Setting up and Performing a Titration

Learn that titration quantitatively determines the concentration of an unknown solution (analyte) by adding a chemical of known concentration (titrant) with an indicator. Review the complete burette assembly kit components including the burette, ring stand, burette clamp, funnel, Erlenmeyer flask, volumetric pipette, pipette bulb, wash bottle, indicators, reading card, and white paper.

Thoroughly rinse the burette with deionized water, then with a small amount of titrant, opening the stopcock to drain liquid at the bottom. Clean thoroughly if liquid clings to the walls to ensure accurate technique and proper titrant flow.

Mount the burette vertically in the clamp with enough room for the flask below. Insert the funnel and fill the burette almost to the top with titrant, checking for and removing air bubbles by gently tapping the column.

Remove the funnel, place the Erlenmeyer flask under the tip, and open the stopcock to allow a few milliliters of titrant to flow through to release trapped air. Rinse the tip with water, empty the flask, and record the starting volume by reading the bottom of the meniscus at eye level to the nearest hundredth of a milliliter.

Use the volumetric pipette to transfer a known volume of analyte to the flask, add a few drops of indicator, and swirl. Perform the first rough titration by opening the stopcock to add titrant quickly while continuously swirling, recording the final volume to estimate how much titrant is needed.

Prepare a fresh flask with analyte and indicator. Add titrant at a faster rate until flashes of color begin to appear, then slow the addition to a drop-wise rate while swirling. Continue until the analyte remains faintly colored, indicating the endpoint has been reached, then record the final volume.

Repeat the precise titration procedure in triplicate (typically three times). Use the average volume of titrant required to reach the endpoint from all trials for any subsequent concentration calculations.