Acid–Base Titration
How much acetic acid is really in vinegar?
Grade 9 Chemistry • Lab Worksheet
Name: _____________ko_______________ Class: __________
Group members: ________________________________________ Date: ____________
Aim
To find the concentration of acetic acid in vinegar by neutralising it with a sodium hydroxide solution
of known concentration, and to compare your result with the value printed on the bottle.
Safety first
Both the vinegar (acetic acid) and the sodium hydroxide solution are irritants. Handle them with
care.
• Wear safety goggles, gloves and a lab coat at all times.
• Cover your skin — long sleeves and long trousers, no open shoes.
• If any solution touches your skin or eyes, rinse with plenty of water and tell your teacher
immediately.
• Never point the burette tip towards another person; keep solutions over the bench.
What is happening?
When an acid reacts with a base, they neutralise each other to form water and a salt. In this
experiment the acid is the acetic acid in vinegar and the base is sodium hydroxide (NaOH). They
react in a 1 : 1 ratio:
CH3COOH + NaOH → H2O + CH3COO–Na+
A titration lets you add the NaOH slowly until exactly enough has been added to react with all of the
acid. A few drops of indicator change colour at that moment — your signal to stop. By measuring the
volume of NaOH used, you can work backwards to find how much acid was in the vinegar.
Equipment & chemicals
Burette and stand • 100 mL beaker • graduated cylinder • funnel • vinegar • 1.0 mol/L NaOH
solution • indicator
Method
1. Use a graduated cylinder to measure about 20 mL of vinegar and pour it into the 100 mL
beaker.
2. Add 2–3 drops of indicator to the vinegar in the beaker.
3. Place the beaker directly under the burette tip.
4. With the tap closed, use a graduated cylinder to pour about 40–45 mL of 1.0 mol/L NaOH into
the burette (use the funnel).
5. Read and record the starting (initial) volume of NaOH in the burette — read at eye level, at
the bottom of the meniscus.
6. Slowly open the tap so the NaOH drips into the beaker. Swirl the beaker gently as you go. Do
not open the tap fully or you will overshoot.
7. As the colour starts to appear and fade, slow down to one drop at a time. Stop when a faint
pink colour stays and does not disappear on swirling. This is the end point.
8. Read and record the final volume of NaOH in the burette.
9. If time allows, rinse out and repeat for a second trial to check your result.
Results
Record your burette readings below. Volume used = Final – Initial.
Volume used, Vf – Vi
Initial volume, Vi (mL) Final volume, Vf (mL)
(mL)
Trial 1
Trial 2
Average — —
Colour observed at the end point: __________________________________
Calculations
Use your average volume of NaOH for the steps below. Show your working in each blank.
Step 1 — Volume of NaOH used
Vf – Vi = ________ mL – ________ mL = ________ mL
Step 2 — Convert to litres
mL ÷ 1000: ________ mL ÷ 1000 = __________ L
Step 3 — Moles of NaOH
moles = concentration × volume = 1.0 mol/L × __________ L = __________ mol
Step 4 — Moles of acetic acid
The reaction is 1 : 1, so moles of acetic acid = moles of NaOH = ____________ mol
Step 5 — Molar mass of acetic acid (CH3COOH)
M = (2 × 12) + (4 × 1) + (2 × 16) = ________ g/mol
Step 6 — Mass of acetic acid
mass = moles × molar mass = __________ mol × ________ g/mol = ________ g
Step 7 — Mass of vinegar used
20 mL × 1 g/mL = ________ g (assume vinegar has a density of 1 g/mL)
Step 8 — Percentage of acetic acid by mass
wt % = (mass of acid ÷ mass of vinegar) × 100 = ( ________ ÷ ________ ) × 100 = ________ %
Analysis & conclusion
Q1. The bottle label states the vinegar is 10% acetic acid by mass. How close is your result?
____________________
Q2. Give two reasons why your value might differ from the label (sources of error).
Q3. Why did you add the NaOH one drop at a time near the end, instead of opening the tap fully?
Q4. What does the faint pink colour tell you about the amounts of acid and base in the beaker at
that moment?
Q5. Extension: If you accidentally added more NaOH than needed, would your calculated
percentage be too high or too low? Explain.
Conclusion: Write one or two sentences stating the concentration of acetic acid you found and how
it compares to the label.