Titration is a laboratory technique used in quantitative analysis to determine the exact concentration of a solution. It involves a reaction between a solution of known concentration (the titrant) and a solution of unknown concentration (the analyte) until the reaction is complete.
Key Points:
- Purpose: To find the concentration of an unknown solution accurately.
- How it Works:
- A measured volume of the unknown solution is placed in a flask.
- The titrant (known solution) is slowly added from a burette.
- An indicator may be used to signal the end of the reaction (called the endpoint).
- Types of Titration:
- Acid-base titration: Neutralization reaction between an acid and a base.
- Redox titration: Involves oxidation-reduction reactions.
- Complexometric titration: Involves formation of a complex (e.g., EDTA titration for metal ions).
- Precipitation titration: Forms a precipitate to indicate the endpoint.
- Example: Finding the concentration of hydrochloric acid (HCl) by titrating it with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) of known concentration using phenolphthalein as an indicator.
In short: Titration is a precise method to determine how much of a substance is in a solution by carefully reacting it with a solution of known strength.