H2 Chemistry Practical

BMC International College 2015

BMC INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE

H2 CHEMISTRY PRACTICAL
EXPERIMENT: 2
TITLE: STANDARDISATION OF SODIUM HYDROXIDE SOLUTION WITH
STANDARD ETHANEDIOIC ACID SOLUTION

Name : ______________________________________________
Theory

Date : ________________________

Ethanedioic acid or oxalic acid is an organic acid, thus it is reacted with a strong base
will produce salt solution that is of pH greater than 7. Hence need to choose an
indicator that could change colour above pH 7 to determine accurately. The choice of
indicators used is thymol blue or thymolphthalein.
pH of thymol blue indicator at end point is between 8.0 (yellow) to 9.2 (blue). Hence the
colour of thymol blue indicator at end point is pale green or almost colourless if the
solution too diluted.
pH of thymolphthalein indicator at end point is between 8.8 (colourless) to 10.5 (blue).
The end point colour is pale blue (from acidic to alkaline) or colourless (from alkaline to
acidic)
Sodium hydroxide reacts with ethanedioic acid as follows:
2NaOH + (COOH)2 (COONa)2 + 2H2O
From the equation,

Aim

number of moles of (COOH) 2 .2H 2 O 1

=
number of moles of NaOH
2

1. To prepare a standard solution of ethanedioic acid (oxalic acid) using FA2

provided.
2. To determine the concentration of FA1 using the standard solution of ethanedioic
acid

Apparatus

You are provided with

1 @ 50 ml burette with clip or stop cork there are two types of burette to choose
at the side cabinet beside the window.
1 @ retort stand with burette clamp burette clamp is inside the drawer; retort
stand is below the bench. Ensure the retort stand is secured and not shaky before
put with burette clamp
1 @ white tile
1 @ filter funnel
1 @ 25 ml pipette obtain at the side cabinet beside the window
1 @ pipette filler obtain at the side cabinet beside the window
2 @ 250 ml conical flask for titration
1 @ wash bottle filled with distilled water
1 @ weighing bottle
3
1 @ 100 cm beaker
3
1 @ 250 cm graduated volumetric flask labelled as FA3
1 @ glass rod and a spatula
Digital weighing scale shared by two

Experiment 2: AcidBase Titration of Polybasic Acid with strong Base

Page 1

H2 Chemistry Practical

BMC International College 2015

Chemicals

Procedures

Refer to the Appendix which describe the process with illustrations.

1 @ thymol blue or thymolphthalein indicator

1 @ 250 ml beaker labelled as FA 1 contains sodium hydroxide NaOH.
1 @ test tube with stopper labelled FA 2 contains solid ethanedioic acid crystal,
(COOH)2.2H2O

a)

Weigh accurately about 0.75 g of FA2 in a weighing bottle and record the
readings below. Use the TARE button.

b)

Dissolves the FA2 sample in 50 cm of distilled water in a 100 cm beaker.

3
Transfer the solution and washings into a 250 cm graduated flask. Make up to
the mark with distilled water. Shake well and label the solution FA3.

c)

Place FA 1 into the burette. .

d)

Pipette 25.0 cm of FA3 into a conical flask.

e)

Add about two drops of the indicator assigned on the lab bench to FA 3 in the
conical flask.

f)

Perform titration of FA 3 against FA 1 until close to the end-point of titration.

g)

Prepare the titration table and record your observations and readings..

h)

Repeat the titration until concordant results are obtained.

Results

Mass of FA 2 = ______________

Table 1: Titration readings (Note: Record burette readings to 2 decimal places)

Titration Number
Final burette reading / cm

Initial burette reading / cm

Volume of FA 1 used / cm

Values used (please tick)

Average volume of FA 1 used =

Summary:
3

25.0 cm of FA 3 required .an average volume of .................... cm of FA 1 for complete reaction.

Experiment 2: AcidBase Titration of Polybasic Acid with strong Base

Page 2

H2 Chemistry Practical

BMC International College 2015

Calculations
3
a) Calculate the concentration (in mol dm ) of ethanedioic acid crystals in FA3.
[Date: H, 1.0; C, 12.0; O, 16.0]

b) Calculate the number of moles of ethanedioic acid in 25.0 cm of FA3.

c) Calculate the concentration (in mol dm

) of sodium hydroxide in FA1

Experiment 2: AcidBase Titration of Polybasic Acid with strong Base

Page 3

H2 Chemistry Practical

BMC International College 2015

d) State whether each of the following would lead to a greater/smaller or similar value to your answer in (c)
1. The burette was rinsed with deionised / distilled water and then filled up immediately with FA 1 for
titration.
...............................................................................................................................................................
..
3

2. The conical flask used for the titration was rinsed with FA 3 followed by the addition of 25.0 cm of
FA 3 from the pipette for titration with FA 1
................................................................................................................................................................
..
3

3. The pipette was rinsed with deionised / distilled water and then used to transfer 25.0 cm of FA 3
into the conical flask for titration with FA 1
...............................................................................................................................................................
..

4. The small beaker containing FA 2 dissolved in deionised / distilled water was not rinsed at all during
the transfer of the solution into the graduated flask.
................................................................................................................................................................
..

5. 0.65 g of FA 2 instead of 0.75 g of FA 2 was used for the experiment.

................................................................................................................................................................
..

6. 0.75 g of (COOH)2.H2O instead of 0.75 g of (COOH)2.2H2O was used for the experiment.
................................................................................................................................................................
..
3

7. 25.0 cm of FA 1 was titrated with FA 3

...............................................................................................................................................................
.

Experiment 2: AcidBase Titration of Polybasic Acid with strong Base

Page 4

H2 Chemistry Practical

Extension
Exercise

BMC International College 2015

Ethanedioic acid is one of the common reagents used for both acid base titration and
redox titration as it can be oxidised by potassium manganate.
Ethanedioic acid is a dibasic acid which is part of polybasic acid family. Acid base
titration method often employed to find the basicity of the acid through standardised
concentration of base.
The following are some exercises for further practise.

Exercise 1
3
Solution S contains a 0.0350 mol dm polybasic acid with the formula HnA.
Solution T contains 0.12 mol dm

aqueous sodium hydroxide.

3

In a titration experiment, 25.0 cm of solution T required 28.6 cm of solution S for complete neutralisation.
(a)

Calculate the value of n in the acid HnA from the information given.

(b)

Hence, write the chemical equation, including state symbols, for this neutralisation reaction.

Experiment 2: AcidBase Titration of Polybasic Acid with strong Base

Page 5

H2 Chemistry Practical

BMC International College 2015

Exercise 2
Lemon juice contains citric acid, which is a tribasic organic acid.
3

A solution containing 3.84 g of citric acid required 40.0 cm of a 1.50 mol dm

neutralisation.

sodium hydroxide solution for

(a)

Calculate the relative molecular mass of citric acid from the above information.

(b)

The molecular formula of citric acid is shown below. Predict the group represented by R.
[Ar: C = 12; O = 16; H = 1]
CH2COOH
|
R C COOH
|
CH2COOH

Experiment 2: AcidBase Titration of Polybasic Acid with strong Base

Page 6

H2 Chemistry Practical

BMC International College 2015

Exercise 3
3
Solution P contains 1.55 g of the acid H3XO3 in 1 dm of solution.

Solution Q contains 1.70 g of hydroxide (OH ) ions in 1 dm of solution.

3

In a titration experiment, it was found that 25.0 cm of P reacted with 12.5 cm of Q.

3

of OH ions in solution Q

a)

Calculate the concentration in mol dm

b)

Calculate the number of moles of OH ions used in the titration.

c)

Calculate the mass of H3XO3 in 25.0 cm of solution P

d)

(i)

Assuming that 1 mole of H3XO3 reacts with 1 mole of OH ions work out the relative molecular
mass of the acid.

(ii)

Assuming that 1 mole of H3XO3 reacts with 2 moles of OH ions work out the relative molecular
mass of the acid.

e)

From your answer in (d), deduce the most likely element represented by the letter X in the formula of
H3XO3.

Experiment 2: AcidBase Titration of Polybasic Acid with strong Base

Page 7