Experiment No.

7
ACIDS, BASES AND SALTS

Ferrer, Abigael G.
Fong, Michael
Group 6, Chem 14.1, FAB2, Prof. Mario T. Rosete III
March 19, 2010
Experiment 7 is divided into five parts. The first and second part is the classification of the
electrolytes and the conductivity test, respectively. The third part consists of the preparation of 1 M NaOH
using NaOH pellets and the fourth part consists of the preparation of 0.1 M NaOH from the available
concentration of NaOH. The last part is the titration of an acid with a base, specifically an unknown acid
with a .1 M NaOH base.

Keywords: acid, base, salt, electrolyte (strong and weak), non-electrolyte, conductor (good and weak),
non-conductor, pH, titration, equivalence point, end point

Introduction NaOH-), is added gradually to another solution of

The experiment aims to explain and
apply concepts regarding electrolytes and
titration.
An electrolyte is any substance
containing free ions that make the substance
electrically conductive. They commonly exist as
solutions of acids, bases or salts. Acids, bases
and salts have many uses and are important in
different fields, not only in Chemistry.
Acids are often used to remove rust and
other corrosion from metals. They may be used
as an electrolyte in a wet cell battery, such as
sulfuric acid in a car battery. Strong acids,
sulphuric acid in particular, are widely used in
mineral processing (ie phosphate minerals react
with sulfuric acid to produce phosphoric acid for
the production of phosphate fertilizers, zinc is
produced by dissolving zinc oxide into sulfuric
acid). They also react in neutralization reactions
to produce salts and are used as additives to
drinks and foods, as they alter their taste and
serve as preservatives. Both acids and bases
are used as catalysts. Salts, on the other hand,
elicit all five basic tastes, e.g. salty (sodium
chloride), sweet (lead diacetate; which will cause
lead poisoning if ingested), sour (potassium
bitartrate), bitter (magnesium sulfate), and
umami or savory (monosodium glutamate). Salts
are also used in the formation of crystals.
Titration, another concept in this
experiment, is a common laboratory method of
quantitative chemical analysis that is used to
determine the unknown concentration of a
known reactant. It is a process wherein a
solution of accurately known concentration,
called a standard solution (in this experiment,
unknown concentration, until the chemical
reaction between the two solutions is complete.
Experimental
Part I. Electrolytes
5 drops of the following 0.1 M solutions
(NaOH, NH4Cl, HCl, HC2H3O2, NaCl, C2H5OH,
C12H22O11) with distilled water were first placed in
different test tubes. They were then tested using
litmus paper, phenolphthalein, and congo red.
Color changes were noted and the substances
were classified into acids, bases and salts
according to these changes.
The pH levels were then determined
using pH paper. To use the pH paper and the
other indicators, distilled water was first placed
in a watch glass. Then, the substance was
added and finally, the indicator. This is in line
with the Arrhenius definition wherein acids and
bases are to be reacted with water.
Equal volumes (1mL each) of 1 M HCl
and 1 M NaOH were mixed in a test tube and
were tested with the available indicators. Then,
this was repeated using 1 M acetic acid in place
of HCl.
Part II. Conductivity Test
A small amount of substance to be
tested was placed in a small beaker. The metal
ends of the conductivity apparatus were placed
inside this beaker. The light bulb was then
observed. If it did not light up, the substance is
not an electrolyte. If it lit up dimly, it was a weak
electrolyte. If it lit up brightly, it was a strong
electrolyte. All substances (NaOH, NH4Cl, HCl,

Chem 14.1 Acids, Bases and Salts Page 1 of 5

HC2H3O2, NaCl, C2H5OH, C12H22O11, HAc +
NaOH, and HCl + NaOH) underwent the
conductivity test.
Part III. Preparation of 1 M NaOH using NaOH
pellets
The weight needed to prepare
100.00mL of 1 M NaOH were first calculated
using the molarity (M) formula as shown below:
MM NaOH = 40.01 g/mol
M = Mass solute
(MM)(L sol’n)
Mass solute = M (MM) (L sol’n)
= 1.0 M (40.01 g/mol) (0.1L)
= 4.0018 g
The calculated amount of pellets was
weighed in a watch glass. Then, it was dissolved
in 50mL water by swirling the flask. The solution
(sol’n) was then transferred to 100-mL
volumetric flask and then diluted by adding
distilled water up to the mark in the volumetric
flask.
Part IV. Preparation of 0.1 M NaOH from
available concentration of NaOH
The volume of NaOH from available
concentration (solution prepared in part III)
needed to prepare 100mL of 0.1 M NaOH using
the dilution formula (M1V1 = M2V2) as shown
below:
MdiluteVdilute = MconcentratedVconcentrated
Vdilute = MconcentratedVconcentrated
Mdilute
= (0.1 M) (100mL)
1.0 M
= 10mL
The calculated volume was diluted to
100.00mL with distilled water in a volumetric
flask.
Part V. Titration of an Acid with a Base
The base buret was first thoroughly
washed with soap and water. Then, it was rinsed
three times with 3mL portions of the standard
Chem 14.1 Acids, Bases and Salts
base (0.1 M NaOH). The buret was then filled
with 0.1 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and
airspace was removed. The reading was set to
zero and finally, the buret was clamped to the
iron stand.
A 10mL aliquot of an unknown acid
(prepared by the instructor) was transferred into
an Erlenmeyer flask. 50mL of distilled water and
2-3 drops of phenolphthalein were then added.
The acid was titrated with the standard base
until the first appearance of a permanent light
pink coloration. The final volume reading was
recorded. Three trials were made for accuracy.
Then, the molarity of the unknown acid solution
was calculated as shown below:
MacidVacid = MbaseVbase
Macid = MbaseVbase
Vacid
= (0.1 M)(.4 mL)
60 mL
= 6.67 x 10-4 M
The titration set-up is illustrated below:
Results
When blue litmus paper was used as an
indicator, it turned red when tested on HCl and
HC2H3O2 while it did not change for any of the
other reagents. When red litmus paper was
used, it turned blue when tested on NaOH while
it did not change for any of the remaining
reagents.
The addition of Phenolphthalein turned
NaOH and NaOH with acetic acid pink whereas
the addition of congo red turned NH4Cl, HCl, and
HC2H3O2 blue.
Page 2 of 5
 pH paper and the conductivity apparatus levels below 7 turned blue litmus paper red and
yielded the following results: reacted with congo red to form a blue colored
solution. pH levels above 7, on the other hand,
Reage Classifi p Classifi Condu Classifi turned red litmus paper to blue and reacted to
nts 0.1 cation H cation ctivity cation phenolphthalein to produce a solution that is
M (Acid, of (good/ (strong, colored light pink. It should be noted that litmus
Solutio base or acid/ba weak) weak, paper did not change color when reacted with
ns neutral) se non-
either NH4Cl or HOAc + NaOH as both of these
(strong/ electrol
substances’ pH levels are too close to neutral for
weak) yte)
litmus paper to react. They did react accordingly with
NaOH Base 1 Strong Good Strong
phenolphthalein and congo red, however.
3
NaOH reactions with HAc and HCl are:
NH4Cl Acidic 6 N/A Good Strong
Salt • HAc + NaOH à H2O + NaAc
HCl Acid 1 Strong Good Strong • HCl + NaOH à H2O + NaCl
HC2H3 Acid 2 Weak Weak Weak As HAc is a weak acid, its conjugate
O2 base, NaAc, would be a strong base. NaOH, a
NaCl Neutral 7 Neutral Good Strong strong base, had a weak conjugate acid in the
Salt
form of water. Note that the reaction of HAc and
H2O Neutral 7 N/A None Non-
electrol NaOH formed a precipitate. This proves that the
yte reaction created a salt. The reaction of HCl, a
C12H2 Neutral 7 N/A None Non- strong acid, and NaOH, a strong base, formed
2O11 electrol weak conjugate acids (water) and bases (NaCl).
(sucros yte NaCl is a neutral salt whereas NaAc is a basic
e) salt. This accounts for the difference in pH
CH3C Neutral 7 N/A None Non- levels.
H2OH electrol The conductivity apparatus was simply
(ethan yte an open circuit which can only be a closed one if
ol)
both metal end terminals were connected via
HAc + Basic 8 N/A Good Strong
NaOH Salt another conductive material (in the experiment,
HCl + Neutral 7 Neutral Good Strong an electrolyte-containing solution). Electrolytes
NaOH Salt are “any substance containing free ions that
make the substance electrically conductive.”
Calculations show that 4.0018 g of This is because ions, which have charges, allow
NaOH pellets are to be used in order to prepare electrons to move, allowing electricity to pass by.
1M NaOH solution while 10 mL of 1M NaOH Strong electrolytes, therefore, would be good
was needed to prepare 0.1 M NaOH through conductors of electricity while weak electrolytes
dilution. would be weak conductors of electricity.
According to calculations based on the By definition, strong acids and strong
titration results, the molarity of the unknown acid bases completely dissociate into ions. It is
was 6.67 x 10-4 M. precisely because of this reason that they are
strong electrolytes. Conversely, weak acids and
Discussion weak bases do not completely dissociate into
ions so they do not create as much ions as
Acids and bases can be defined strong acids and strong bases do – which is why
according to three concepts, the Arrhenius, they are weak electrolytes.
Bronsted-Lowry and the Lewis concept. Acids All salts, although not strong acids nor
produce H+ in H2O and bases produce OH- in strong bases, are strong electrolytes and good
H2O according to the Arrhenius concept. conductors. This is because salts completely
According to the Bronsted-Lowry definition, dissociate into ions just as strong acids and
acids donate H+ while bases accept H+. The strong bases do.
Lewis concept defines acids as e- pair acceptors The preparation of 1 M NaOH solution
while bases are e- pair donors. using NaOH pellets was an application of the
In general, the litmus paper, definition of “molarity.” As molarity is the
phenolphthalein, and congo red tests were in measure of the concentration of amount of
line with the pH levels read using pH paper. pH solute per volume of solution, preparing 1 M
NaOH solution simply required one to calculate

Chem 14.1 Acids, Bases and Salts Page 3 of 5

the required number of moles of the solute,
NaOH, and the required volume of the solution
(NaOH and water) and then to act accordingly
by mixing them together. Initially, not all of the
solvent was used. This is to make sure that all of
the NaOH dissolves first before 1 M NaOH is
created.
Dilution of 1M NaOH to 0.1 M NaOH
was an application of the implications of the
molarity formula. As molarity is expressed in mol
solute over Liter solution, a mathematical
viewpoint would reveal that molarity is inversely
proportional to the volume of solution. Therefore,
with the moles of solute being held constant,
increasing the volume of the solution will
decrease molarity. Therefore, 0.1 M NaOH was
created from 1 M NaOH by adding more solvent
(water) to the 1 M NaOH solution. Increasing the
volume of the solution using a NaOH solution
instead of water will not yield the desired
molarity in the desired volume as using a NaOH
solution will also increase the moles of NaOH
instead of keeping it constant.
In the titration process, two points can
be known, the equivalence point and end point.
The equivalence point is the point at which the
acid has completely reacted with or been
neutralized by the base. At this point, no color
change can be observed. On the other hand,
end point is the point where the indicator (in this
case, phenolphthalein) changes color due to the
solution already becoming basic.
Ideally, titration calculations should be
done at the equivalence point. However,
detecting whether the solution has already
reached this point is very hard to do. In practice,
titration ends when the solution has reached the
endpoint because this is easier to detect. The
addition of excess titrant used to create color
change would add a small positive error in the
titration. This is why the end point is desired to
be as close to the equivalent point as possible in
order to decrease this error. As long as this error
is in the same range as the burette precision
ranges, the error can be ignored.
Conclusion and Recommendations
There are multiple ways to determine
whether a substance is an acid, base, or salt.
Using litmus paper, phenolphthalein, and congo
read are some ways for one to test a substance.
If blue litmus paper turned red or if the solution
became blue due to congo red, the substance is
acidic. If red litmus paper turned blue or if the
solution became pink due to phenolphthalein,
Chem 14.1 Acids, Bases and Salts
the substance is basic. No changes on the
litmus paper would indicate that a substance is
neutral. Using pH paper can be used to
determine pH levels of substances.
The conductivity test may be used to
determine substances that are electrolytes.
Those that lit up the light bulb are electrolytes
while those that did not light up the bulb are non-
electrolytes. By comparing the conductivity test
results with that of the prior tests, one can find
out if the electrolyte was a weak acid, a strong
acid, a weak base, a strong base, or a salt.
Dimly lit bulbs are weak acids or weak bases.
Brightly lit bulbs are strong acids, strong bases,
and salts.
Preparing solutions of certain molarities
can be made through two different procedures.
One is through dissolving the solute and
combining enough solvent to come up with the
desired concentration of solution. The other is
through dilution wherein the concentration of a
solution is lowered to the desired concentration
by adding more solvent.
Titration is a process wherein the
concentration of a known reactant can be
determined. It is a process wherein a solution of
accurately known concentration, called a
standard solution, is added gradually to another
solution of unknown concentration, until the
chemical reaction between the two solutions is
complete.
Preparation of solutions, and especially
titration, require precise and accurate
measurements of materials to be used. As such,
conducting these experiments require as much
trials as possible to lessen human error. For
titration, patience should always be observed as
doing the experiment drop by drop, although the
most efficient and most accurate method, will
take time.
References
(n.a) (n.d) Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/electrolyte
(n.a) (n.d) Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/acids
(n.a) (n.d) Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/base
(n.a) (n.d) Retrieved from
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/salt
(n.a) (n.d) Retrieved from
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http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/vchembook/185streng
th.html

(n.a) (n.d) Retrieved from

http://www.titrations.info/titration-basic-terms

Chang, R. (2007). Chemistry. New York:

McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

I hereby certify that I have given substantial

contribution to this report.

_______________________
Ferrer, Abigael G.

______________________
Fong, Michael

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