Charli kennaman- 353209

13a

Investigate acid-base equilibria in order to understand buffer action and to

optimise acid-base titration procedures

Practical 1- determining the Ka of a weak acid

In this experiment we determined the Ka of a weak acid by titrating NaOH

into ch3cooh to find an average titre. This average titre was halved and the
pH of that was found which is called the half neutralisation point. This half
neutralisation point can be put into a rearranged equation- Ka = 10 -pH and
the Ka can be compared to a source to determine the accuracy of our
results.

Risk assessment

Ethanoic acid 0.1M - no hazard but may cause a small amount of irritation
and should be washed off with cold water if contact is made. Eye protection
and a lab coat should be worn

Sodium hydroxide 0.1M- no hazard but may cause a small amount of

irritation and should be washed off with cold water if contact is made. Eye
protection and a lab coat should be worn

Equipment

 Ethanoic acid 0.1M

 Sodium hydroxide 0.1M
 Eye protection
 50cm3 burette and stand
 PH meter
 25cm3 pipette and pipette filler
  250cm3 beaker
 Funnel
 Lab coat
 Distilled water
 250cm3 conical flask
 Phenolphthalein
 Magnetic flea
 Stirrer plate

Method- titre

 Clamp the burrete into the stand and fill it with 50cm 3 of sodium
hydroxide
 With the pipette measure 25cm3 of ethanoic acid and transfer it into
the conical flask
 Add 2 drops of phenolphthalein
 Put the magnetic flea into the conical flask and turn on the stirrer plate
 Open the tap so that the sodium hydroxide is mixed into the ethanoic
acid
 Let the sodium hydroxide flow into the flask until it gets to 23cm 3 then
the tap should be slightly open to allow that sodium hydroxide to drip
 Once the mixture has permanently turned pink stop dripping and
record the volumed used
 Turn off the stirrer plate and refill the burette with sodium hydroxide
 Calculate the mean titre and repeat until concordant results have been
obtained

Results

Trial run 1st run 2nd run

Initial reading 0.00 0.00 0.00
Final reading 25.00 25.00 25.00
Titre (volume 25.00 25.00 25.00
used)
Mean titre 25.00 25.00
v/2 12.50
Method- pH of half neutralised ch3cooh

 Pipette 25cm3 of ethanoic acid into the conical flask with no

phenolphthalein
 Run half of the mean titre into the ethanoic acid
 Swirl the mixture so that the solutions are mixed
 Put the pH meter into the flask and wait until the timer disappears
 This reading is the pH of the solution
 Repeat this until concordant results have been obtained
 Find an average of these results and use them to determine the Ka

Results

PH of half neutralised ch3cooh 1st run 4.66

PH of half neutralised ch3cooh 2nd 4.62
run
Average pH value 4.64

Calculations
¿¿
𝐾𝑎¿ (𝐻𝐴 ) this is the acid dissociation constant equation for a weak acid

When the weak acid is half neutralised the concentration (HA) is equal to the
concentration of its conjugate base (A-) which cancels both HA and A- out of
the equation and leaves 𝐾𝑎=¿. we can use this to turn the equation into
−𝑝𝐻
𝐾𝑎=10 with pH being the average. When this was entered into the
calculator, we got 2.291×10 −5. compared to a source of acid dissociation
constants at 25 Celsius (libretexts, 2014) I can determine we have good results.
The source reported that the Ka for ch3cooh is 1.75 ×10 −5or 1.8 ×10 −5 when
rounded (ausetute.com, 2025) which is close to our 2.291×10 −5.

Prac 2- testing the effect of a buffer on NaOH and HCL

In this experiment we measured the pH change of a buffer when 15cm 3 of

NaOH and HCL was added. The buffer was made of 50cm 3 0.1M ch3cooh and
20cm3 0.1M NaOH which then was halved and had its pH tested. The initial
pH was 4.36 and buffers are able to maintain pH; this means that at a certain
point there will be a big change in the pH and the buffer will no longer be
able to do its job.

Risk assessment

Ethanoic acid 0.1M - no hazard but may cause a small amount of irritation
and should be washed off with cold water if contact is made. Eye protection
and a lab coat should be worn. If ingested drink plenty of water and seek
medical attention if needed. (ThermoFisher SCIENTIFIC, 2009a)

Sodium hydroxide 0.1M- no hazard but may cause a small amount of

irritation and should be washed off with cold water if contact is made. Eye
protection and a lab coat should be worn. If ingested drink plenty of water
and seek medical attention if needed. (ThermoFisher SCIENTIFIC, 2009)

Hydrochloric acid 0.1M- corrosive. If ingested seek medical attention

immediately. If contact with skin or eyes occurs rinse as soon as possible
with cold water for 15 minutes and seek medical attention.
(thermofisherscientific, 2010)

Equipment
Ethanoic acid
Sodium hydroxide
Hydrochloric acid
Two burettes
pH meter
2 100cm3 beakers

Method
1- measure 50cm3 of ethanoic acid into a beaker
2- measure 20cm3 of sodium hydroxide
3- mix the sodium hydroxide with the ethanoic acid. This is the buffer
4- into the beaker that had sodium hydroxide in pour half of the buffer. Label
both beakers as ‘buffer’
5- fill one burette with 15cm3 hydrochloric acid and another with sodium
hydroxide
6-test the pH of a buffer and write it down as ‘start’
7- put the buffer under a burette and add 1cm 3 of the liquid into the beaker.
8- record the PH after an additional 1cm3 has been added. Do this until a
total of 15cm has been added
9- repeat this once more for the other burette and buffer

results

The initial pH of the buffer was 4.36

Volume of hydrochloric PH when HCL was PH when NaOH was

acid/ sodium hydroxide added added
added
1 4.27 4.34
2 4.16 4.40
3 4.08 4.48
4 3.86 4.55
5 3.85 4.62
6 3.69 4.71
7 3.56 4.80
8 3.44 4.89
9 3.11 4.98
10 2.67 5.09
11 2.22 5.22
12 1.92 5.38
13 1.71 5.57
14 1.59 5.80
15 1.48 6.22

Determining the pH of the buffer with the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation

The equation states pH= -log Ka + log (A-)/(HA)

-log 1.75 x10-5 + log (0.1)/(0.1) = 4.76

This means the theoretical pH of the buffer is 4.76. this shows that we were
close to getting the theoretical pH of the buffer for the original pH measured.
One reason we may not have gotten the theoretical pH is due to the fact we
did not accurately measure the ethanoic acid or sodium hydroxide when we
made the buffer. Furthermore, we also did not accurately measure the buffer
when we halved it.

pH change as
HCL is added

From this graph we can see as more HCL is added the more the ph drops due
to the acidity of HCL. However, this is slightly maintained up until where
9cm3 was added and we can see a large drop in the graph where 10cm 3 was
added this showed that the buffer maintained a steady pH up until 9cm 3 . At
9cm3 the pH was 3.11 however it quickly dropped to 2.67 at 10cm 3 showing
that the buffer no longer maintained its pH.

This happens because the sodium hydroxide reacts with the HCL to make
sodium chloride and water however this will eventually be used up and will
no longer be able to maintain the pH which is we see a big decline in the
graph. (masterconceptsinchemistry, 2025)

HCL + NaOH ⇌ NaCL + H2O

pH change
when sodium hydroxide was added

From this graph we can see that as more NaOH is added the ph begins to
rise. This is because NaOH is alkali and is reacting with the ethanoic acid to
attempt to raise the ph. As the NaOH is added the ethanoic acid is being
used up to make sodium acetate and water but when the ethanoic acid is
used up the ph will spike which we can see slowly start to happen where
10cm3 has been added. We would see more clearer results with a large
increase in the pH if more NaOH had been added but we kept it to 15cm 3 due
to being short for time. This would be a change we would make next time for
both experiments where we would add 25cm3 to see if there would be any
difference. In this graph there is a steady rise of pH throughout as we had
more ethanoic acid than NaOH; because of this it took more time for the
ethanoic acid to be used up compared the NaOH reacting with the HCL.
(masterconceptsinchemistry, 2025)
At 15cm3 we can see that there is a significant rise in pH where it went from
5.80 at 14cm3 to 6.22. this is where the ethanoic acid has nearly completed
the reaction with the NaOH which is why the pH begins to rise.

NaOH + CH3COOH ⇌ CH3COONa + H2O

Next time I would make more of the buffer as a backup plan in case
something went wrong and to allow us to repeat the experiment two more
times so we could compare results.

After assessing both graphs I can see that the buffer is better at maintaining
the pH when sodium hydroxide was added.

Buffers also maintain the pH of the blood which is about 7.35 to 7.45 (Iftikhar,
2019). If the pH goes below 7.35 this is called acidosis and may happen due to
kidney failure or an asthma attack (Iftikhar, 2019). If the ph goes above 7.45
this is called alkalosis and may happen when the person has been sick
repetitively (Cleveland Clinic, 2021). The buffer that works in the blood is made
of carbonic acid and bicarbonate ions H 2CO3 + H2O ⇌ HCO3- + H3O+ . The
bicarbonate ions neutralise the hydronium ions and make water and carbonic
acid. The carbonic acid reacts with a basic substance OH - ions to form
bicarbonate ions and water. If the blood pH isn't maintained essential
functions in the body will fail which could lead to very serious illnesses or
death (Iftikhar, 2019; LibreTexts, 2022; masterconceptsinchemistry, 2025).

Practical 3- pH titration curves

In this practical we added two bases to two acids to create four different
titration curves. We used a strong acid- HCL- and a weak acid-ch3cooh- with
a strong base- NaOH- and a weak base- nh3-. We used 50cm 3 of the base
each time into 25cm3 of the acid and measured the pH every 0.50 cm 3 added
up until 21cm where we measured every 0.10cm3 added until 24cm3.

Risk assessment
Ethanoic acid 0.1M - no hazard but may cause a small amount of irritation
and should be washed off with cold water if contact is made. Eye protection
and a lab coat should be worn. If ingested drink plenty of water and seek
medical attention if needed. (ThermoFisher SCIENTIFIC, 2009a)

Sodium hydroxide 0.1M- no hazard but may cause a small amount of

irritation and should be washed off with cold water if contact is made. Eye
protection and a lab coat should be worn. If ingested drink plenty of water
and seek medical attention if needed. (ThermoFisher SCIENTIFIC, 2009)

Hydrochloric acid 0.1M- corrosive. If ingested seek medical attention

immediately. If contact with skin or eyes occurs rinse as soon as possible
with cold water for 15 minutes and seek medical attention. Lab coat and
safety glasses should be worn (thermofisherscientific, 2010)

Ammonia 0.1M- corrosive, irritant, hazardous to aquatic wildlife. If contact

with eyes or skin occurs wash for 20 minutes with cold water and if
symptoms of discomfort persist seek medical attention immediately. If
ingested take sips of water and thoroughly rinse mouth. Seek medical
attention once mouth is washed and do not induce vomiting. Safety glasses,
a Lab coat and gloves must be always worn.

Equipment
 2 burettes with stands
 2 funnels
  2 measuring cylinders
 2 pipettes with fillers
 4 250cm3 conical flasks
 Distilled water
 pH meter
 Stirrer plate and bar

Method
1. Measure 50cm3 of sodium hydroxide using a measuring cylinder
2. Clamp a burette to the stand. Using a funnel fill the burette with the
sodium hydroxide
3. With a pipette measure 25cm3 of the hydrochloric acid and put it into a
conical flask
4. Plug the stirrer plate in and put the bar into the conical flask. Make
sure the setup is safe so that it does not tip over
5. Add 0.50cm3 of the sodium hydroxide and record the pH. Do this until
21cm3 has been added
6. Record the pH after every 0.10cm3 has been added. Stop this when
24cm3 has been reached and continue to add 0.50cm 3
7. Once all the sodium hydroxide has been added to the hydrochloric acid
fill another conical flask with ethanoic acid and repeat the experiment
8. In another burette fill 50cm3 with ammonia and repeat steps 3-6 with
both ethanoic and hydrochloric acid and record results

Results
An equivalence point is where the two solutions have mixed and are at equal
volumes. In our practical's all our solutions were used at a 1:1 ratio as they
all had the same concentrations. To find our equivalence point we take the
pH at which the graph begins to go straight at the top and take that away
from the pH at which the graph begins to go upwards from the bottom. We
can use this equivalence point to determine which indicator is the best at
showing us when the two solutions have met the equivalence point.
Indicators have end points which mean that they change colour at a certain
pH; for example, phenolphthalein has an end point of 8-10 and starts off as
colourless and changes to pink.

The equivalence point for this graph was 8.3. the graph starts off at pH 0.70
and slowly rises to 3.21 where it increases in a steep line to 11.51. This is
where the graph begins to curve and straighten out and ends at pH 13.19. To
find the equivalence point I took 3.21 from 11.51 which gave me 8.3. This
point is slightly alkali as we may have added too much sodium hydroxide
each increment causing the pH to be slightly above what we expected; we
would have expected the equivalence point to begin with 7 as both solutions
are strong. For this titration I would use thymol blue as it has an end point of
8-9.6 which makes it more accurate than phenolphthalein. It goes from
yellow to blue so it would be a very clear change. (Helmenstine, 2020)

To find this equivalence point I took 7.96 from 2.40 which got me 5.56. this
graph steadily starts to increase from pH 0.65 to 1.96 and then quickly rises
in a steep line from 2.40 to 7.96. After 7.96 the graph begins to curve and
straighten out again until 9.86 where it stops. Our equivalence point is
slightly acidic due to the fact that the base is weak, and the acid is strong.
For this titration I would use bromocresol purple as it has an end point of 5.2-
6.8 that allows room for error. It turns from yellow to purple which make it a
clear change. It would quickly change colour once the equivalence point has
been reached as the equivalence point for this titration is 5.56. (Helmenstine,
2020)

To find this equivalence point I took 12.19 from 7.05 which gave me 5.14.
this graph steadily increases from 2.56 to 7 and then quickly creates a steep
line at 7.05 to 12.19. After this the graph quickly straightens out and the ph
slowly increases until it stops at 13.40. This equivalence point is slightly
acidic due to the weak acid and strong base mixture.
For this titration I would choose bromocresol green as it has an end point of
4-5.6 that allows room for error and would quickly indicate when the
equivalence point has been reached however, I also think methyl red would
be suitable due to its end point of 4.4-6.2 that allows room for more error in
the case of more than an accidental extra 0.50cm 3 was added. Bromocresol
green changes from yellow to blue which is clearer than methyl red which
changes from red to yellow. (Helmenstine, 2020)

As we used both a weak acid and weak base we don't get a steep part of the
graph. The points at which we have sudden curves give us a point of
inflexion. This means that the curve goes from facing down to facing up with
no line in between. To find the equivalence point I used the bottom graph
where it peaks; this gave me a pH of 7.40 but because of the point of
inflection we can't find a suitable indicator for this titration as it wouldn't be
clear where the equivalence point has been reached. I do think that it would
be interesting to attempt to use universal indicator, but this would not be
clear enough. Universal indicator changes from yellow to green when going
from a pH of 6 to 7. (Helmenstine, 2020)

For all titrations it is possible to use universal indicator, but it is not accurate
enough which is why I have suggested specific indicators for each titration.
Choosing the wrong indicator would mean that the titration would stop at the
wrong point and give us a wrong titre. A wrong indicator would also give us a
wrong equivalence point.

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