CONCLUSION: In this lab, we attempted to experimentally determine the Ksp of Calcium Iodate.

We began by creating a solution of Iodate (from Calcium Iodate) and Iodide ions in acidic solution, which combined to form triiodide ion (see eq. 1). To this solution, we titrated (using gravimetric titration) with thiosulfate ions, coming from a saturated sodium thiosulfate solution. The thiosulfate ions reacted with the triiodide ions in solution to form Iodide ion and S4062-, a light yellow solution (see eq. 2). We then added starch to the mixture to make the completion of the titration simpler, and we continued to titrate to a colorless endpoint much easier to detect than light yellow. We did not add the starch at the beginning because starch must be added just before the equivalence point, else I2 ions will bond with starch and not get titrated. At this point we added back a bit of the original solution which we had removed earlier called the thief and titrated to a more precise endpoint. We then used the recorded mass of sodium thiosulfate used to calculate the amount of triiodide present in the solution, and used that to calculate the amount of iodate present. Then using the equation for the solubility of calcium iodate (eq. 3), calcium ions were present from the calcium iodate, we calculated the Ksp. After carrying out all the necessary calculations, we found the Ksp to be 1.29e-6. The reference value was 6.47e-6, making the percent error 80.1%. Detailed calculations are shown in analysis question 7. There were numerous sources of error in this experiment. One source of error is if we did not use enough calcium iodate in the original solution (due to air bubbles or parallax error with the pipet). This would reduce the amount of ioadate ions in solution, making less triiodide ions in solution. This would cause less thiosulfate ions to be needed,

thus reducing the mass of sodium thiosulfate used. With this mass lowered, the moles of sodium thiosulfate per gram of solution would be lowered, lowering the moles of thiosulfate, lowering the calculated moles of iodate, lowering the Ksp. Another source of error is if we were to not take enough solution out for the thief, causing the solution to remain past the end point even with the thief put back in. This would cause a situation where the solution was over titrated, where there are too many thiosulfate ions in solution. More thiosulfate ions would lead to a higher mass used, leading to a higher amount of moles of thiosulfate, and thus a higher amount of moles of iodate. More moles of iodate would lead to a higher molarity, which would lead to a higher molarity of calcium as well. This would increase the Ksp.