Acid Base Lab

Determination of CaCO3 in Toothpaste

Group members (Date : 27 February 2015)
1. Punyatip Sirilertmekasakul (Ping)
2. Natwadee Pattanaphnitchkul (Bell)
3. Saowanee Sornmayura (Kuke)
4. Trapoom Rattanaatikul (Peepee)
INTRODUCTION
CaCO3 is the main component of the egg shell, pearls and snail shell. [1] According to our daily
lives the obviously seen of using Calcium Carbonate were toothpaste and Antacid. In this lab, we use
Colgate active salt[2] toothpaste as an initial example to determine Calcium Carbonate by using Back
Titration
Titration is the method that used to find the value or the concentration of the unknown solution.
By doing this, the unknown solution has to react with the standard solution that have a precise
concentration and measure the volume both two substances that react equivalently by using the tools that
can measure the volume carefully ,which are Pipette and Burette. The point that both solution
equivalently react is Equivalent point.[3]
Back titration is the method that indirectly fill out the standard solution Silver Nitrate from
Burette into the initial example in a large amount by knowing the precise volume. [4] The large amount can
be find out by do the back titration with the standard solution. Also, SO 42- , SCN- ,S2- ,CNcan used to find the volume by Titration as well.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this lab was to figure out the mole of CaCO 3 in the toothpaste by using a
technique called volumetric analysis or titration. And understand how to do titration.
HYPOTHESIS
We predict that the solution will change color when it reach pH around 8. It will use less amount
of NaOH to meet the endpoint because our sample is Colgate Salt, I think it will cause the solution to
have high pH.
MATERIALS
3x 125 mL Erlenmeyer Flasks (Conical Flask)
1x spatula
1x stand w/double buret holder
1x buret
1x stir bar
1x pH meter
1x graduated cylinder
EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE
-Put 125mL Erlenmeyer on scale, zero scale.
-Weigh out about 0.50g of toothpaste, using spatula, directly into 125 mL Erlenmeyer flask. Record value
weighted.
-Using a 10 mL graduated cylinder, add 10 mL of distilled water to the toothpaste.

-Using a 10.0mL volumetric pipette, pipette exactly 10.0mL of 0.1M HCL into toothpaste/water solution.
-Add a stir bar, heat and stir for 5 minutes on hot plate remove from heat and let cool to the touch.
-Add a few drops of Phenolphthalein indicator.
-Start adding your titrant (0.10M NaOH in buret) slowly check the pH after every 1
mL of titrant
added. Record both the following and pH. When solution starts to turn pink but return to transparent, clear
after swirling, add slower (drop-wise perhaps).
-After end point has been reached, record the final pH and final volume.
-Continue adding titrant, an additional 4 mL of titrant. Again checking the pH after every 1 mL has been
added. Record the pH and volume each time.
-Repeat experiment 2 more times. This will give a total of 3 separate titrations.
-Dispose of your waste in large beaker provided, do not dispose of down the drain. Leave left over NaOH
solution in buret after use.

DATA/RESULTS
Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Weight toothpaste(g)

0.57 g.

0.57 g.

0.59 g.

Initial Vol. (mL)

24.91 mL

24.62 mL

24.81 mL

Initial pH

6.51

6.54

6.43

Final Vol. (mL)

24.62 mL

24.81 mL

25.19 mL

Final pH

7.97

7.96

7.94

Total vol. (mL)

0.29 mL

0.19 mL

0.38 mL

Vol HCL reacted with

toothpaste

19.71

19.81

19.62

Moles HCL reacted

0.002

0.002

0.002

Moles CaCO3

8.86 * 10^-4

8.905 * 10^-4

8.81 * 10^-4

Amount CaCO3 (mg)

0.0886

0.089

0.0881

Amount CaCO3 (mg/g)

0.1554

0.1562

0.1493

Average CaCO3 (mg/g)

0.1536333

Standard deviation

0.003774

%RSD

0.0246

DISCUSSION

At first, we added acid that is HCL to the initial sample because an acid that we added in will
reacts with calcium carbonate, so we have to make sure that there is enough acid. Therefore, we need to
add more acidic before the solution reacts with sodium hydroxide. Then we heat up the solution because
the purpose of heating the solution is to increase the solubility rate. [5] When a solid dissolved in liquid,
heat is required to break to break the bond that holding the molecules in solid together. So, heating the
solution will make toothpaste melt faster. Afterwards, we dropped an indicator. In this experiment, we
used Phenolphthalein as an indicator. Phenolphthalein is an indicator that has no colour, and it will remain
the same colour when we add acid in it.[6] But when we added NaOH that is basic to the solution until it
reached an end point, the colour of the solution will change to a pink. Then we started to titrate by
dropped NaOH slowly until the colour of a solution turns to pink. Phenolphthalein is an indicator that has
no colour, and it will remain the same colour when we add acid in it. But when we added NaOH that is
basic to the solution until it reached an end point. The color of a solution will change to pink, which mean
the acid and basic mixed in exactly right proportions to neutralise each other this called Endpoint. [3]
And the particular mixture when two solutions mixed in exactly equation proportion is known as the
equivalent point this called Equivalence point. [3] We performed three replicates because we want to
make sure that our results dont have any errors. If an experiment cannot be repeated to produce the same
results, this implies that the original results might have been in error. It is common for a single experiment
to be performed multiple times, especially when there are uncontrolled variables or other indications of
experimental error.
CONCLUSION
According to our results, its shown that our hypothesis was correct because the indicator changed
it color when the pH of dissolved solution is about 8 to 9. Moreover, our initial example is a base so when
the initial example dissolved. It will became a base dissolved solution and when we want that to become
an acid, we need to put acid in a large amount to change it to the acid. On the other hand, in the back
titration, using a few drops of NaOH is enough for this reaction.

REFERENCES
1. Senese, F. (2010). Calcium carbonate [Online]. Available:
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/consumer/faq/eggshell-composition.shtml
[Thursday, 5-March-2015 22:56:12 EST]
2. Colgate Active Salt. Colgate-Palmolive Thailand Ltd., Chonburi, Bangna-Trad km57
Thailand, Lot no.1015526957
3. Clark, J. (2002). PH (titration) curves [online]. Available:
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/acidbaseeqia/phcurves.html [Sunday, 1-March-2015
15:33:14 EST]

4. Anne, M.H. (2014). Back Titration Definition [Online]. Available:

http://chemistry.about.com/od/organicchemistryglossary/fl/Back-Titration-Definition.htm
[Thurday, 5-March-2015 22:40:23 EST]
5. Charles, E. (2003). Temperature and Pressure Effects on Solubility [Online]. Available:
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/174temppres.html [ Friday, 6-March-2015 20:13:08
EST]
6. Clark, J. (2013). Acid-Base Indicators [Online]. Available:
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/acidbaseeqia/indicators.html [Sunday, 1-March-2015
13:56:10 EST]