Samuel Heinrich L.

Soliven
Experiment No. 5 Strong Acid-Strong Base Titration

Locker Number 15A

April 12, 2016

ABSTRACT
Suppose a researcher is given a strong acid and a strong base with a
determined concentration, and the is to determine the concentration of the strong
acid. One way to calculate the concentration of the strong acid is through titration
and by making theoretical calculations using the data found in titration [1].
The experiment aims to: 1) To become familiar with the techniques of titration,
a volumetric method of analysis and; 2) To determine the amount of acid in an
unknown concentration of a strong acid by titration with a strong base [1].
There are two parts to the experiment which is 1) Standardization of the base
and; 2) Titration of the sample. The standardization of the base involves the titration
of KHP (Potassium hydrogen phthalate) which is a weak acid such that we
determine the molarity of the base in the experiment, and the titration of the sample
is titrating the unknown concentration of HCl using the now-determined
concentration of NaOH [1].
In the end, it is determined that the average molarity of the NaOH in the
standardization is 0.430 M. It is also justified from statistical analysis that the
experiment is reproducible with its standard deviation, variance and the relative
standard deviation all being close to 0. Meanwhile, the average molarity of the HCl in
the sample is 0.731 M and the data can be assumed to be credible with the help of
statistics.
The strong acid and strong base titration created a neutralization process but
the usage of phenolphthalein is the key to titration. Though statistics would show that
the experiment is reproducible, one must be able to avoid possible sources of error
such as parallax errors.
INTRODUCTION
Neutralization is one of the most common reaction in chemistry such that it
involves the reaction of an acid and a base and there are two ways to look at the netionic equation of this reaction:

(aq) 2 H 2 O( l)
+ (aq)+OH
H 3 O

and

(aq) H 2 O(l)
+(aq )+OH
. (1)

H
Titration involves the presence of a titrant and an analyte knowing that the
titrant is used to titrate the analyte. In the neutralization of HCl (analyte) and NaOH
(titrant), one must be able to determine the concentration of HCl through titration. In
order to determine the endpoint, the analyte must change its color when added with
an indicator (phenolphthalein) after a certain amount of the titrant is added [1].
METHODS
The researcher prepared the buret by wetting its walls with the titrant and
adding the titrant until or near the 0 mL mark. Titration of the KHP involved the

addition of 2.55 g KHP, 30 mL boiled distilled H2O and 2 drops phenolphthalein while
titrating the sample involved 25 mL of sample in 4 trials [1].

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

A. Standardization of NaOH
Table 1. Raw Data from the Standardization of NaOH
Mass of KHP
(g)
Volume of
Solution (L)
Initial Buret
Reading
First Indication
of Pinkness
Final Buret
Reading
Volume of
NaOH
Color of
Perceived
Endpoint

Trial 1
2.55

Trial 2
2.55

Trial 3
2.55

Trial 4
2.55

0.030

0.030

0.030

0.030

1.

0.

0.

0.

0 mL
9 mL level

0 mL
12 mL level

0 mL
10 mL level

0 mL
10 mL level

28.5 mL level

29.6 mL level

29.3 mL level

30.0 mL level

27.5 mL

29.6 mL

29.3 mL

30.0 mL

Magenta

Slight Pink

Slight Pink

Slight Pink

In this part of the experiment, the titrant is NaOH and the analyte is KHP.
Knowing that KHP is a weak acid, the titration performed with KHP is a weak acidstrong base titration. The titration of a weak acid with a strong base involves the
direct transfer of protons from the weak acid to the hydroxide ion. The reaction of the
weak acid, KHP, with the strong base, NaOH, is in a 1:1 ratio.
The initial pH is higher or less acidic than the titration of a strong acid. It is
noticeable in Table 1 that there is a sharp increase in pH at the beginning of the
titration knowing that the first indication of pinkness would correlate to the basicity of
the analyte during the titration process. This is because the anion of the weak acid
becomes a common ion that reduces the ionization of the acid. After the sharp
increase, the pH would change gradually, because the solution is now acting as a
buffer [2]. This will continue until the base overcomes the buffers capacity. The
buffer system would have the reaction:
(aq)
+(aq)+ KP
.
KHP(aq ) H

Between the initial point and the end point, there will be a point in which halfneutralization occurs and the concentration of the weak acid would be equal to the

concentration of the strong base. It is called half-neutralization, because half of the

acid is already neutralized [2].
At the equivalence point, the pH is greater than 7, because all the acid has
been converted to its conjugate base which is hydrogen phthalate and would create
a backward equilibrium since the potassium phthalate wants to be its reference acid
back again:

+( aq) KHP( aq)

(aq)+ H
.
KP
There is an inconsistency with the color of perceived endpoint, since the lower
volume gave off a magenta color while the higher volume gave a slight pink error.
This inconsistency might be due to the fact that the potassium phthalate ion wants to
be potassium hydrogen phthalate.
Furthermore, the standardized NaOH used in this part is not the same as the
one used in the strong acid-strong base titration itself, since the stock room ran out
even before the real experiment is going to begin and its molarity would be given by
the instructor.
A confusing aspect of the titration process would be the difference between
the equivalence and end points. The equivalence point would be a theoretical point
such that the moles of hydrogen ions would be equal to the moles of hydroxide ions.
The end point would be a point above the equivalence point such that it would make
the titration procedure end. The end point is determinable through the color change
of the indicator in the solution and in this case, the phenolphthalein indicator turns a
solution to pink if the solution is basic and clear if the solution is acidic.
Also, since the color magenta is noticed, it indicates that there is an
overshooting in the endpoint. This would indicate an error in the titration process,
since the endpoint must be very near to that of the equivalence point.
Table 2. Derived Data from the Standardization of NaOH
Moles of KHP
Molarity of
KHP
Molarity of
NaOH
Mean Molarity
of NaOH
Standard
Deviation
Variance
% Relative
Standard
Deviation

Trial 1
0.0125

Trial 2
0.0125

Trial 3
0.0125

Trial 4
0.0125

0.427

0.417

0.416
0.454

0.422
0.430
0.01472
0.0002167
3.42%

From raw data, one can already determine the moles and molarity of KHP and
more importantly, the molarity of NaOH and its average and is found in Table 2.

Knowing that there is a small change between the molarity of KHP and the
average molarity of NaOH, this is to be expected since raw data showed that the
volume of NaOH is close to the volume of KHP.
Knowing that raw data is composed of numerical analysis, one must test the
reproducibility of the experiment and a way to do this is to determine the standard
deviation. Standard deviation is a numerical value used to indicate how widely
individuals in a group vary. If the individual observations vary greatly from the group
mean, the standard deviation is big and thus, if the individual observations do not
vary much, the standard deviation is second to none [3]. For this particular part, the
standard deviation is a standard deviation of a population which is very close to none
and thus, the experiment is indeed reproducible.
On the other hand, variance is a numerical value used to indicate how widely
individuals in a group vary which is slightly different compared to standard deviation
which could correlate to the fact that the square of standard deviation is the variance.
Since the variance is relatively very small, then the data do not widely vary [4].
The relative standard deviation is a special form of standard deviation such
that it describes the spread of data with respect to the mean and the result is
expressed in percentage. The main use of %RSD is in analytical chemistry and is
routinely used to assess the variation of sets of data. Since the %RSD in this
segment of the experiment is also relatively small, then the data is tightly clustered
around its mean.
B. Titration of HCl with an unknown concentration
Table 3. Raw Data from the Titration of a Sample
Volume of
Sample
Initial Buret
Reading
First Indication
of Pinkness
Final Buret
Reading
Volume of
NaOH
Color of
Perceived
Endpoint

Trial 1
25.0 mL

Trial 2
25.0 mL
4.

Trial 3
25.0 mL
6.

Trial 4
25.0 mL
1.

1.

0 mL
25 mL level

1 mL
26 mL level

0 mL
24.5 mL level

0 mL
23.4 mL level

42.5 mL

42.5 mL

38.8 mL

37.5 mL

38.5 mL

36.4 mL

37.8 mL

36.5 mL

Magenta

Slight Pink

Slight Pink

Slight Pink

In the titration of a sample, it involves an unknown concentration of HCl

(analyte) and NaOH (titrant) which is a strong acid-strong base titration. Since both
the titrant and the analyte have high Kb and Ka, respectively, the reaction will most
likely result in the full dissociation of its ions. At equivalence point, equal amounts of
hydrogen ions and hydroxide ions would form water which would have a pH of 7:

(aq) H 2 O(l)
+(aq )+OH
.

H
In addition to this, the anion of the acid and the cation of the base that came
from the dissociation of the acid and base would combine to create a salt.

(aq) NaCl(aq)
+ (aq)+Cl
.

Na
Therefore, the reaction between a strong acid and a strong base would yield
water and salt.
In Table 3, at first glance, the change of the acidity of the strong acid is small
enough that it takes a while for it to determine the first indication of basicity in the
titration process. However, this small change is overshadowed by the smaller volume
it took for the reaction to turn the phenolphthalein indicator to pink. Therefore, there
is a very steep surge that might have occurred suddenly in the titration curve that
would be gained in the very moment that the concentration of the base is equal to
the concentration of the acid [5].
Table 4. Derived Data from the Titration of a Sample
Trial 1
Molarity of
Standardized
Base
Molarity of HCl
Mean Molarity
of HCl
Standard
Deviation
Variance
% Relative
Standard
Deviation

Trial 2

Trial 3

Trial 4

0.741

0.715

0.490 M

0.755

0.713
0.731
0.01772
0.0003140
2.42%

Unlike the standardization of NaOH, the molarity of HCl and its average
molarity are to be determined.
The discrepancy between the molarity of HCl and NaOH says a lot of the
experiment itself. The titration between two substances need not have equal
molarities. As long as one knows how to create a way to determine ones molarity,
the applications are boundless such as water testing, biodiesel production and the
food industry. One could truly appreciate the application of studies in life [6].
Knowing from the standard deviation that it is very close to 1, variance being
close to 0 and the %RSD to be close to 0, it is justifiable to say that the experiment is
indeed reproducible and it is safe to say that the data are credible.

Possible sources of error in this experiment would be parallax errors.

Measurements made by viewing the position of some marker relative to something to
be measured are subject to parallax error if the marker is some distance away from
the object of measurement and not viewed from the correct position. Determining the
meniscus in the buret is an example of this. Since the buret tube is tall, one must be
able to level himself/herself to that level in order to avoid parallax errors.
Also, a possible source of error is the weighing of the KHP into the solution,
since the moisture easily gets into the KHP, it might have caused some errors into
the data. Lastly, a source of error that is critical to this experiment is determining the
endpoint of the titration procedure such that if one sees that the color of the solution
with indicator is magenta, then there is a lot of excess that should not have been in
the solution.
SAMPLE CALCULATIONS
*Determining Molarity
g solute
Moles solute=
1.
MM
Ex.
Moles KHP=

2.

Molarity=

Ex.
M KHP=

3.

2.55 g
0.125 mo l
g
202.4
mol
mol solute
L solution

0.1248 mol
=0.416 M
0.030 L

M base=

( M acid V acid)
V base

Ex.
M NaOH =

4.

(0.416 M )(0.030 L)
=0.454 M
0.0275 L

M acid=

( M base V base )
V acid

Ex.
M HCl=

(0.49 M )(0.0385 L)
=0.755 M
0.025 L

*Determining Standard Deviation, Variance and Relative Standard Deviation

Standard Deviation and Variance are both calculated via Microsoft Excel.
%RSD=
Ex.
%RSD=

Standard Deviation
100
Mean
0.01772
100 =2.42
0.731

CONCLUSIONS
Data showed that the concentration of an unknown solution can be found
through titration. The qualitative part of titration, which is the usage of
phenolphthalein, and the quantitative part of titration, such as finding the
concentration of the sample, is both crucial roles in determining the endpoint of
titration.
Furthermore, through statistics, one can replicate the experiment with
precision as long as errors are avoided in the procedure.
Through this experiment, one can indeed be familiar with the techniques of
titration such as the half-drop method and also determine the amount of acid in an
unknown by titration with a base.
REFERENCES
[1]. Gross RB, Abenojar EC, Tan JA. Modern Experiments in General Chemistry II.
3rd ed. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University; 2010.
[2]. Titration of a Weak Acid with a Strong Base [Internet]. [Place unknown]:
[Publisher unknown]; [Date unknown] [Cited 2016 Apr. 11]. Available from:
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Core/Analytical_Chemistry/Quantitative_Analysis/Titratio
n/Titration_Of_A_Weak_Acid_With_A_Strong_Base.
[3]. Standard Deviation [Internet]. [Place unknown]: [Publisher unknown]; [Date
unknown] [Cited 2016 Apr. 11]. Available from:
http://stattrek.com/statistics/dictionary.aspx?definition=Standard_deviation.
[4]. Variance [Internet]. [Place unknown]: [Publisher unknown]; [Date unknown]
[Cited 2016 Apr. 11]. Available from: http://stattrek.com/statistics/dictionary.aspx?
definition=Variance.
[5]. pH Titration Curves [Internet]. [Place unknown]: [Publisher unknown]; [Date
unknown] [Cited 2016 Apr. 11]. Available from:
http://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Core/Physical_Chemistry/Equilibria/AcidBase_Equilibria/pH_Titration_Curves.
[6]. Callahan R. Real Life Uses of Titration [Internet]. [Place unknown]: [Publisher
unknown]; [Date unknown] [Cited 2016 Apr. 11]. Available from:
http://www.ehow.com/list_5968981_real-life-uses-titration.html.