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How to Compute a Titration Curve

A titration is the procedure used to carry out a chemical reaction between two solutions. The process of adding one solution to another is conducted by using a buret. A buret is a glassware cylinder open at one end and fitted with a stopcock on the other to control the flow of liquid. The buret's etched calibration in hundredths of milliliter measurements helps note the volume of the base chemical added at various points during the experiment. The observation and measurement of pH levels and the volume of solution added to create each chemical reaction helps create a titration curve.

Things You'll Need

  • Glass beaker
  • Buret
  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Litmus paper
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Instructions

    • 1

      Organize the equipment needed for the experiment. Select a base solution such as water to add to an acid solution in order to generate changes in its pH levels. Use litmus paper to detect pH reactions and experiment endpoints. Litmus paper contains a mixture of different chemical indicators that change colors to reflect different pH levels. Set up the buret with the base solution and fill a beaker with your selected acid.

    • 2

      Add a measured level of buret liquid to the beaker, then apply some of that mixed solution to litmus paper. The litmus paper's color reaction determines the combined chemical pH level.

    • 3

      Record each millimeter of buret liquid addition and its pH reaction until the chemical combination reactions reach an observable neutral endpoint. Use these measurements of pH vs. the volume of the base added by the buret to generate the titration curve.

    • 4

      Lay out the titration graph using a spreadsheet program. Create two columns; column A will contain the recorded pH levels starting with the lowest volume point in the experiment, and column B will contain its corresponding buret volume measurement. For example, the first column A/B pairing must correspond with a buret volume measurement of zero and the base solution's pH level at the start of the experiment.

    • 5

      Create spreadsheet formula using the graph functions on a spreadsheet to generate a titration curve. In Excel, open the "Insert" tab and click the "Scatter" icon. Click the "Scatter with smooth lines" function and Excel will generate your titration curve. Find the point on the curve where volume and pH levels meet to determine the acid's Equivalence Point where the pH balance is neutral.

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