September 28, 2025

What Is Titration

Q: What is the difference between the endpoint and the equivalence point?

The equivalence point is the theoretical point where the moles of titrant added are stoichiometrically equal to the moles of the analyte. The endpoint is the experimental point where the indicator physically changes color. In a well-designed titration, the endpoint is a very close approximation of the equivalence point.

Q: What is a burette used for in a titration?

A burette is a long, graduated glass tube with a stopcock at the bottom. It is used to dispense very precise and variable volumes of the titrant solution, allowing for accurate measurement of how much was needed to reach the endpoint.

Q: Can titration be used for reactions other than acid-base?

Yes, titration is a versatile method. It is also used for redox (oxidation-reduction) reactions, precipitation reactions, and complexometric titrations, which involve the formation of a colored complex.

Q: Why is it important to add the titrant slowly?

Adding the titrant slowly (drop by drop near the endpoint) and constantly swirling the flask ensures that the reaction has enough time to complete and that the endpoint is not accidentally passed. Adding it too quickly leads to inaccurate results.

Learn about titration, a fundamental chemistry technique used to determine the concentration of a solution. Understand analyte, titrant, and equivalence point.

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What is Titration?

Titration is a common laboratory method used in quantitative chemical analysis to determine the unknown concentration of a substance, known as the analyte. This is achieved by slowly adding a solution of a precisely known concentration, called the titrant, to the analyte until the chemical reaction between them is complete.

Section 2: Key Components of Titration

A titration setup involves several key components: the analyte (the solution of unknown concentration), the titrant (the solution of known concentration), a burette (a calibrated tube for dispensing the titrant), and an indicator. The indicator is a substance that changes color to signal the end of the reaction, a point known as the endpoint.

Section 3: A Practical Example

A classic example is an acid-base titration. To find the concentration of a hydrochloric acid (HCl) solution (the analyte), a sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution of known concentration (the titrant) is added slowly. Using phenolphthalein as an indicator, the solution will turn from colorless to a faint pink when all the acid has been neutralized, indicating the endpoint has been reached.

Section 4: Importance and Applications

Titration is a crucial technique for precision and quality control in various industries. It is used in the pharmaceutical industry to determine the purity of drugs, in the food and beverage industry to measure acidity or sugar content, and in environmental science to analyze water quality by measuring contaminant levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the endpoint and the equivalence point?

What is a burette used for in a titration?

Can titration be used for reactions other than acid-base?

Why is it important to add the titrant slowly?