Titration

A titration is a method of analysis that will

allow you to determine the precise endpoint
of a reaction and therefore the precise
quantity of reactant in the titration flask. A
buret is used to deliver the second reactant
to the flask and an indicator or pH Meter is
used to detect the endpoint of the reaction.


Doing a Titration




Begin by preparing your buret, as described on theburet page.
Your buret should be conditioned and filled with titrant solution.
You should check for air bubbles and leaks, before proceding
with the titration.








Take an initial volume reading and record it
in your notebook. Before beginning a
titration, you should always calculate the
expected endpoint volume.






Prepare the solution to be analyzed by
placing it in a clean Erlenmeyer flask or
beaker. If your sample is a solid, make sure
it is completely dissoloved. Put a magnetic
stirrer in the flask and add indicator.






Use the buret to deliver a stream of titrant to
within a couple of mL of your expected
endpoint. You will see the indicator change
color when the titrant hits the solution in the
flask, but the color change disappears upon
stirring.






Approach the endpoint more slowly and
watch the color of your flask carefully. Use a
wash bottle to rinse the sides of the flask and
the tip of the buret, to be sure all titrant is
mixed in the flask.





As you approach the endpoint, you may need to add a partial
drop of titrant. You can do this with a rapid spin of a teflon
stopcock or by partially opening the stopcock and rinsing the
partial drop into the flask with a wash bottle. Ask your TA to
demonstrate these techniques for you, in the lab.






Make sure you know what the endpoint should look like. For
phenolphthalein, the endpoint is the first permanent pale pink.
The pale pink fades in 10 to 20 minutes.

If you think you might have reached the endpoint, you can
record the volume reading and add another partial drop.
Sometimes it is easier to tell when you have gone past the
endpoint.





If the flask looks like this, you have gone too far!






When you have reached the endpoint, read the final volume in
the buret and record it in your notebook.






Subtract the initial volume to determine the amount of titrant
delivered. Use this, the concentration of the titrant, and the
stoichiometry of the titration reaction to calculate the number
of moles of reactant in your analyte solution.




For more information, see the page
on burets.


Titrating with a pH meter




Titration with a pH meter follows the same procedure as a
titration with an indicator, except that the endpoint is detected
by a rapid change in pH, rather than the color change of an
indicator.






Arrange the sample, stirrer, buret, and pH meter electrode so
that you can read the pH and operate the buret with ease.