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Determining Molarity through Acid-Base

Titration
Michael OBrien
Patrick Moody
Chemistry 1251L-911
April 5, 2016

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Introduction:
The overall purpose of this lab which can be inferred from the title is to determine the
molarity of given solutions through acid-base titration. There are a trio of solutions that are used
within the experiment. These solutions include a Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate (abbreviated to
KHP) solution, an Acetic acid and a Sulfuric acid. To begin with there must be a clear
understanding of the steps of the experiment and having the background knowledge to
understand not only the process but also the purpose of the experiment. Some of the background
information that must be understood consists of creating solutions of standard molarity, acid-base
titration, different types of acids, primary standards and protiuty. Beginning with the concept of
solutions of standard molarity, simply put this is the calculated concentration of a solute within a
known amount of solution. Now to fully understand what this means there must be an
understanding of the concept of solutions. A solution is an aqueous solution that is a mixture of a
solute and a solvent. This concept can be easily explained by the analogy of making Kool-Aid.
The solute which is the substance that is dissolved within a solution and in this example the
Kool-Aid powder is dissolved within a set amount of solute. The solvent is the dissolving agent
that is used to create the solution in this case and many others the solvent is water. In solutions of
standard molarity, the exact same amount of Kool-Aid powder was used in the differing
solutions. Moving onto acid: base titrations, this simply the neutralization of either an acid or a
base within a solution in order to determine the concentration of the neutralized agent. This
process is done using a buret and slowly adding drops of the acid: base solution to another
mixture until a reaction is seen. Since the experiment relies heavily on the experimenter seeing
the change of the color of the mixed solution the experiment is stopped right after the stop point
which is called the equivalence point. This is the point in which the experiment has been

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completed. There are multiple types of acids that are used within this experiment. These are the
Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate (KHP), Acetic acid and Sulfuric acid. Within the differences of
the acids themselves there are the results that will be produced from them. These will all produce
different results just due to them being different chemicals. The 2nd to last piece of background
information is based on primary standards. Primary standards are simply a group of substances
that are extremely pure and when exposed to air remain stable. There is a wide variety of these
substances. Finally, the last piece of background information is protiuty. Simply put protiuty is
the amount of protons that acids have. Some like monoprotic acids have 1 proton, while diprotic
acids have 2 protons, triprotic acids have 3 protons and so on. This is all the background
information that is needed to understand and perform this experiment.
Procedure:
The experiment began with 1.05 grams of KHP (Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate) being
weighed out and placed into an Erlenmeyer flask. This flask was then carefully filled with
distilled water and the sides were rinsed to ensure all the solute was dissolved. The total amount
of distilled water was equal to 70 mL. This solution was then mixed thoroughly and the KHP
completely dissolved. 3 drops of phenolphthalein an indicator were then added to the mixture.
The Erlenmeyer flask was then placed on top of the ring stands base and the buret filled with
4.09 mL of NaOH. White paper was then placed underneath the flask and the NaOH was then
slowly added to the flask. The flask was swirled as the Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) was added.
This process was stopped when there was slight color change in the flasks color. This change was
to a light pink color and this was the equivalence point of the titration. All available data was
collected and recorded. This experiment was repeated 3 times and all available data was
recorded. The next titration performed was done using Acetic acid. 2.00 mLs were placed into a

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10 mL graduated cylinder and then mixed in a clean Erlenmeyer flask with 50 mLs of distilled
water. 3 drops of phenolphthalein were then added to the mixture in the Erlenmeyer flask. The
same setup and process was used for the titration of the Acetic acid as the KHP mixture. All
available data was then copied down and the process was repeated once more. The final 2
titrations were done using a combination of 2.00 mLs of Sulfuric acid diluted by 50 mLs of
distilled water and 3 drops of phenolphthalein. This mixture was placed in an Erlenmeyer flask
in the exact same setup as the other 2 sets of titrations and was titrated until the mixture in the
flask turned a light pink color. All data available is once again collected and recorded. The
experiment was repeated once more and all the available data was collected. All the data that was
collected was then put into respective tables and categorized. All of the equipment was then
cleaned thoroughly and put away.
Results:
The results that were gathered from this experiment include all the data that results from
the titration of all 3 of the KHP, Acetic and Sulfuric acid solutions. There was also the data that
was gathered from setting up the setup of the experiments. There is also the calculated percent
error of the titrations added on the end of each table. These are the tables below.
Table #1
Standardization of Sodium Hydroxide with Potassium Hydrogen Phthalate
Data
Mass KHP used
(G)
Molar Mass of
KHP (G/Mol)
Moles of KHP
used (Moles)
Acid:Base

EquationCalculation
Gotten from
Scale
Gotten from
Buret
Gotten from
Buret
Base/Acid

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trail 3

1.05 G

1.03 G

1.02 G

204.2 G/Mol

204.2 G/Mol

204.2 G/Mol

.00514 Moles

.00504 Moles

.0049 Moles

126.45:1 mol

130.15:1 mol

133.66:1 mol

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Molar Ratio
Moles of NaOH
mL/1/39.997
(G/Mol)
Initial volume of
Gotten from
NaOH (mL)
Buret
Final Volume of
Gotten from
NaOH (mL)
Buret
Volume of
(VF-VI)
NaOH used
(mL,L)
Molarity of
Mols/V
NaOH
(Moles/L)
Average
Average of 3 M/3
molarity of
NaOH (Mol/L)
Percent Error
.
196-.0249/.196*
100%

.650 Moles

.656 mol

.667 mol

4.09 mL

3.21 mL

9.00 mL

30.12 mL

29.45 mL

34.69 mL

26.03 mL

26.24 mL

26.69 mL

26.03 mL

26.24 mL

26.69 mL

.0249 m/L

.025 m/L

.0249 m/L

.0249 M/L

.0249 M/L

.0249 M/L

Trial 1

Trail 2

.024 mols/L

.024 mols/L

Table #2
Unknown Acetic Acid ID #=372
Data
Molarity of
NaOH
(Moles/L)
Initial Volume of
NaOH (Ml)
Final Volume of
NaOH (Ml)
Volume of
NaOH used (Ml)
Moles of NaOH
used (Moles)
Acid:Base Molar
Ratio
Moles of Acetic
Acid (Moles)
Volume of

EquationCalculation
Mols/V

Gotten from
Buret
Gotten from
Buret
(VF-VI)

8.01 mL

19.35 mL

19.35 mL

30.61 mL

11.34 mL

11.26 mL

mL/1/39.997

.283 mol

.281 mol

Base/Acid

8.49:1 mols

8.43:1 mols

2/1/60.05

.0333 mol

.0333 mol

Gotten from Lab

2.00 mL

2.00 mL

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Acetic Acid used

(Ml,l)
Molarity of
Acetic Acid
(Moles/L)
Average
Molarity
(Mol/L)
Percent Error

Book
Mol/V

.01665 mol/L

.01665 mol/L

Sum of 2 mols/2

.0333 mol/L

.0333 mol/L

1-.0333*100%

96.67%

96.67%

Table #3
Unknown Sulfuric Acid
Data
Molarity of NaOH
(Moles/L)
Initial Volume of
NaOH (Ml)
Final Volume of
NaOH (Ml)
Volume of NaOH
used (Ml)
Moles of NaOH used
(Moles)
Acid:Base Molar
Ratio
Moles of Sulfuric
Acid (Moles)
Volume of Sulfuric
Acid used (mL,L)
Molarity of Sulfuric
Acid (Moles/L)
Average Molarity
(Mol/L)
Percent Error

Equation-Calculation
Mols/V

Trial 1
.0249 mols/L

Trial 2
247 mols/L

Gotten from Buret

6.15 mL

16.80 mL

Gotten from Buret

16.80 mL

27.69 mL

(VF-VI)

10.65 mL

10.89 mL

mL/1/39.997

.266 mols

.272 mols

Base/Acid

13.103:1 mols

13.399:1 mols

2/1/98.079

.0203 mols

.0203 moles

Gotten from Lab

Book
Mol/V

2.00 mL

2.00 mL

.01015 mols

.01015 mols

Sum of molarity/2

.01015 mols/L

.01015 mols/L

.5-.01015/.5*100%

97.97%

97.97%

The tables above represent a wide variety of information which includes all of the initial data
from when the experiment is set up and that can be gathered during the course of the experiment.

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They also contain data that is calculated from the data that was gathered from the initial setup of
the experiment and the resulting data from during and after the experiment.
Discussion:
This section will be divided into 4 different sections, the first 3 will be detailing the
information within the respective tables and the final section being a comparative section
between the 3 tables.
The first table consists of the data concerning the first set of titration. This is the
standardization of NaOH using KHP. The main data that is relevant rom this table is the moles of
each titration, the molarity of each titration and the average molarity of the titrations. The moles
of KHP and NaOH respectively are all within a small set range. The range for the differentiation
of the moles of KHP is .00015 moles while the differentiation of moles of NaOH is .017. From
this the answer of whether this experiment is precise can be answered. That answer is yes it is
extremely precise and this can be gathered from the differences in the moles that were calculated
as the results of the experiment. Along with the precision of the experiment there is the accuracy
of it. The accuracy of the experiment it how close the calculated results are to the estimated
results that are given. In this experiment the given concentration of NaOH is .196M. From the
data given in the table the conclusion of this titration not being remotely accurate can be made.
With the average M being .0249 it is extremely off base of what the given amount was. From this
data that calculated percent error can be found to be 87.29%. Moving onto why we used KHP as
an acid within this experiment. This is the simple fact of it is a strong acid such as the other 2
that are tested and it can be neutralized by the solution of NaOH easily. Finally, the function of a
standard is the material that precisely contains a known concentration of a substance that can be
used in qualitative analysis.

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The 2nd table just like the first covers data from the beginning, middle and end of the
experiment. It is also similar to the 1st table in the important data that is considered. Just like the
1st table the important data is the table is the moles of each titration, the molarity of each titration
and the average molarity of the titrations. From this data conclusion can be made about the
precision and accuracy of the experiment. First off is the precision of the experiment. From the
data presented above the conclusion can be made that it was extremely precise because the
differentiation of the data is within .005 of each other. Along with the conclusion that the
experiment was precise there can also be the factual statement of the experiment not being
accurate at all. With the percent error being 96.67% the experiment was off by a huge margin.
Now the molar ratio of the experiment is found to be an average of 8.46 moles of Acetic acid to 1
mole of NaOH. This is found using the data that is found in the table but more specifically
dividing the amount of moles of Acetic acid by the amount of moles of NaOH.
Finally, the 3rd table just like the other 2 are looking for the accuracy and precision of the
experiment using the data the moles of each titration, the molarity of each titration and the
average molarity of the titrations. From this data it can be found that the precision of the
experiment like the others before it is extremely good. This can be found in the amount of moles
used and other pieces of data being extremely close. In some cases, the data can be with .001 of
each other. But like the other experiments the accuracy was way off with it having a percent error
of 97.97%. With that being case it can be found that the molar ratio for this set of titrations is an
average of 13.251 moles of Sulfuric acid to 1 mole of NaOH. This again can be found by
dividing the amount of NaOH by the amount of Sulfuric acid.
The main comparisons of the 3 titrations are the similarities between the precision and the
accuracy of the experiments. As it can be found from the data presented in the table and earlier in

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the section the accuracies (aka the percent error) are all extremely high with 2 of them being in
the high 90s and the other staying in the high 80s. Just like the accuracy of the experiment the
precision of the experiments are all closely related. Another thing that is important within this
experiment is the role of an acid: base indicator. In this case it is phenolphthalein and it helps
indicate when there is an equal amount acid and base solutions within the mixture. The way that
it indicates this is by invoking a color change in this case pink in the solution. This brings up the
final point of the experiment which is a comparison of the equivalence point vs the end point.
The difference in the 2 is that the end point is the point when the indicator takes over and shows
the experimenter the equality in the mixture by changing the mixtures color and the equivalence
point is when the mixture has an equal amount of moles in it.
Conclusion:
Overall the results of the experiment show that the experiment was extremely close in
which the results were created so therefore the experiment was a success. Though the
experiments results were off by a large margin the result was a positive one since the goal was to
create solutions of standard molarity. Since this was done the experiment was a success.
However, there are 2 things that made the experiment go awry. These 3 things include over
titration and too much or too little phenolphthalein. The over titration is simply too much of the
acid when it is added to the NaOH and the amount of phenolphthalein could have made the
NaOH not reactive enough or overly reactive.
Sample Calculations:
Acid: Base molar ratio: Base/Acid using moles .650/.00514=126.45 moles to 1 mole
Moles of NaOH: mL/1/39.997 using moles 26.03/1/39.997=.650 moles

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Volume of anything used: (VF-VI) 30.12-4.09 mL=26.03 mL

Molarity of anything: Mols/V .650/26.03=.0249 Moles/L
Average molarity of NaOH: Sum of molarities /number of molarities .0249+.025+.0249/3=.0249
Mol/L
Percent Error: Given value-average molarity*100%=Percent error in percentage