COULOMETRIC DETERMINATION OF ASCORBIC ACID

Maria Garcia Atencia

Sample 9 A
Introduction

Coulometric titration is based on the complete conversion from a compound into another form in a
different oxidation state. With this method we determined the amount of ascorbic acid. This
compound is oxidized by iodine.

2 +2
+1

Results

1. Determination of polarization potential

The ascorbic acid standard weighted 0,0881 g. The optimal polarization potential is chosen by
analyzing the sample with different potentials and calculate the mass by the Faradays Law.

=

For example, the calculation for 50 mV would be:

1789,639 176,13 50
=
2 96485310
 Polarization potential (mV) time (s) Q (mC) mass (g)
50 179,3 1789,639 0,079
100 184,8 1848,32 0,081
200 192,5 1924,89 0,0852
300 188,5 1885,25 0,0834
600 188,6 1886,29 0,0834

The time shows us the end of the titration. The best potential is 200mV, so from now on there is
worked further with this potential.

2. Blank

We need a blank solution to correct for impurity in chemicals.

No time (s) Q (mC)

1 5,3 53,248
2 6,1 60,995

The average charge is used further to correct our founded results. It is 57,12 mC.

3. Sample 9 A

After taking 0.0529 g powder, we will examine whats the mass percentage of vitamin C in the
powder.
t (s) Qcorrected v (ml) m (g) %
(mC)
179,3 1732,517 1 0,079066 2,98926282
184,8 1791,198 2 0,081744 3,09051025
192,5 1867,768 3 0,08523838 3,22262311
188,5 1828,128 2.7 0,08342935 3,15422878
188,6 1829,168 2,7 0,08347681 3,15602318

The average of percentage is 3,15%.

An example of calculation of the mass would be:

1732,517 176,13 50
=
2 96485310

The time at the end of the titration would be around 200 seconds, so we changed the volume in each
measurement. That is why the values of two first experiments are not correct and we neglect them in
the average.
Again Faradays Law is used to calculate the concentration. The total amount is all the amount of
ascorbic acid that you can find in the powder that we tested (m=0.051g).

The confidence interval for the mass of ascorbic acid per 100 grams of powder is

With = 3,15; t=3,18; n=4

s = 0,054

Now we can calculate the confidence interval:

[3,15% 0,086%]

4. Sample Vitamin C in pill

The weight of the pill is 2,692 g.

t (s) Qcorrected (mC) v (ml) m (g) %
107,7 1020,3685 1 0,04656603 0,03459586
160,2 1544,9245 1,5 0,07050492 0,05238107
216,3 2106,2505 2 0,09612186 0,07141297
190,4 1846,5485 1,8 0,08426998 0,06260771
202,3 1962,9805 1,9 0,08958352 0,06655537

The average of percentage is 0,065 %.

We used the same method as for the powder.

Here is = 0,065

t=2,78, n=5 and s=0,0028, so the confidence interval for the mass in g/100g of the pill is:

[0,065% 0,0038%]

5. Vitamin C in lemon

The quarter of the lemon weighted 35,707 g

t (s) Qcorrected (mC) v (ml) m (g) %
23,4 177,2385 50 0,00808854 0,022652537
28,4 226,7045 50 0,0010346 0,00289747

The average of percentage is 0,013 %