How to Write an Acid Base Titration Lab Report

If you are a chemistry student, then you can’t escape from doing titration or volumetric analysis in your practical classes. Titration also known as titrimetry is an important chemical qualitative analysis technique in the field of analytical chemistry. It is mainly used to find out the concentration of a given analyte in a mixture. In general, the titration is of different types and the one most popular titration type is the acid-base titration. Do you know what is meant by acid-based titration? Are you aware of how to write an acid-base titration lab report? If you have no idea, then continue reading this blog post. For your comprehension, here, we have explained in detail about acid-base titration and the effective ways to prepare an acid-base titration lab report.

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What is an Acid-Base Titration?

An acid-base titration is a quantitative analytical method used for estimating the concentration of an acid or base by precisely neutralizing it with a known concentration standard solution of acid or base. In acid-base titration, acid will be titrated with a base and base with an acid. Here, usually, the endpoint will be identified by adding an indicator. Particularly, this titration process involves either strong or weak acids or bases.

In simple terms, acid-base titration is nothing but a process of identifying the concentration of a particular substance by adding a substance with a known concentration (titrant) to a substance with an unknown concentration (analyte). Since an acid-base reaction is happening between the titrant and analyte, this process got the name acid-base titration. In this titration process, an indicator plays a vital role.

A weak acid or base that does not participate in the major acid-base reaction is referred to as an indicator. When the titrant is in excess, it will react with the indicator and change color. This color shift signifies that the acid-base process has reached its endpoint.

Many indicators will change color at different pH levels. When selecting an indicator, look for one that changes color at a pH near the endpoint. Here are some examples of common indicators:

Purpose of an Acid-Base Titration

The main purpose of acid-base titration is to find out the following

• The concentration or strength of an acid or base.
• The strength or weakness of an unknown acid or base.
• The pK_a of an unknown acid or the pK_b of an unknown base.

Acid-Base Titration Theory

Acid-base titrations usually rely on the fact that when an acid and a base react, the pH of the solution changes. When a base is introduced, the pH rises and when an acid is added, the pH falls. However, when the pH of a solution equals 7, it reaches the equivalence point, which is when the concentration of acid equals the concentration of base.

The formula for this is:

M₁V₁ = M₂V₂

Here,

M1 is the molarity of solution 1

M2 is the molarity of solution 2

V1 is the volume of solution 1

V2 is the volume of solution 2

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Different Types of Acid-Base Titration

The following are the 4 different acid-base titration types.

1. Strong acid-strong base [Example- Hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide]
2. Strong acid-weak base [Example- Hydrochloric acid and ammonia]
3. Weak acid-strong base [Example- Ethanoic acid and sodium hydroxide]
4. Weak acid-weak base [Example- Ethanoic and ammonia]

Acid-Base Titration Examples

The following are some examples of acid-base titration.

• Strong acid with a strong base titration

HCl + NaOH → NaOH + H₂O

• Weak acid with a strong base titration

CH₃COOH + NaOH ↔CH₃COONa + H₂O

• Weak base with a strong acid titration

NH₃H₂O + HCl ↔NH₄Cl + H₂O

Acid-Base Titration Procedure

In this section, let us see how to do acid-base titration in the chemistry lab.

Materials Needed for Acid-Based Titration

1. Pipettes for 5 ml and 10 ml (2 pcs in total)
2. Conical flask for titration of 50 ml or 100 ml
3. Burette with a Mohr clamp (25 or 50 ml)
4. Tripod with a clamp for fixing the burette (1 pc)
5. A rubber bulb
6. A small funnel for filling the burette
7. Solutions with different acid and alkali concentrations and Indicators for Titration

How to Perform Acid-Base Titration

1. First, pick your titrant and pour it into a burette. Since, it is an acid-base reaction, if your analyte is an acid, then the titrant must be a base and vice-versa.
2. Secondly, clamp the burette above a flask that is filled with the analyte (make sure to note the volume of both the titrant and analyte).
3. Thirdly, pick an indicator appropriate to your analyte solution.
4. Next, add a few drops of indicator to your analyte solution.
5. Open the burette and let the drops of the titrant flow out.
6. Close the burette slightly to slow down the flow of the titrant when a flash of color appears in the solution present in your conical flask.
7. When the color stays for longer, swirl the conical flask around until the solution returns to its original color.
8. Note that the titration is finished, once the indicator changes the color of the solution permanently.
9. Next, note down the final volume of the titrant and repeat the experiment three or four times for accuracy.
10. Finally, calculate the concentration of the analyte once you get the average volume of titrant used.

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Titration Curve and Equivalence Point

Basically, the titrations can be visualized using titration curves. A titration curve is a graph that represents the progress of a titration and it also helps to compare the analyte solution’s pH to the volume of the added titrant. Moreover, with the titration curve, the volume of the titrant at the equivalence point can be determined.

When equal amounts of acid and base are added, the solution will become neutral and the equivalence point will be at pH = 7. Usually, the shape of the curve will be identified by the acid/base strength and whether the analyte is an acid or a base.

Once the titration is completed, the readings will have to be recorded in a report. In the next section, let us learn how to write an acid-base titration lab report.

An Overview of Acid-Base Titration Lab Report

An acid-base titration lab report is a kind of report or study material that is widely used in modern teaching methods. If you are a chemistry student, then after completing your acid-base titration in your laboratory, your instructor will ask you to submit a detailed report on the experiment done. Specifically, in an acid-base titration lab report, you will have to mention what you have done, the materials used for an experiment, the final readings, and the volumetric analysis calculations.

Preparing an acid-base titration lab report will help you record the experiment you have performed in your chemistry laboratory session. Moreover, you can refer to it later for your understanding. It will also help your instructor to evaluate your performance and rate it. So, make sure to prepare your acid-base titration lab report in a better way by adding the necessary details.

Know How to Write an Acid-Base Titration Lab Report

If you are unsure how to craft a brilliant acid-base titration lab report, take a look below and get a clear understanding. Note that, the formal lab report can be prepared either in a printed form or written form.

Formatting Guidelines

In case, you are asked to submit the report in printed form, then prepare it by keeping the following points in mind.

1. Compose the report in Word software or Google Docs.
2. Use an A4-sized sheet and print on one side.
3. The font style should be Times New Roman with a size of 14 points.
4. Use 1.5 cm line spacing.
5. The indent should be 3 cm from the left edge, 1 cm from the right edge, and 2 cm each at the top and bottom.
6. Begin the page number with the title page. But, do not put the number on the page itself and the content of the work;
7. Give a title for every application.

Chapters to be Included in Write an Acid-Base Titration Lab Report

The basic lab report that you create should contain the following chapters.

1. A title page. On the title page, include the title of the experiment
2. Description of the purpose of the experiment. When writing the objective, you should mention the topic of the laboratory and add the list of the major tasks assigned.
3. Brief theoretical information. Especially, when preparing it, make sure to add the relevant laws, formulas, and calculation tables used during the acid-base titration experiment. In terms of length, this chapter should not exceed 1/3 of the whole document.
4. Description of technical equipment and experimenting methods. Here, you need to detail the course of the experiment and the method of processing it.
5. Results obtained during the volumetric analysis experiment. When presenting the results, be certain to provide the correct data. Here, do not forget to mention the measurement errors.
6. Data analysis of the experiment. In this section, analyze the experimental data, add detailed information, analyze the results obtained, and interpret the data based on the law of the subject being studied.
7. In the summary section, conclude by including supporting experimental action and theoretical knowledge.

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Length of Write an Acid-Base Titration Lab Report

The acid-base titration lab report should not be more than 10-20 pages. Here, is the chapter-wise page length of the report.

• Title Page- 1 Page
• Content- 1 Page
• Introduction- 1 Page
• Body Paragraphs- 5 to 10 Pages
• Conclusion- 1 Page
• Bibliography- 1 to 2 Pages

Acid-Base Titration Lab Report Writing Tips

If you want to write an excellent Write an Acid-Base titration lab report, then follow the below-mentioned tips.

1. In the report, make sure to add the definition of each theory’s core terms, laws, rules, formulae, symbols for physical quantities that are often used, and measurement units.
2. Highlight only the points that are related to your laboratory work.
3. Use your knowledge to solve problems and explain the phenomenon.
4. Instead of mentioning data in words, try to use graphs and schematic diagrams.
5. Your report should be original. To avoid plagiarism, use laboratory examples with citations.
6. Be certain to present the results of your experiment in a proper manner that is easy for everyone to understand.
7. Before submitting the lab report, make sure to revise it multiple times. The final draft should be flawless and non-plagiarized.

Wrapping Up

We hope you are now clear about how to Write an Acid-Base titration lab report. However, in case, you still have any doubts regarding it or if you need an expert to offer you help with preparing your acid-base titration lab report, call us immediately.