FINDING THE UNKNOWN MOLARITY OF HYDROCHLORIC ACID

Objective
The aim of this experiment is to determine the molarity of hydrochloric acid (HCl) by adding a volume
of sodium hydroxide (NaOH).
Hypothesis

Variables

Independent Variables: Volume of acid (5 mL, 10 mL, 15, 20 mL, 25 mL)

Dependent Variable: the molarity of acid
Controlled Variables: the molarity of sodium hydroxide (0.1M), room temperature, pressure, the
addition of phenolphthalein indicator (3 drops).

Tools and Materials

Burette (1)
25 mL Erlenmeyer flask (5)
25 mL measuring cylinder (1)
10 mL measuring cylinder (1)
250 mL beaker (3)
Retort stand and clamp (1)
150 ml of HCl
150 mL of sodium hydroxide (NaOH)
20 ml of phenolphthalein indicator
1 L of distilled water
Wash bottle (1)
25 mL Volumetric Pipette (1) and bulb
10 mL Volumetric Pipette (1)
Dropper (1)
Funnel (1)
Goggles
Gloves
Lab Coat
Sheet of white and dark paper

Method
1. Rinse the tools (burette, flasks, and beakers).
2. Make sure the burette stopcock is closed.
3. Fill the burette with sodium hydroxide.

4. Place a beaker under the burette.

5. Open the stopcock to allow the liquid to drain out into the beaker and then close the stopcock.
Make sure that there is no air bubbles remain in the stopcock.
6. Remove the beaker.
7. Using a 25 mL volumetric pipette, pour 5 mL of HCl into an Erlenmeyer flask.
8. Add 3 drops of phenolphthalein into the acid in the Erlenmeyer flask. The solution should remain
colourless at this point.
9. Place the flask under the burette. Put a sheet of white paper under the flask to easily see the
endpoint.
10. Read the volume of the sodium hydroxide in the burette. This is your initial volume.
Reading is made easier by holding a piece of dark paper behind the burette.
11. Slowly open the burette stopcock and add some sodium hydroxide into the flask, while doing so,
swirl the flask. Observe the colour of the solution, you may notice a temporary colour change in
the solution.
12. Continue adding the sodium hydroxide. The colour change will take longer to disappear. This is a
signal that the endpoint is almost reached and the sodium hydroxide should be added drop wise.
13. Stop adding the sodium hydroxide when a permanent colour change is observed (a pale pink;
stays longer than 30 seconds). This indicates that the solution has reached its endpoint.
14. Record the volume of sodium hydroxide in the burette. This is your final volume. Subtract
the initial volume from the final volume to determine the volume of sodium hydroxide
added.
15. Repeat step 1 to 14 using different volume of vinegar: 10 mL, 15 mL and 20 mL, 25 mL.
16. Refill the burette with sodium hydroxide solution if it was not enough but remember to record the
volume of sodium hydroxide used.
17. Repeat step 1 to 16 three times to obtain accurate results.