Name:___________________

Class:___________________

Date:_____________

Activity 7.11: Determination of end point through titration.

Aim:
To find the end point in the titration of hydrochloric acid, HCl and sodium hydroxide,
NaOH solution using an acid-base indicator.
Problem Statement:
How to determine the end point in the titration of hydrochloric acid, HCl and sodium
hydroxide, NaOH solution?
Hypothesis:
The end point in the titration of hydrochloric acid, HCl and sodium hydroxide, NaOH
solution can be determined by using phenolphthalein as indicator.
Apparatus:
Burette, 25.0 cm3 pipette, pipette filler, retort stand and clamp, white tile and 250 cm3
conical flasks.
Materials:
0.1 mol dm-3 hyrochloric acid, sodium hydroxide solution and phenolphthalein.

Draw set up apparatus as in pg 27 note. (but label as dilute hydrochloric acid)

Procedure:
1. A clean burette is rinsed with a small amount of 0.1 mol dm-3 hydrochloric
acid. The burette is clamped on a retort stand.
2. The burette is filled with 0.1 mol dm-3 hydrochloric acid . The meniscus
level of the acid is adjusted to a reading at 0 or slightly below 0 mark.
3. The initial burette reading is recorded.
4. A 25.0 cm3 pipette is rinsed with a small amount of sodium hydroxide
solution.
5. Sodium hydroxide solution is then transferred into a conical flask using
the pipette.
6. Three drops of phenolphthalein are added into the sodium hydroxide
solution and shaken well. The solution turns pink.
7. The conical flask with its content is placed on a white tile below the
burette.

8. Sulphuric acid is added carefully and slowly from the burette into the
conical flask. The conical flask is swirled throughout the process of titration.
9. When the colour of the pink solution turns paler, the hydrochloric acid is
added a drop at a time at a very slow pace with swirling.
10. The additional of hydrochloric acid is immediately stopped as soon as the
solution in the conical flask turns colourless.
11. The final burette reading is recorded.
12. Steps 1 to 11 are repeated two more times.
13. The readings are tabulated.
Data and observation:
Fill in the result as in Table 7.3 pg 104 text book.
Discussion:
1. (a)
(b)
(c)
2. (a) --------------------------The end point of the titration is located when the colour of solution changes from
pink to colourless.
(b) --------------------------The alternative method to determine the end point of the titration is by measuring
the electrical conductivity of the solution during titration. At this point, the value of
the current is the lowest.
3. (a) ------------------------------------------To remove the water on the inner surface of the burette. This is to make sure that
the hydrochloric acid will not be diluted when it is filled into the burette.
(b) -----------------------------------------To make sure the accuracy of the burette reading.
(c) ------------------------------------------To avoid the parallax error while taking the reading.
(d) ------------------------------------------It is to avoid the excess amount of sodium hydroxide particles present in conical
flask.
4. ---------------White tile is used to enable the change in colour of the solution in the conical flask to

be seen clearly.
Conclusion:
The end point in the titration of hydrochloric acid, HCl and sodium hydroxide, NaOH
solution can be determined by using phenolphthalein as indicator. The concentration of
sodium hydroxide solution is..
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Extra notes:
Operational Definition
What is operational definition?
It is to define concept by describing what must be done and what should be observed.
Describing = describe what you did in the experiment
Manipulated variable = what must be done
Responding variable = what should be observed
Question:
State the operational definition for the end point in this experiment.
Answer:
The end point for the titration is the point at which the volume of hydrochloric acid
added is exactly enough to change the pink colour of phenolphthalein in sodium
hydroxide solution to colourless.
Theoretical definition for the end point
The end-point is the point at which the amount of acid added exactly neutralises all the
alkali, that is the point when all OH ions combine with H+ ions to form water.
More example:
SPM 2010 : P3 No. 1(e)
Brief explanation: Given three diagrams to show three experiments to investigate the
reactivity of Group 1 elements with water. The observation shows the different brightness
of flame when react with water.
Question:
State the operational definition for the reactivity of Group 1 elements.
Answer:
The brighter the flame, the more reactive is the metal when react with water.