Name _____________________ Class ______________ Date _________

Activity C32: Acid-Base Titration

(pH Sensor)

Concept DataStudio ScienceWorkshop (Mac) ScienceWorkshop (Win)

Acids, bases & salts C32 Titration.DS C32 Acid-Base Titration C32_ACID.SWS

Equipment Needed Qty Equipment Needed Qty

pH Sensor (CI-6507A) 1 Wash bottle 1
Base and support rod (ME-9355) 1 Protective gear PS
Beaker, 250 mL 6 Chemicals and Consumables Qty
Buret, 50 mL 1 Buffer solution: high pH 100 mL
Clamp, buret (SE-9446) 2 Buffer solution: low pH 100 mL
Graduated cylinder 1 Hydrochloric acid, unknown 10 mL
Magnetic stirrer and stir bar 1 Sodium hydroxide, 0.10 molar 100 mL
Pipette, 10 mL 1 Water, distilled 500 mL
What Do You Think?
In this activity you can use a computer to measure pH as you add 0.10 molar sodium hydroxide
to hydrochloric acid of unknown concentration. Can you use a graph of pH versus volume to
determine the equivalence point? Can you use the volume of the sodium hydroxide titrant used
at the equivalence point to determine the molarity of the hydrochloric acid?
Take time to answer the ‘What Do You Think?’ question(s) in the Lab Report section.
Background
A titration is a process used to determine the volume of a solution needed to
react with a given amount of another substance. For example, when a
hydrochloric acid solution is titrated with a sodium hydroxide solution, the
pH of the acidic solution is initially low. As the base is added, the change in
pH is quite gradual until close to the equivalence point, where equimolar
amounts of acid and base have been mixed. Near the equivalence point, the
pH increases very rapidly. The change in pH then becomes more gradual again before leveling
off with the addition of excess base.
Hydrogen ions from the hydrochloric acid react with hydroxide ions from the sodium hydroxide
in a one-to-one ratio to produce water in the overall reaction:
H+(aq) + Cl-(aq) + Na+(aq) + OH-(aq) ---> H2O + Cl-(aq) + Na+(aq)
Because the overall reaction is one-to-one, the number of moles of hydrochloric acid equals the
number of moles of sodium hydroxide. The molarity of the hydrochloric acid is as follows:

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C32: Acid-Base Titration 012-07005A

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SAFETY REMINDERS
 Wear protective gear.
 Follow directions for using the equipment.
 Handle and dispose of all chemicals and solutions properly.

CAUTION: Never pipette by mouth. Always use a pipette bulb or a pipette pump. Be careful when
handling any acid or base solutions.
For You To Do
Titrate hydrochloric acid solution, HCl, with a basic sodium hydroxide solution, NaOH, of
known molarity. Use the pH Sensor to measure the change in pH of the acid solution. Use
DataStudio or ScienceWorkshop to record the change in pH of the acid and the volume of basic
solution added. Use the software to display your data and use your
data to determine the concentration (molarity) of the acid solution.
PART I: Computer Setup
1. Connect the ScienceWorkshop interface to the computer, turn
on the interface, and turn on the computer.
2. Connect the DIN plug of the pH Sensor to Analog Channel A
on the interface.
3. Open the file titled as shown;
DataStudio ScienceWorkshop (Mac) ScienceWorkshop (Win)
C32 Titration.DS C32 Acid-Base Titration C32_ACID.SWS

• The DataStudio file has a Digits display, a Table display, and a Graph display of pH versus
volume. Read the Workbook display for more information.
• The ScienceWorkshop document has a Digits display, a Table display and a Graph display
of the pH versus volume.
• Data recording is set at one measurement per second (1 Hz). Data recording is also set so
that you can manually enter the volume of the sodium hydroxide titrant.
PART II: Sensor Calibration and Equipment Setup
Calibrate the Sensor

• To calibrate the pH Sensor you will need the following: wash bottle, distilled water, three
beakers, buffer solutions of high pH (e.g. pH 10) and low pH (e.g. pH 4), pH Sensor.
• Put distilled water into the wash bottle and into one of the beakers. Put about 100 mL of
the high pH buffer solution in one of the other two beakers and about 100 mL of the low
pH buffer solution into the third beaker.

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1. Remove the pH electrode from its bottle of buffer solution. Connect the electrode to the pH
Sensor amplifier. To connect the electrode, push the BNC plug onto the receptacle on the
Sensor amplifier and turn the BNC plug clockwise until it ‘clicks’ into place.

Remove the
bottle of Connect to
buffer the sensor.
solution.

2. Use the wash bottle to rinse the end of the electrode. Soak the pH electrode in the beaker of

distilled water for 10 minutes.

3. In the Experiment Setup window, double-click the pH Sensor icon.

• In DataStudio, the Sensor Properties window will open. Click the ‘Calibration’ tab. In
ScienceWorkshop, the Sensor Setup window will open.
4. Calibrate with the high pH buffer solution.
 Put the end of the pH electrode into the high pH buffer solution.
 Check the voltage under ‘Current Reading’ in DataStudio or next to ‘Cur Value:’ in
ScienceWorkshop.

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 When the voltage stabilizes, click the ‘Take Reading’ button under ‘High Point’ in
DataStudio or the ‘Read’ button in the row for ‘High Value:’ in ScienceWorkshop.
 Enter the pH value of the buffer solution.
5. Thoroughly rinse the pH electrode with distilled water and dry it with a tissue.
6. Calibrate with the low pH buffer solution.
 Put the end of the pH electrode in the low pH buffer solution.
 Check the voltage under ‘Current Reading’ in DataStudio or next to ‘Cur Value:’ in
ScienceWorkshop.
 When the voltage stabilizes, click the ‘Take Reading’ button under ‘Low Point’ in
DataStudio or the ‘Read’ button in the row for ‘Low Value:’ in ScienceWorkshop.
 Enter the pH value of the buffer solution. Click OK to return to the Experiment Setup
window.
7. Thoroughly rinse the pH electrode with distilled water and dry gently.
Equipment Setup

• For this part you will need the following: hydrochloric acid
solution, distilled water, 250-mL beakers, 50-mL buret, pH
Sensor, buret clamps, base and support rod, magnetic stirrer
and stir bar, 0.10 molar sodium hydroxide solution.
1. Put 50 mL of distilled water into a clean dry 250-mL
beaker.

B
u
ret
2. Use a pipette to add 10.00 mL of the hydrochloric acid
solution into the beaker with the distilled water.
3. Carefully add a spin bar to the beaker. Place the beaker on
the magnetic stirrer.
4. Use a clamp and base and support rod to position the pH
electrode so the end of the electrode is in the acid solution,
but will not interfere with the spin bar.
5. Rinse the 50-mL buret with a few milliliters of the 0.100
molar sodium hydroxide solution. Dispose of the rinse
solution as directed.
6. Use another clamp to support the 50-mL buret so the end of
the buret is above the acid solution. (Be sure the buret valve
is closed!)
7. Fill the buret with 0.100 molar sodium hydroxide solution.
Be sure to start the titration with the buret filled exactly to

M
ta
irg
n
e
rtic
the 0.00 mL mark.

S
8. Turn on the magnetic stirrer. (Note: If a magnetic stirrer is
not available, carefully stir the solution with a stirring rod.)

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9. Record the precise concentration of the sodium hydroxide solution in the Lab Report
section.
PART III: Data Recording – Acid-Base Titration

• Note: Data recording goes faster if one person controls the buret value and reads the
volume of titrant added to the acid while a second person operates the computer and enters
the volumes.
• In DataStudio, arrange the displays so you can see the Table. In ScienceWorkshop, arrange
the displays so you can see the Digits display.
1. When you are ready, start recording data. (Hint: Click ‘Start’ in DataStudio or click ‘REC’
in ScienceWorkshop. )
• In DataStudio, the ‘Start’ button changes to a ‘Keep’ button (

). In ScienceWorkshop, the ‘Keyboard

Sampling’ window opens.

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2. In DataStudio, the first row of the Table shows the beginning value of pH.

In ScienceWorkshop, the Digits display shows the pH reading.

NOTE: Do not add any NaOH titrant for the first reading.
When the pH value stabilizes, click the ‘Keep’ button in DataStudio and then click the
Tab key to move to the next row in the Table. In ScienceWorkshop, type in “0.00” in the
Keyboard Sampling window for Entry #1, and then click the ‘Enter’ button ( ).
• In DataStudio, the Table shows the first ‘pH, volume’ pair in
the first row. In ScienceWorkshop, the ‘Keyboard Sampling’
dialog box changes to show the number you entered.
3. Open the buret's valve and add the first amount of NaOH. Add
enough titrant to raise the pH by 0.15 units and then close the
valve.
4. After the titrant has been added and the pH reading stabilizes,
type the total volume of NaOH added into the next row in the
Table in DataStudio and then click the ‘Keep’ button. In ScienceWorkshop, type the
volume into the ‘Keyboard Sampling’ window and click the ‘Enter’ button.
5. Add the next increment of NaOH (enough to raise the pH by 0.15 units). When the pH
stabilizes, type in the total amount of NaOH added and then click the ‘Keep’ button and
then the Tab key (in DataStudio) or click the ‘Enter’ button (in ScienceWorkshop).
6. Continue adding NaOH solution in amounts that raise the pH by about 0.15 units and type
in the total volume of NaOH added each time.
7. When pH 3.5 is reached, change to 2-drop increments. Continue to type in the total volume
of NaOH added after each increment.
8. After pH 10 is reached, again add larger increments of NaOH (enough to raise the pH by
about 0.15 units) and type in the total volume of NaOH added.
9. Add NaOH until the pH remains constant. Stop data recording. (Hint: In DataStudio, click

the ‘Stop’ button ( ). In ScienceWorkshop, click the ‘Stop Sampling’ button (

). The Keyboard Sampling window will automatically close.)
10. When data recording stops, turn off the magnetic stirrer. Remove the pH sensor from the
solution. Rinse the pH sensor in distilled water and dry the sensor gently.
11. Dispose of the solution in the beaker as instructed.
• If time permits, repeat the procedure.

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Analyzing the Data

1. Use the ‘Smart Tool’ in DataStudio or the ‘Smart Cursor’ in ScienceWorkshop to find the
value of the pH in the plot of Run #1 just before the largest pH increase. Record the X-
coordinate as the “NaOH volume added before largest pH increase”.
2. Move the ‘Smart Tool’ or ‘Smart Cursor’ to the place in the plot of Run #1 just after the
largest pH increase. Record the X-coordinate as the “NaOH volume added after largest pH
increase”.
3. Calculate and record the average of the NaOH volumes just before and just after the largest
pH increase.
4. Move the ‘Smart Tool’ or ‘Smart Cursor’ to the point on the plot of Run #1 where the pH
is 7.0 (or as close as possible). Record the X-coordinate as the “NaOH volume added at the
equivalence point.

• The average of the volume of NaOH just before and just after the largest pH increase
should equal the volume of NaOH added at pH = 7.
5. Calculate the number of moles of NaOH used.
6. Use the equation for the neutralization reaction to calculate the number of moles of HCl
used.
• Recall that you pipetted out 10.00 mL of the unknown HCl solution for the titration.
7. Calculate the HCl concentration in mole/liter (mol/L).
Optional
• If you did two titrations, determine the average concentration of HCl.
Record your results in the Lab Report section.

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Lab Report - Activity C32: Acid-Base Titration

What Do You Think?
In this activity you can use a computer to measure pH as you add 0.10 molar sodium hydroxide
to hydrochloric acid of unknown concentration. Can you use a graph of pH versus volume to
determine the equivalence point? Can you use the volume of the sodium hydroxide titrant used
at the equivalence point to determine the molarity of the hydrochloric acid?

Data Table
Use volume in liters for the calculations.
# moles NaOH = volume x molarity.
# moles HCl = # moles NaOH

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Trial 1 Trial 2

Volume HCl mL mL
Concentration of NaOH M M
NaOH volume added before largest pH increase mL mL
NaOH volume added after largest pH increase mL mL
Average of NaOH before and after pH increase mL mL

NaOH volume added at equivalence point mL mL

Moles NaOH mol mol
Moles HCl mol mol
Concentration of HCl mol/L mol/L
Average (HCl) M
Question
1. Based on your data, what is the concentration of hydrochloric acid?

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