CHEMISTRY HL SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
EFFECT OF CONCENTRATION OF ACID USED ON VOLUME OF BASE REQUIRED
TO NEUTRALISE
Research Question: How does the concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl) affect the volume of sodium
hydroxide (NaOH) needed for neutralization?
1. INTRODUCTION
In this experiment, we aim to determine the concentration of three different samples of hydrochloric acid
(HCl), labelled as HCl 1, HCl 2, and HCl 3. Additionally, we will investigate how variations in the
concentration of these HCl samples affect the volume of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) needed for
neutralization. To accomplish this, we will employ a chemical technique known as titration. Titration is a
common technique used in analytical chemistry to determine the concentration of an unknown solution by
reacting it with a solution of known concentration.
The neutralisation reaction between HCl and NaOH is as follows:
HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq)→ NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)
2. BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE
Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH):
Sodium hydroxide, commonly known as caustic soda, is a strong base. It is highly soluble in water and
dissociates into sodium ions (Na⁺) and hydroxide ions (OH⁻) when dissolved.
Hydrochloric Acid (HCl):
Hydrochloric acid is a strong and highly corrosive acid, often used in laboratories and various industrial
processes. In aqueous solutions, it dissociates into hydrogen ions (H⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻).
Titration:
Titration is a technique used in chemistry to determine the concentration of a solution by reacting it
with a solution of known concentration. The key concept behind titration is stoichiometry—the
balanced chemical equation that relates the reactants and products of a chemical reaction.
Equations involved
In this experiment the molar ratio between NaOH and HCl is 1:1 hence the equation is as follows:
C 1V 1 C 2 V 2
=
n1 n2
Where
C1= Concentration of NaOH C2= Concentration of HCl
V1= Volume of NaOH V2= Volume of HCl
n1= number of moles of NaOH n2= number of moles of HCl
This equation will be used to calculate the concentration of the HCl sample in this experiment.
3. DESIGN
3.1 Aim
To determine the concentration of the hydrochloric acid used and the impact of its concentration on the
volume of sodium hydroxide needed
3.2 Apparatus and materials required
Table 1: Table summarizing the apparatus and materials required, their quantity and their use
Apparatus Quantity Use
HCl Samples of
different 3x 10cm3 Sample
concentration
NaOH solution of
60cm3 Titrant
0.1mol/dm^3
1
3
50cm Burette Used to pour and measure the volume of NaOH
±0.05cm3
250cm3 Erlenmeyer
3 Used to hold the solution during titration
Flask
1
Used to transfer HCl samples from one container to
10cm3 pipette
another
±0.02cm3
50cm3 Beakers 3 Used to store HCl samples
Dropper 1 Used to add Bromomethyl blue indicator
Clamp 1 Used to attach the burette to the burette stand
Burette stand 1 Used to hold the burette
Any sufficient
Distilled water To wash apparatus
quantity
Pipette pump 1 Used to create vacuum and pull solutions into a pipette
Funnel 1 Used to easily pour solutions into the burette
Bromomethyl blue 1 bottle Used to observe the PH of the solution
Gloves 1 Used to protect hands from corrosive chemicals
Lab coat 1 Safety in case of chemical spill
3.3 Methodology
Steps of conducting the experiment
Step 1: Ensure that all the required apparatus is available and ready for use
Step 2: Label 3 Erlenmeyer flasks as HCl 1, HCl 2 and HCl 3
Step 3: Use a pipette to pour 10cm3 of each of the HCl samples into their respective flasks.
Step 4: Rinse the burette with distilled water and then with NaOH solution
Step 5: Pour the 0.1mol/dm3 solution of NaOH in the burette until its filled
Step 6: Add 3 drops of bromomethyl blue indicator to the HCl samples
Step 7: Record the initial volume of the NaOH
Step 8: Gradually add the NaOH to the HCl 1 solution while stirring it
Step 9: Keep adding until the solution changes from yellow to blue
Step 10: Record the final volume of the NaOH
Step 11: Repeat this for each of the HCl samples 2 times
Step 12: Calculate the volume of NaOH used by using the formula (Final volume – initial volume)
Step 13: Use the equation in Background information to find the Molar concentration of each of the
HCl Samples.
3.4 Hypothesis
I think increasing the concentration of HCl would lead to an increase in the volume of NaOH required to
complete neutralization. This is because a higher concentration of HCl results in more number of moles of
HCl in the same volume of the solution, and the molar ratio between the reaction of NaOH and HCl is 1:1
hence the same number of moles of NaOH should be present. With constant concentration of NaOH, a
greater volume of NaOH will be required to match the higher number of moles of HCl.
3.5 Selection and control of variables
Independent Variable Range of Measurement Physical significance of changing
(mol/dm3) the variable
Concentration of HCl (mol/dm3) Unknown concentrations. To be The concentration of the acid
determined by experimentation. impacts how many moles of HCl
are present in the same volume
of solution, consequently
impacting the volume of NaOH
needed and helping us find a
relationship between them.
Dependent Variable Method of Measuring
Volume of NaOH needed to I used a burette to measure the initial and final volume of NaOH and
neutralise then found the difference.
Controlled Variable Physical significance of Method of Controlling
changing the variable
Volume of HCl Changing the volume of HCl I used a pipette to measure the
would unnecessarily vary the volumes of the reactants. For
readings, since we are just trying every set, a fixed 10 cm3 of HCl
to measure the impact of change was taken.
in concentration
Concentration of NaOH Changing the concentration of the Before starting the experiment, I
titrant, NaOH, would make the prepared bulk NaOH solutions of
volume readings irrelevant, since 0.1mol/dm3 for all my readings.
we are will not be able to see a This prevented any deviations in
direct relationship the concentrations.
Temperature of Surrounding The temperature can impact the I will conduct all the experiments
volume of the solutions, hence under the same room to keep all
affecting the concentrations of the solutions at the same room
the solutions temperature
Quality and Quantity of PH Changing the indicator and the I chose bromomethyl blue
indicator amount that is put into the indicator for the experiment and
solutions can prevent us from kept it constant throughout.
effectively observing the colour Moreover, for each trial, I only
changes and comparing different added 3 drop to the HCl solution.
data sets. Furthermore, it may
lead to the acquisition of
imprecise results
3.6 Safety
All the chemicals in this experiment are dangerous and corrosive. Thus, safety precautions need to be kept in
mind. Firstly, it is important to wear rubber gloves and protective eyewear while handling the solutions as
the chemicals in them can damage skin. Furthermore, hands should be kept away from the mouth at all times
as NaOH and HCl are inedible and can cause serious health issues if consumed in a large quantity. Lastly,
the apparatus must be handled with care since glass instruments are prone to breaking into sharp pieces that
may be lethal.
4 EXPERIMENT
4.1 Control variable values
Concentration of NaOH: 0.1mol/dm3
Volume of HCl: 10cm3
4.2 Raw uncertainty
Volume of reactants (NaOH solution and HCl solution): The volume of all reactants was measured
using a measuring cylinder. The least count of a measuring cylinder is 0.1 cm3. Given that this an
analogue instrument, the uncertainty would simply be half of the least count. Hence:
3
0.1 cm 3
ΔV = =± 0.05 c m
2
4.3 Data collection
HCl 1
Trial No Initial volume of NaOH Final volume of NaOH Volume of NaOH used
(cm3) (±0.05) (cm3) (±0.05) (cm3) (±0.10)
1 0 8.6 8.6
2 8.6 17.5 8.9
Volume of NaOH used is calculated with the formula (Final volume-initial volume)
Calculating the concentration of HCl 1:
(8.6+8.9)/2 = 8.75 ± 0.20 cm3 [average volume of NaOH used]
8.75*0.1/10 = 0.0875mol/dm3 ≈ 0.088mol/dm3[Concentration of HCl 1]
((0.2/8.75)+(0.05/10))*100 = 2.80% [Percentage uncertainty in concentration of HCl 1]
HCl 2
Trial No Initial volume of NaOH Final volume of NaOH Volume of NaOH used
(cm3) (±0.05) (cm3) (±0.05) (cm3) (±0.10)
1 0 5.8 5.8
2 5.8 11.2 5.4
Volume of NaOH used is calculated with the formula (Final volume-initial volume)
Concentration of HCl 2:
(5.8+5.4)/2 = 5.6 ± 0.20 cm3 [average volume of NaOH used]
5.6*0.1/10 = 0.056mol/dm3 [Concentration of HCl 2]
((0.2/5.6)+(0.05/10))*100 = 4.07% [Percentage uncertainty in concentration of HCl 2]
HCl 3
Trial No Initial volume of NaOH Final volume of NaOH Volume of NaOH used
(cm3) (±0.05) (cm3) (±0.05) (cm3) (±0.10)
1 0 2.2 2.2
2 2.2 3.9 1.7
Volume of NaOH used is calculated with the formula (Final volume-initial volume)
Concentration of HCl 3:
(2.2+1.7)/2 = 1.95 ± 0.20 cm3 [average volume of NaOH used]
1.95*0.1/10 = 0.0195mol/dm3 ≈ 0.012mol/dm3 [Concentration of HCl 3]
((0.2/1.95)+(0.05/10))*100 = 10.7% [Percentage uncertainty in concentration of HCl 3]
4.4 Graph
Concentration of HCl/ Volume of NaOH used
0.01
Volume of NaOH required (dm^3)
0.009
0.008
0.007
0.006
0.005
0.004
0.003
0.002
0.001
0
0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07 0.08 0.09 0.1
Concentration of HCl (Mol/dm^3)
5 ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSION
I would the call this investigation an overall success as I was able to derive a relationship between the
concentration of the HCl and the volume of NaOH used in titration. Essentially, as hypothesized in the
beginning, increasing the concentration of HCl would lead to an increase in the volume of NaOH required to
complete neutralization because a higher concentration of HCl results in more number of moles of HCl in
the same volume. A positive proportional trend can be seen between the concentration of HCl and volume of
NaOH in the graph above.
The data shows that as the concentration increased from 0.012 mol/dm3 to 0.056 mol/dm3 to 0.088 mol/dm3,
the average volume of NaOH required increased from 1.95 cm3 to 5.6 cm3 to 8.75 cm3.
6 EVALUATION AND REFLECTION
6.1 Strengths
o Uncertainty is low: The processed data shows that the percentage uncertainty of the concentration of
HCl is relatively low. This is important for the success of the investigation as it indicates that the
values that were recorded were absolute and supported the analysis and the conclusion strongly.
Furthermore, it shows that the accuracy of the results was high and there were minimal deviations if
any.
6.2 Weaknesses
o Analogue instruments were used: Analogue instruments have their advantages and disadvantages.
However, the most important is the fact that they can cause deviations from the actual value due to
human errors like the reaction time. This can lead to imprecise and inaccurate readings and prevent
me from identifying a proper trend.
o Small data set: My investigation could be more successful by taking a wider range of concentrations
and performing the experiment multiple times. This would be beneficial as it would allow me to
generalize my hypothesis to a relatively high degree and made it overall easier to derive precise and
accurate conclusions.
6.3 Errors (with significance and the necessary improvements)
o Imprecision due to issues with the apparatus: High significance as if the apparatus has been
incorrectly calibrated or if there had been a manufacturing issue with the scale then the accuracy of
the values recorded could have been be impacted and the results may be in totality unreliable.
Though, there is not a very high chance that an error of this sort would have occurred as I personally
checked all the instruments before beginning the investigation. Nonetheless, another way to ensure
that the apparatus was working properly would have been to opt for new alternatives and getting
them analysed by a professor beforehand
o Residue and impurities being left behind: Significant as old residue may have been left inside the
apparatus and impurities could have entered the conical flask during titration. As a result, it would
have impacted the titration reaction and may have led to the wrong value of the sodium hydroxide
volume required to reach endpoint being recorded. To eliminate impurities all together, deionized
water could have been used to clean the apparatus as it would have removed any residue and built up
bacteria. Furthermore, the conical flask could have been covered with foil to protect it from air born
impurities.
o Stopping point of NaOH dispersal being beyond the real endpoint: High significance as it would
have caused improper volume of NaOH readings to be recorded; consequently leading to inaccurate
graphs being drawn and potentially wrong conclusions. Essentially, this is a common error as it is
difficult to understand the exact endpoint manually without the help of an electronic sensor. As a
result, it may have been advisable to use a colour sensor which emits light and then absorbs the
amount reflected; after which it analyses the reflected light to identify colour. Hence, helping in
identifying the exact time at which titration ended and allowing us to record the accurate value for
the amount of sodium hydroxide needed to reach endpoint. Otherwise, repeating the experiment a
few of more times would have helped improve the accuracy of the results. However, it would not
have eliminated the error entirely.
o Parallax Error: Significant since it would have an effect on both the precision and the accuracy of
the results. Consequently, leading to improper data analysis. Therefore, I could have tried to read the
values from below the meniscus and look at the apparatus from different angles. This would have
helped me obtain the most accurate readings.
7 RESEARCH EXTENSION
To further extend this research, one could:
1. Investigate the impact of temperature on the rate of neutralization between HCl and NaOH.
2. Explore the effects of varying the volume of HCl on the volume of NaOH needed for neutralization.
3. Compare the results obtained in this experiment with theoretical predictions based on stoichiometry.
4. Explore the practical applications of titration techniques in various industries and fields of chemistry.
These extensions would provide additional insights into the behaviour of acid-base reactions and their
applications in the real world.
8 BIBLIOGRAPHY
o Britanicca, Editors of. “Titration.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., 24 Aug.
2023, www.britannica.com/science/titration .
o “Sodium Hydroxide.” Sodium Hydroxide, www.tn.gov/health/cedep/environmental/environmental-
health-topics/eht/sodium-hydroxide.html#:~:text=Sodium%20hydroxide%20is%20sometimes
%20called,strong%20acids%20and%20with%20water. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023.
o Admin. “HCl Acid (Hydrochloric Acid) - Structure, Molecular Mass, Preparations, Properties and Videos
with Faqs of Hydrochloric Acid.” BYJUS, BYJU’S, 13 July 2022,
byjus.com/chemistry/hydrochloric-acid/#:~:text=Hydrochloric%20acid%20is%20an%20inorganic,in
%20water%20HCl%20is%20formed.
