Acid-Base Neutralization via Titration Lab

Introduction:
Acid-Base titrations are used to find the amount of an unknown acidic or basic
substance through acid base neutralization reactions. The analyte (titrating
solution) is the solution with an unknown molarity. The reagent (titrant) is the
solution with a known molarity that will react with the analyte in a fixed
stoichiometric ratio.

The analyte is prepared by dissolving the substance being studied into a solution.
The solution is usually placed in a flask for titration. A small amount of indicator is
then added into the flask along with the analyte. The reagent/titrant is placed in a
burette and slowly added to the analyte and indicator mixture. The amount of
reagent used is recorded when the indicator causes a change in the color of the
solution.

A useful indicator has a color change that occurs quickly near the analyte’s
neutralization point. For example a analyte that is a strong acid would require an
indicator with a color change that occurs at 7 because that is the pH when the
acid is fully neutralized. Choosing the correct indicator reduces error because the
color change occurs sharply during the endpoint where the pH spikes, giving a
more precise endpoint. Weak acid analytes would require an indicator with a color
change greater than 7, and weak base analytes require an indicator with a color
change lower than 7.

A titration curve can be produced by recording the pH on the y-axis vs. the
amount of titrant added on the x-axis. The sharp inflection point occurs when the
analyte is fully neutralized (called the endpoint). Usually additional titrant is
added beyond the endpoint to round out the curve and the slope decreases
significantly. The original analyte’s concentration can be calculated by using the
known molarity of titrant along with the volume needed to reach the endpoint.
The halfway point between the beginning and endpoint is a valuable piece of
information when dealing with weak acids or bases. This is because the halfway
point is where the pH equals the pKa of the weak acid/base (the [H 3O+] = Ka).

In this lab we will be performing 3 titrations: One will be a strong acid strong base
neutralization to observe the endpoint inflection at a pH of 7, the other two will be
weak acid strong base neutralizations to observe the slightly elevated endpoint,
as well as the method of determining the weak acid’s K a value.

Procedure:
Part I – Strong acid strong base titration
1. Add 25 ml of Distilled Water to an Erlenmeyer flask
2. Obtain 25 ml of unknown molarity of HCl and pour into this Erlenmeyer flask
3. Add 2 or 3 drops of Phenolphthalein to this flask. Does the color match what
you’d expect?
4. Swirl to mix, then pour contents into a beaker and place pH meter (plug into
LabQuest Pro, turn on) to record initial pH
 5. Fill up your burette with the known concentration of NaOH until it is somewhere
between 30 and 50ml. Squirt a little NaOH into the sink to ensure the tip
doesn’t have any air bubbles in it.
6. Record the initial volume of NaOH
7. In 1 ml increments, add NaOH to the flask, recording the pH each increment
after swirling your flask to mix. Only do this for the first 5 mLs of your titration,
then reassess.
8. When your pH begins to approach the 2.0 to 3.0 range, decrease your
increments to 0.5ml to 0.2 to 0.1 ml, respectively. Swirl after each increment.
The longer the pink color persists, the closer you are to your endpoint, and you
can now decrease your increments to a few drops, or even one drop, at a time.
Your endpoint is when the pH jumps and pink color remains.
9. After the endpoint is reached, add NaOH in larger increments: 0.1ml, then
0.2ml, then 0.5 ml increments, then finally 1ml at a time after your pH hits 12.
Record the pH each time. Stop when you reach a pH of 13 or higher for 3
straight readings.
10. Discard your flask contents into the sink and flush with excess tap water.

Part II – Weak acid strong base titration (with pH meter)

11. Repeat the procedure for the preparing your acid as outlined above, but
with the following modification: Weak acids are solids, so add 0.20g of your
weak acid to 50ml of water, dissolve by stirring. You will proceed just as above
following steps #3 – 10, but with another modification: Titrate a 0.5ml
increment only once. Then switch to smaller increments: 0.20ml or 0.10ml
increments, reducing down to drop by drop increments as the pink persists
longer. It doesn’t take very long to titrate this solution.

Part III – Weak acid strong base titration (no pH meter required until the
end)
12. Repeat what you did in Part II (add 50ml of water to your 0.20g acid,
dissolve)
13. Carefully measure out 25ml (half) of this acid solution and transfer to an
Erlenmeyer flask and set aside. You will titrate the remaining 25 ml solution in a
beaker
14. Titrate your 25ml solution only until the pink barely persists (did you forget
your Phenolphthalein?). You don’t need to measure out or record volume
increments or pH.
15. Add your 25ml light pink solution back with your original 25ml of un-titrated
solution.
16. Record the pH of this solution.

Safety – Both the HCl and NaOH are caustic and can cause major eye damage. Goggles
must be worn at all times, and use the eye wash station for 15 minutes if you get
anything in your eyes. We will use 1.00 Molar or less for each of these substances, so
search for the SDS accordingly. Look up an example of a weak acid and include this in
your safety. The ones we will have to choose from will be low toxicity.

Data Table – See Below

Calculations/Analysis
1. Plot your data from parts I and II onto a graph using correct increments/units on
your X and Y axes. (see below)
 2. Write the balanced neutralization equation for the strong acid and strong base
including states of matter:
3. Using stoichiometry and/or dimensional analysis, calculate the concentration of
your unknown strong acid that you neutralized in part I. Alternatively, you can use
the dilution equation: M1V1 = M2V2
4. Using stoichiometry or M1V1 = M2V2, calculate the concentration and moles of your
weak acid in part II
5. State the identity of your weak acid using the 5 unknown identities on the board.
Hint: Use your answer from the previous questions to calculate the molar mass of
your unknown weak acid by dividing mass by moles
6. In part III, take the final pH you measured and convert this to [H 3O+]. Demonstrate
mathematically (prove) how this number is equal to the Ka of the acid. Hint: Make
an ICE table, set initial acid and initial conjugate base equal to each other, x is
negligible.

Error/Discussion
7. Calculate % error for all parts.
a. Part I: Use known molarity as accepted value

b. Part II: Use known molar mass as accepted value

c. Part III: Use known Ka as accepted value

8. Discuss how the following errors would have impacted your data:
a. In Part I, your burrette containing NaOH had a large air bubble in its glass tip.
How would this impact your Molarity of your strong acid?
b. In Part II, the weak acid didn’t fully dissolve and there was still solid chunks
of it remaining after the color of your analyte turned pink. How would this
have impacted your molar mass calculation?
c. In Part III, someone dumped out your un-titrated solution while you were
busy and filled it back up with water before you noticed. How would this have
impacted your [H3O+] calculation?

9. Why was it not necessary to know the pH of the neutralized solution (the half that
you titrated) in Part III?

10. Explain the statement: “The pKa of a weak acid is equal to the pH half-way
to its neutralization point”. This is connected to your answer from #6 and #9

Strong Acid
Vol NaOH pH Vol NaOH pH Vol NaOH pH
Weak Acid
Vol NaOH pH Vol NaOH pH Vol NaOH pH

Strong Acid Graph

Weak Acid Graph