Welcome to the titration experiment! Titration is a fundamental analytical technique in chemistry used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution. In this process, we carefully add a solution of known concentration, called the titrant, to a solution of unknown concentration, called the analyte, until the reaction is complete.
Now let's examine the essential equipment for titration. The burette is a graduated glass tube with a tap at the bottom, used to deliver precise volumes of titrant. The Erlenmeyer flask holds the analyte solution. A pipette ensures accurate measurement of the analyte volume. The indicator solution changes color at the endpoint, signaling when the reaction is complete.
The titration process begins by filling the burette with the standard solution and recording the initial volume reading. We add a few drops of indicator to the analyte in the flask. Then, we slowly open the burette tap to add the titrant drop by drop while continuously swirling the flask. We watch carefully for the color change that indicates the endpoint has been reached.
Now let's examine the calculations involved in titration. The fundamental formula is C₁V₁ equals C₂V₂, where C represents concentration and V represents volume. The subscript 1 refers to the titrant and subscript 2 refers to the analyte. For example, if 25.0 milliliters of 0.1 molar sodium hydroxide neutralizes 20.0 milliliters of hydrochloric acid, we can calculate that the concentration of the acid is 0.125 molar.
Titration has numerous practical applications including quality control in pharmaceuticals, environmental water analysis, food industry testing, and medical diagnostics. To ensure accuracy, it's essential to perform multiple trials and calculate the average result. Other important factors include using appropriate indicators, controlling temperature, and regularly calibrating equipment. The chart shows typical results from multiple trials, demonstrating the importance of reproducibility in analytical chemistry.