How to do acid base titration?
Acid-base titration is a laboratory technique used to determine the concentration of an unknown acid or base solution. The procedure involves slowly adding a standardized solution of a strong acid or base to a solution of the unknown substance until the reaction between the two is complete. Here are the steps to conduct an acid-base titration:
Materials needed:
The unknown solution
A standardized solution of a strong acid or base
An indicator solution
Burette
Pipette
Conical flask
Steps:
Measure out a known volume of the unknown solution using a volumetric pipette and transfer it to a clean conical flask.
Add a few drops of the indicator solution to the flask. The choice of indicator depends on the type of acid or base being titrated.
For example, phenolphthalein is commonly used as an indicator for strong acid-strong base titrations, while methyl orange is used for strong acid-weak base titrations.
Fill the burette with the standardized solution of the strong acid or base. Make sure to record the initial burette reading.
Slowly add the standardized solution to the conical flask, swirling the contents gently. Watch the color of the indicator and continue adding the standardized solution until the color change is complete.
Record the final burette reading. The difference between the initial and final burette readings gives the volume of the standardized solution used.
Repeat the titration two or three times to get consistent results.
Use the balanced chemical equation to calculate the molarity of the unknown solution.
Note : The endpoint of the titration is the point at which the indicator changes color, indicating that the reaction is complete. It is important to stop adding the standardized solution as soon as the endpoint is reached to ensure accurate results.