Abdul Kadir Molla

International School
Grade 9
Subject: Chemistry
Chapter: 8 (Acids, Bases and Salts)
Topic: Titration
Titration
The volume of acid needed to neutralise an alkali was found by adding the acid a little at a time, until the indicator
showed that the reaction was complete. This method is called titration. Titration is generally used for preparing the salts
of very reactive metals, such as potassium or sodium. Titration can also be used to find the concentration of the alkali
used.

It would be too dangerous to add the metal directly to the acid. In this case, we solve the problem indirectly and use an
alkali which contains the reactive metal whose salt we wish to prepare.

The steps in making sodium chloride

It is dangerous to add sodium to acid. So to make sodium salts, start with sodium hydroxide. You can make sodium
chloride like this:

NaOH (aq) + HCl (aq) = NaCl (aq) + H2 O ( l )

Both reactants are soluble, and no gas bubbles off. So how can you tell when the reaction is complete? By carrying out a
titration.

In a titration, one reactant is slowly added to the other in the presence of an indicator. The indicator changes colour
when the reaction is complete. So you know how much reactant is needed for a complete reaction. Now you can mix the
correct amounts, without the indicator.

You could use phenolphthalein as the indicator. It is pink in alkaline solution, but colourless in neutral and acid solutions.
These are the steps:

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International School

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International School
Finding concentrations by titration

Example 1: You are asked to find the concentration of a solution of hydrochloric acid, using a 1 M solution of sodium
carbonate as the standard solution.

Procedure: First, titrate the acid against your standard solution.

 Measure 25 cm3 of the sodium carbonate solution into a conical flask, using a pipette. Add a few drops of
methyl orange indicator. The indicator goes yellow.
 Pour the acid into a 50 cm3 burette. Record the level.
 Drip the acid slowly into the conical flask. Keep swirling the flask. Stop adding acid when a single drop finally
turns the indicator red. Record the new level of acid in the burette.
 Calculate the volume of acid used. For example:

Starting level: 1.0 cm3

Final level: 28.8 cm3

Volume used: 27.8 cm3

So 27.8 cm3 of the acid neutralised 25 cm3 of the alkaline solution.

Calculation: You can now calculate the concentration of the acid.

Step 1: Calculate the number of moles of sodium carbonate used.

1000 cm3 of 1 M solution contains 1 mole.

25
So, 25 cm3 contains X 1 mole => 0.025 mole
1000

Step 2: From the equation, find the molar ratio of acid to alkali.

2HCl (aq) + Na2CO3 (aq)  2NaCl (aq) + H2O (l) + CO2 (g)
2 moles 1 mole
The ratio is 2 moles of acid to 1 of alkali.

Step 3: Work out the number of moles of acid neutralised.

1 mole of alkali neutralises 2 moles of acid.

So, 0.025 mole of alkali neutralises = 2 X 0.025 moles of acid. 0.05 moles of acid were neutralised.

Step 4: Calculate the concentration of the acid.

The volume of acid used was 27.8 cm3 or 0.0278 dm3.

𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬
Concentration = 𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐦𝟑
0.05
=0.0278

= 1.8 mol / dm3

So the concentration of the hydrochloric acid is 1.8 M.

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 Abdul Kadir Molla
International School
Example 2:

Vinegar is mainly a solution of the weak acid ethanoic acid. 25 cm3 of vinegar were neutralised by 20 cm3 of 1 M sodium
hydroxide solution. What is the concentration of ethanoic acid in the vinegar?

Step 1: Calculate the number of moles of sodium hydroxide used.

1000 cm3 of 1 M solution contains 1 mole

20
so 20 cm3 contains 1000 X 1 mole or 0.02 mole.

Step 2 From the equation, find the molar ratio of acid to alkali.

CH3COOH (aq) + NaOH (aq)  CH3COONa (aq) + O (l)

1 mole 1 mole

The ratio is 1 mole of acid to 1 mole of alkali.

Step 3 Work out the number of moles of acid neutralised.

1 mole of alkali neutralises 1 mole of acid.

So 0.02 mole of alkali neutralise 0.02 mole of acid.

Step 4 Calculate the concentration of the acid. (25 cm3 = 0.025 dm3)
number of moles
concentration = volume in dm3
0.02
=0.025

= 0.8 mol / dm3

So the concentration of ethanoic acid in the vinegar is 0.8 M.

Example 3:

Titration can also be used to find the concentration of the alkali used. In the laboratory, the titration of hydrochloric acid
with sodium hydroxide is carried out in the following:

Step 1: 25 cm3 of sodium hydroxide solution is pipetted into a conical flask to which a few drops of thymolphthalein
indicator have been added. Thymolphthalein is blue in alkaline conditions but colourless in acid.

Step 2: A 0.10 mol/dm3 solution of hydrochloric acid is placed in the burette using a filter funnel until it is filled up
exactly to the zero mark.

Step 3: The filter funnel is now removed.

Step 4: The hydrochloric acid is added to the sodium hydroxide solution in small quantities – usually no more than 0.5
cm3 at a time. The contents of the flask must be swirled after each addition of acid for thorough mixing.

Step 5: The acid is added until the alkali has been neutralised completely. This is shown by the blue colour of the
indicator just disappearing.

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International School
Step 6: The final reading on the burette at the end-point is recorded and further titrations carried out until consistent
results are obtained (within 0.1 cm3 of each other).

Volume of sodium hydroxide solution = 25.0 cm3 = 0.025 dm3

Average volume of 0.10 mol/dm3 solution of hydrochloric acid added = 21.0 cm3 = 0.021 dm3

The neutralisation reaction which has taken place is:

hydrochloric acid + sodium hydroxide → sodium chloride + water

HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)

Calculation:

Method 1:

Volume of sodium hydroxide solution = 25.0 cm3 = 0.025 dm3

Average volume of 0.10 mol/dm3 solution of hydrochloric acid added = 21.0 cm3 = 0.021 dm3

1. Find out the number of moles of the acid using the formula given:
Mole = volume X Concentration
= 0.021 dm3 x 0.10 mol/dm3
= 0.0021 moles
2. From the equation, find the molar ratio of acid to alkali.

HCl(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)

1 mole 1 mole

The ratio is 1 mole of acid to 1 mole of alkali.

3. Work out the number of moles of acid neutralised.

1 mole of alkali neutralises 1 mole of acid.

So 0.0021 moles of acids neutralise 0.0021 moles of alkali.

4. Calculate the concentration of the alkali. (25 cm3 = 0.025 dm3)

number of moles
concentration =
volume in dm3
0.0021
=
0.025

= 0.084 moles

So the concentration of NaOH in the HCl is 0.084 M.

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 Abdul Kadir Molla
International School
Method 2:

You can simplify the calculation by substituting in the following mathematical equation:

Where:

M1 = concentration of the acid used

V1 = volume of acid used (cm3)

Macid = number of moles of acid shown in the chemical equation

M2 = concentration of the alkali used

V2 = volume of the alkali used (cm3)

Malkali = number of moles of alkali shown in the chemical equation.

In the example:

M1 = 0.10 mol/dm3

V1 = 21.0 cm3

Macid = 1 mole

M2 = unknown

V2 = 25.0 cm3

Malkali = 1 mole

The concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution is 0.084 mol/dm3.

Questions:

1. What will you start with, to make the salt zinc chloride?
2. You would not make lead salts by reacting lead with acids.
a. Why not?
b. Suggest a way to make lead nitrate.
3. Look at step 2 at the top of page 158. The zinc was in excess. What does that mean? (Check the glossary?)
4. What is the purpose of a titration?
5. For carrying out a titration, a burette and pipette are used rather than measuring cylinders. Why?
6. You are asked to make the salt ammonium nitrate. Which reactants will you use?
7. What is a standard solution?
8. What volume of 2 M hydrochloric acid will neutralise 25 cm3 of 2 M sodium carbonate?

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 Abdul Kadir Molla
International School
9. 20 cm3 of 1 M sulfuric acid were neutralised by 25 cm3 of ammonia solution. Calculate the concentration of the
ammonia solution.
10. In a titration to find the concentration of a solution of sulfuric acid, 25 cm3 of it was just neutralised by 20.15 cm3 of
a 0.2 mol/dm3 solution of sodium hydroxide. What is the concentration of the sulfuric acid used?
11. 24.2 cm3 of a solution containing 0.20 mol/dm3 of hydrochloric acid just neutralised 25.0 cm3 of a potassium
hydroxide solution. What is the concentration of this potassium hydroxide solution?
12. 22.4 cm3 of a solution containing 0.10 mol/ dm3 of sulfuric acid just neutralised 25.0 cm3 of a sodium hydroxide
solution. What is the concentration of this sodium hydroxide solution?

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