AP Chemistry: Standardization of Acid and Base Solutions

Standardization is the process of determining the exact concentration (molarity) of a solution. Titration is one type
of analytical procedure often used in standardization. In a titration, an exact volume of one substance is reacted with
a known amount of another substance.

The point at which the reaction is complete in a titration is referred to as the endpoint. A chemical substance known
as an indicator is used to indicate (signal) the endpoint. The indicator used in this experiment is phenolphthalein.
Phenolphthalein, an organic compound, is colorless in acidic solution and pink in basic solution.

This experiment involves two separate acid-base standardization procedures. In the first standardization the molarity
of a sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH) will be determined by titrating a sample of potassium acid phthalate (KHP;
HKC8H4O4) with the NaOH. In the second procedure the standardized NaOH will be used to determine the molarity
of unknown monoprotic acid.

Example 1
A 0.128 g sample of KHP (HKC8H4O4) required 28.54 mL of NaOH solution to reach a phenolphthalein endpoint.
Calculate the molarity of the NaOH.

HKC8H4O4 + NaOH -----> NaKC8H4O4 + H2O

(0.128 g KHP) x 1 mol = 6.267 x 10-4 mol KHP (mono protic acid moles KHP = moles H+)
204.23 g

(6.267 x 10-4 mol KHP)x 1 mol NaOH = 6.267 x 10-4 mol NaOH
1 mol KHP

Molarity of the base 6.267 x 10-4 mol NaOH / 0.02854 L NaOH = 0.0220 M NaOH

Example 2
A 20.00 mL sample of HCl was titrated with the NaOH solution from Example1. To reach the endpoint required
23.72 mL of the NaOH. Calculate the molarity of the HCl.

HCl + NaOH -----> NaCl + H2O

MbVb = moles 0.220 M NaOH x 0.02372 L NaOH= 5.218 x 10-4 mol NaOH

5.218 x 10-4 mol NaOH )x 1 mol HCl = 5.218 x 10-4 mol HCl
1 mol NaOH

5.218 x 10-4 mol HCl / 0.02000 L HCl = 0.0261 M HCl

 Put on your CHEMICAL SPLASH-PROOF SAFETY
GOGGLES!
Part I. Standardization of NaOH with KHP
1. Clean a buret by rinsing with several portions (about 10 mL) of tap water. (The buret is clean enough when
water droplets do not cling to the inner surface.) This rinse water can be poured down the drain.

2. Obtain about 150 mL of the NaOH solution in a clean, dry 400 mL beaker. Cover with a watch glass.

3. Rinse the buret with three portions (about 5 mL) of the NaOH solution. Drain each NaOH rinse and discard into
the waste container located under the hood.

4. Fill the buret with NaOH to slightly above the zero mark and clamp the buret up vertically.

5. Remove the air bubbles from the tip of the buret by draining the NaOH into a small beaker. Read the NaOH
level to within + 0.02 mL and record this value in the initial base reading on the data sheet. (It is not necessary to
have the NaOH level at exactly the 0.00 mL mark. Anywhere below 0.00 mL will suffice. What is important, is to
record this initial NaOH reading to two decimal places.)

6. Weigh a clean 250 mL beaker to + 0.01 g. Add 0.6 to 0.7 g of KHP (potassium acid phthalate; HKC 8H4O4). Re-
weigh the beaker and contents to + 0.01 g. Record the mass on the data sheet.

7. Dissolve all the KHP in water by adding about 30 mL of distilled water to the beaker and stirring with a glass
rod. (If necessary, you can warm the solution to dissolve all the solid acid.) Transfer this solution into a clean 250
mL Erlenmeyer flask. Rinse the beaker twice with about 5 mL of distilled water to make sure all of the acid has been
transferred to the flask.

8. Add 3 to 4 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the KHP solution in the Erlenmeyer flask.

9. Place the flask containing the acid solution and indicator under the buret. Add NaOH from the buret to the flask
with swirling until the color of the solution in the flask is a faint pink. This faint pink color should last only 45 to 60
seconds. There should be a one-drop difference between when the solution is colorless and when it is pink. If too
much base is added (that is, if you "over-shoot" the endpoint), discard the solution and repeat the titration. A white
piece of paper placed under the flask will aid in the color detection.

10. When the proper end point is reached, read and record the final NaOH volume to within + 0.02 mL.

11. Discard the contents of the Erlenmeyer flask into the waste container located under the hood.

12. Repeat the titration procedure a second time by following steps 4 - 11.

13. Calculate the molarity of the NaOH from the two titrations. If the calculated base concentrations from the first
and second titration vary by more than 0.005 M, perform a third titration.

Part II. Determining the concentration of a monoprotic acid with NaOH

1. Refill and zero the NaOH buret. Read the NaOH level to within + 0.02 mL and record this value in the initial
base reading on the data sheet.
2. Obtain a clean, but not necessarily dry, 250 mL Erlenmeyer flask , and using the buret labeled "HCl" (located at
the back of the room), transfer approximately 25.00 mL of the HCl acid solution into the flask. Read and record the
initial and final acid buret readings to + 0.02 mL. It is not necessary to deliver exactly 25.00 mL of HCl into the
flask. What is important, is that the volume of HCl delivered into the flask is known to two decimal places.

3. Add 3 to 4 drops of phenolphthalein indicator to the HCl solution in the Erlenmeyer flask.

4. Place the flask containing the acid solution and indicator under the buret and add NaOH from the buret to the
flask with swirling until a phenolphthalein endpoint is reached. There should be a one-drop difference between when
the solution is colorless and when it is pink. If too much base is added (that is, if you "over-shoot" the endpoint),
discard the solution and repeat the titration.

5. When the proper end point is reached, read and record the final NaOH volume to within + 0.02 mL.

6. Discard the contents of the Erlenmeyer flask into the waste container located under the hood. Repeat the
titration procedure a second time by following steps 1 - 5.

7. Calculate the molarity of the HCl (MHCl) acid for each titration. If the calculated acid concentrations from the
first and second titrations vary by more than 0.005 M, perform a third titration. Calculate an average acid molarity
using the two closest values.

8. Before returning the buret to the lab bench, please rinse it out with a couple of water rinses.
 Data Table.
Show all calculations in your lab book.
Part I. Standardization of NaOH with KHP

Titration 1 Titration 2 Titration 3

Mass of Erlenmeyer flask

Mass of KHP and Flask

Mass of KHP

Moles of KHP *

Final NaOH Buret Reading

Initial NaOH Buret Reading

Volume (mls) of NaOH used

Volume (Liters) of NaOH used

Moles of KHP :Calculate the moles of KHP used in EACH trial

Trial 1:

Trial 2:

Trial 3:

The moles of KHP = moles of OH- used to neutralize it. Therefore if we know the amount of KHP we know
how much OH was in the base. Find the concentration of the OH – for each trial by taking the moles OH- a
nd divide it by the volume of the base used in each trial/.

Molarity = mole/Liters

Trial 1:

Trial 2:

Trial 3:

Average Molarity of NaOH _________________ Class average + standard deviation:

Part II. Finding the concentration of an unknown acid with the now standardized NaOH

Ttiration 1 Titration 2 Titration 3

Final NaOH Buret Reading
Initial NaOH Buret reading
Volume (mls) of based used
Volume (Liters) of base used
Molarity of Base
Moles of Base (MbVb=mole
OH-)
Moles of Acid
Volume of Acid (mls)
Volume of Acid (Liters)
Concentration of
AcidMoles/Liter

Moles of Base used in each trial (MbVb = moles OH)

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Concentration of unknown acid Molarity = Moles/Liter

Average Molarity ofUnknown monoprotic acid _________________

What would the concentration of the acid be if it was a diprotic acid?