lab manual
• https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/acetic
-acid-properties-uses-and-incident-management/ace
tic-acid-general-information
• https://ncert.nic.in/pdf/publication/sciencelaborator
ymanuals/classXI/chemistry/kelm201.pdf