Hydrogen Peroxide Analysis Lab

Redox Titration with Potassium Permanganate

ABSTRACT
Prior to the lab, we knew that titration is the use of volume measurements to analyze the concentration of an unknown. Our goal
for the lab was to analyze the percent hydrogen peroxide in a common drugstore solution by titrating it with potassium
permanganate. Would the percent hydrogen peroxide match what the commercial solution claimed to have? We hypothesized
that if we titrated the hydrogen peroxide of a common drugstore solution with potassium peroxide of a common drugstore
solution with potassium permangante, then the percent hydrogen peroxide in the drugstore solution would be 3% because that is
what the dugstore solutions label depicts. Our procedure consisted of adding potassium permanganate to hydrogen peroxide
solution until it turned light pink, carefully while constantly swirling. We found that it took 19 ml of the potassium permanganate
solution to turn the hydrogen peroxide solution pink. We also found that the average value for the percecnt hydrogen peroxide in
the commercial solution was 2.89%, which, if rounded up, agrees with the concentration reported on the bottle.

INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this lab is to analyze the percent hydrogen peroxide in a common drugstore solution by titrating it with
potassium permanganate. Prior to the lab, we knew that titration is a method of volumetric analysisthe use of volume
measurements to analyze the concentration of an unknown (FlinnScientific). If a solution contains a substance that can be
oxidized, then the concentration of that substance can be analyzed by titrating it with a standard solution of a strong oxidizing
agent (FlinnScientific). The equation for an oxidationreduction reaction can be balanced by assuming that it occurs via two
separate half-reactions (FlinnScientific). In this case being: 2MnO 4 (aq) + 5H2O2 (aq) + 6H+(aq) 2Mn2+(aq) + 5O2(g) + 8
H2O(l) as a balanced equation. The mole ratio of hydrogen peroxide to permanganate ion in the balanced chemical equation
would be 5:2, meaning that for every 5 moles of H2O2, there will be 2 moles of MnO4 .
When presented with the commercial hydrogen peroxide and potassium permangante, we observed that both solutions did not
have a defining smell. We also observed the potassium permanganate soultion was a deep color purple and the the hydrogen
peroxide solution was clear.

QUESTION & HYPOTHESIS

Would the percent hydrogen peroxide match what the commercial solution claimed to have?
If we titrate the hydrogen peroxide of a common drugstore solution with potassium peroxide of a common drugstore solution
with potassium permangante, then the percent hydrogen peroxide in the drugstore solution would be 3% because that is what the
dugstore solutions label depicts it to be.

MATERIALS:
Hydrogen peroxide. H2O2 commercial antisepyic solution. 3 mL
Potassium Permanganate solution KMnO4, 0.025 M, 75 mL
Sulfuric acid solution, H2SO4, 3 M, 30 mL
Water, distilled or deionized, 100 mL
Beaker, 100- or 150-mL
Buret, 50-mL, with buret clamp
Erlenmeyer flask, 125- ml)
Graduated cylinder, 10- or 25-mL
Labels and/or markers
Pipet, serological, 1-mL
Pipet bulb
Ring stand
Wash bottle
Waste disposal beaker, 250-mL

PROCEDURE
1. Obtain about 50 ml of potassium permanganate standard solution. 0.02 M. in a small beaker. Record the precise
molarity of the solution in the data table.
2. Rinse a clean 50 ml beret with two seperate 5 ml portions of pottasium permanganate solution.
3. Clamp the beret to a ring stand with a beret clamp and place a 250ml waste beaker under the beret.
4. Fill the beret with pottasium permanganate solution until the liquid level is just above the 0 mark.
5. Open the stopcock on the beret to allow any air bubbles to escape from the tip. Close the stopcock when the
liquid level and the beret is between the 0 and 5ml mark.
 6. Record the precise level of the solution in the beret. This is the initial volume of the potassium permanganate
solution for trial 1.
7. Using serolgical pippet, transfer 1ml of the commercial hydrogen peroxide solution into a 125ml Erlenmeyer
flask.
8. Add about 20ml of distilled water to the flask
9. Measure 10 ml of 3 Mol sulfuric acid into a graduated cylinder and carefully add the acid to the solution in the
Erlenmeyer flask. Gently swirl the flask to mix the solution.
10. Position the flask under the beret so that the tip of the beret is within the flask but atleast 2 cm above the liquid
surface. Place a piece of white paper under the flask to make it easier to detect the end point.
11. open the beret stopcpock and allow 5-8 ml of the potassium permanganate solution to flow into the flask. Swirl
the flask and observe the color changed in the solution.
12. Continue to add the Potassium Permanganate solution slowly, drop by drop, while swirling the flask. Use a wash
bottld to rinse the sides of the flask with distilled water during the titration to ensure that all of the reactants mix
thouroughly.
13. When a light pink color persists in the titrated solution while swirling the flask, the end point has been reached.
Close the stopcock and record the final volume of the Potassium Permanganate solution in the data table.
14. Subract the inital volume of the Permanganate solution from the final volume to obtain the volume of KMnO 4
added. Enter the answer in the data table.
15. Pour the titrated solution into a waste basket, dispose of beaker and rinse the flask with distilled water.
16. Repeat the titration (steps 6 - 15) 2 more times (trials 2 and 3) record all data in the data table
17. Dispose of the solution in the waste beaker as directed by your instructor.

RESULTS

Data Table
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Molarity of KMnO4 solution (M) 0.02 M

Initial volume KMnO4 solution (mL) 50 mL

Final volume KMnO4 solution (mL) 31 mL 43 mL 35 mL

Volume of KMnO4 added to flask (mL) 19 mL 17 mL 15 mL

The average mililiters of adding potassium permanganate to the sulfuric acid solution is 17. Looking at the data table, the highest
amount of potassium permanganate added was 19mL and the lowest is 15mL. The starting molarity of 0.02 M and initial volume
of potassium permanganate (50mL) always remains the same, because it is the desired starting point. The final volume depended
on the volume added to the flask of hydrogen peroxide.

Results Table
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3

Moles of KMnO4 3.8 x 10-4 moles 3.4 x 10-4 moles 3.0 x 10-4 moles

Moles of H2O2 9.5 x 10-4 moles 8.5 x 10-4 moles 7.5 x 10-4 moles

Grams of H2O2 0.0323g 0.0289g 0.0255g

Percent H2O2 3.23% 2.89% 2.55%

Average Concentration H2O2 2.89%

The average value for the percecnt hydrogen peroxide in the commercial solution was 2.89%. This, if rounded up, agrees with
the concentration reported on the bottle.

CONCLUSION:
Our hypothesis was accepted because the average value for the hydrogen peroxide in the commercial solution was 2.89%,
which, if rounded up, would match the concentration reported on the bottle. Two possible sources of error that may have affected
our results is that we might have slightly undermeasured our potassium permanganate solution and overmeasured hydrogen
peroxide, and/or the fact that the flask and graduated cylinder might not have been clean. One definite source of error was that
we made a couple of minor measurement errors because of our equipment not having the most suitable markings to make an
accurate measurement. Because of this, it might have taken a bit more potassium permanganate to turn the solution to a light
pink color. We have moderate confidence in our results, as they are nearly replicated in Trial 2 and Trial 3 on a smaller scale.
This is an experiment that could benefit from more repetition for more accuracy.

This lab has helped further expand our growth andknowledge on reactions produced during tritration. This can also be applicable
to real life events. Science and chemistry are present in our every day lives. Learning how redox titration works through trial and
error may help in things like the food industry and your local pharmacy. Titration is usually used in laboratories for quantitative
chemical analysis of a chemical. It aids chemists to determine the concentration of a particular compound. The basics of food
titration involve determining the concentrations of different compounds in foods such as vitamins, minerals and trace elements,
which is why it is very important to the food and pharmaceutical industries. A question post lab lingered: Did the company
making the commercial solution of hydrogen peroxide go through a similar process in order to accurately represent the values on
their label?

CITATIONS
Hydrogen Peroxide Analysis - Consumer Chemistry. Flinn Scientific, Inc., no. 92153, 2009.
Titration.Chemistry LibreTexts, 12 July 2016, http://chem.libretexts.org/Core/Analytical_Chemistry/Lab_Techniques
/Titration.