Titration
A careful method that finds out exactly how much acid is needed to neutralise a measured amount of alkali, using a burette and an indicator.
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Analogy
Like adding drops of lemon juice until the taste is just right, then recording how many you used.
Example
25.0 cm3 alkali usedAcid needed: 20.0 cm3The indicator changes colour at the end point
In practice
It is used to find the unknown concentration of an acid or alkali.
Practice
Flashcards
- What is a titration used for?Finding the exact volumes of acid and alkali that react together.
Questions people ask
Why is a pipette used for the alkali and a burette for the acid?
A pipette delivers a fixed volume very accurately, such as 25.0 cm3. A burette has a tap and scale so you can add small amounts of acid and read the exact volume used. Together they give precise results that can be repeated.
Why repeat a titration?
A first run, the rough titration, shows roughly where the end point is. Repeating more slowly near that point gives accurate readings. You keep going until you get two or three results within 0.1 cm3 of each other, then take their mean, to reduce errors.