Investigating the Reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate and Dilute Hydrochloric Acid

Research Question
How does the rate of reaction of sodium thiosulphate and dilute hydrochloric acid change in
line with increasing temperatures of the solutions (increasing in increments of 10C per test,
from 5C to 65C) by timing how long it takes for a cross below the beaker in which the
sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid are to become covered due to the solution
becoming opaque, and then taking the reciprocal of this time to achieve the rate of reaction?
Apparatus
Sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid
o To react together at different temperatures to find the relationship between
temperature and rate of reaction.
Bunsen burner
o To heat the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid.
Heatproof mat
o To ensure the desks remain undamaged by the heat of the Bunsen burner
A stand
o To keep the beaker of water over the flame
Mesh and wire
o To stand the beaker of water on
Tongs
o To pull the test tubes out of the hot water, ensuring hands are not burnt in the
process.
Ice
o To lower the temperature of the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric
acid.
Stopwatch
o To time the time taken for the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid
to become opaque and therefore cover the cross underneath.
Beaker
o To hold the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid.
Paper with a cross drawn on
o To use to see when the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid has fully
reacted as it will turn opaque and therefore cover the cross underneath the
beaker which it will lay upon.
Test tubes
o To hold the sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid separately before they
are mixed
Thermometers
o To measure the temperature of the hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulphate
Variables
Independent variable: temperature of the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid
Dependent variable: rate of reaction of sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid
Controlled variables:
Concentration of the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid

o Keep the concentration at 2M for the hydrochloric acid and 0.25M for the
sodium thiosulphate
Volume of the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid
o Keep the volume at 15 cm 3 of sodium thiosulphate and 5 cm3 of
hydrochloric acid for each test (the reason for the difference in volumes in the
solutions is because hydrochloric acid has a much higher concentration than
the sodium thiosulphate, and therefore if the volumes are the same, the
reaction time would likely be too fast to record)
Surface area of sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid
o Ensured by using the same beaker for each test
Stirring rate
o Ensured by not stirring the sodium thiosulphate and the hydrochloric acid
Pressure
o By carrying the experiment out in the same room on the same day to ensure
the atmospheric pressure remains constant.

Hypothesis
My hypothesis is that as the temperature of the sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid
increases, the rate of reaction will also increase. This is because as the temperature increases,
the sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acids particles will have more energy and therefore
move around each other faster, meaning there will be more collisions and causing them to
react with one another faster and faster as the temperature increases. As well as this, the
collisions will have more energy therefore making them more likely to be succesfull.
Method
1. Measure out 10 cm 3 of sodium thiosulphate into seven test tubes, and 5cm^3 of
hydrochloric acid into seven other test tubes, and then put to one side in a test tube
stand.
2. Light a Bunsen burner and place water in a beaker over the flame to heat it
3. Place two test tubes of sodium thiosulphate and two of hydrochloric acid into the ice
box, due to the solutions taking a very long time to decrease in temperature. One pair
of solutions will remain in the ice box until they are 15C, and the other will remain
inside for longer, until a temperature of 5C has been reached.
4. Whilst these acids are cooling, remove the water from the flame of the Bunsen burner
and place one test tube of each acid into the water with a thermometer in each test
tube until the temperature has reached 65C.
5. Once 65C has been reached, take out one of the test tubes with a pair of tongs and
pour into a beaker below which is a piece of paper with a cross on it. Take the other
test tube from the water immediately after as to avoid a change in temperature and
start the timer as soon as the second acid has been poured into the beaker. Stop the
timer as soon as the cross is no longer visible, and record the time in the results table.
6. Repeat steps four and five, but decrease the temperature by 10C each time, and also
checking to see if the test tubes in the ice box have reached their desired temperature
of 5 and 15C, as soon as which has been reached complete the experiment with these
values of temperatures.
7. Repeat the entire process twice again to ensure a fair test.
8. Once all data has been collected, graph the raw data and then process the data to find
the reciprocal of the reaction time to find the rate of reaction.

Diagram

Safety Statement
To ensure the safety of those carrying out the experiment described and explained above, they
must:
Wear a laboratory jacket
o To ensure that the clothes and skin of the person carrying out the experiment
remains undamaged by the corrosive acids
Wear safety goggles
o To ensure that there is no damage to the eyes from the acids
Tie long hair up
o To ensure the hair does not catch fire from the Bunsen burner
No open-toe footwear
o To ensure that if any of the acid is spilt, ones foot will not be injured
Always turn the gas tap off when not in use
o If this is not done, the gas will make the room very flammable and dangerous.
Data
A Data Table to Show the Reaction Time of Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid at
Different Temperatures

Temperatur Reaction Time

e (C) (seconds)

Rate of
reaction

Trial 1

Trial 2

Trial 3

Average

15

42.13

53.86

65.36

53.78

0.018593121

25

24.36

33.24

28.80

0.034722222

35

14.16

16.94

15.55

0.064308682

45

11.43

11.55

11.09

11.36

0.088054006

55

9.15

8.13

9.38

8.89

0.112528132

65

5.09

7.15

6.78

6.34

0.157728707

Observations
Each time the sodium thiosulphate was heated, it turned slightly cloudy.
The solution of sodium thiosulphate and hydrochloric acid turned a yellow, cloudy,
opaque liquid which was thicker than before they had reacted together.

Graphs

A Graph to Show the Reaction Time of Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid at Different Temeratures
60.00

50.00

40.00

Reaction Time (seconds) 30.00

20.00

10.00

0.00
10

20

30

40

Temperature (C)

50

60

70

A Line Graph to Show the Rate of Reaction of Sodium Thiosulphate and Hydrochloric Acid at Different Temperatures
0.18
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.1

Rate of Reaction (cm^3)/minute)

0.08
0.06
0.04
0.02
0
10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Temperature (C )

Trends, patterns and relationships

Graph 1
As the temperature increases, the reaction time decreases at a decreasing rate to form
a curve
o It has a downward trend
Steep curve; the reaction time for the highest temperature is far shorter than for the
lowest temperature
Some slight anomalies
Agrees with hypothesis
Graph 2
The reciprocal of the reaction time, the rate of reaction, increases at a constant rate to
form a straight line
o It has an upward trend
The reaction time is inversely proportional to temperature
The rate of reaction is proportional to temperature
The rate of reaction is the reciprocal of the reaction time, as can be seen by it
producing a straight line graph, therefore:
1
rate of reaction=
reactiontime
Some slightly larger anomalies than the first graph
Agrees with hypothesis
Conclusion

To conclude, as the temperature increases, the reaction time decreases, and therefore,
the rate of reaction is the reciprocal of the reaction time, the rate of reaction will increase
alongside the temperature of the solutions.
The reason for this is because the temperature of the solutions is increased, the
particles gain more thermal energy which causes them to have more kinetic energy and move
around the solution far more rapidly. Because of the particles moving more rapidly, it allows
for more collisions of the hydrochloric acid and the sodium thiosulphate acids, therefore
meaning a faster reaction time and then an increased rate of reaction. Also, not only do the
particles only move around more due to more energy and increase the chance of collision, but
the collisions will also be more successful due to more energy going into them.
The reaction time does not only decrease as the temperature increases, but it decreases
at a very fast rate, with the reaction time of the highest temperature, 65C, being around six
times shorter than that of the lowest temperature, 15C. The reason that the relationship is
non-linear is because the energy from the heat initially goes into breaking the bonds of the
particles rather than giving them more kinetic energy to react with one another. Therefore,
when the temperature is lower, it does not increase by large intervals for these values because
the energy is used to break the bonds rather than allow the particles to collide with one
another, whereas for the higher temperature, the bonds will have easily been broken and
therefore more and more of the thermal energy will be used as kinetic energy by the particles
for them to move around more rapidly and have a higher chance of colliding with one
another.
On the graphs, it can be seen that there are some anomalies on each. This is likely due
to human error of things such as stopping the stopwatch on time or measuring the volumes of
the hydrochloric acid or the sodium thiosulphate inaccurately. There appear to be some more
anomalies in terms of frequency as well as how far from the average on the second graph.
This is due to far smaller numbers being used with a greater chance for error on such a small
scale.
This conclusion has discovered the ideas which the hypothesis discussed, therefore
proving the said hypothesis right.
Evaluation
In my opinion, this experiment was successful due to me having been able to collect
reliable data which was able to be processed to find patterns which were able to be explained
scientifically. Having said this, there are improvements which could be made to make the
results even more reliable.
An example of this is collecting more data. Due to running out of time, I was not able
to finish all of my trials and only had two values rather than three for two temperatures. This
could be avoided if I were to do the experiment again if I were to manage my time better by
taking measures such as measuring my volumes of hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulphate
as I was heating or cooling another pair of hydrochloric acid and sodium thiosulphate.
Another way is to put the hydrochloric acid and the sodium thiosulphate which had to be
below room temperature in the ice box before anything else. In the first lesson I did not do
this and so I then did it before any other test in the second lesson, but they still took such a
long time that I would put them in the ice box before setting up anything else next time to be
able to manage my time better and get more trials and therefore make my results more
reliable.
Another way my results could have been more reliable would be to keep the same
perspective of the solution of the hydrochloric acid and the sodium thiosulphate. When
timing the reaction time of the substances, I realised only when I was around half way
through collecting my data that if I were to look side on from the solution, the cross would

appear to be covered sooner than it I were to look at it from above. Therefore, to ensure a
fairer test, next time I would only look at the reaction from above.
A third way to ensure more reliable data would be to have a partner to start the timer.
This is because I had both hands full when I started the reaction with the test tubes in which I
had stored the hydrochloric acid and the sodium thiosulphate. Therefore, to be able to time it
I had to start the timer, and remember at what time I started the reaction, and take this away
from the final time. This did not allow for the most accurate results, because it meant that
more human error was in the process than would be if there were another person there to
begin the timer at the right time.
An improvement which could be made may be to be more efficient in starting the
reaction once the substances had reached their intended temperatures. From the time that the
they had reached their intended temperature and the time that the reaction had begun, the
temperature will have dropped. Although a slight change of temperature is almost certainly
unavoidable, the change in temperature could be lessened by being as efficient as possible in
getting it from the hot water or the ice box to the beaker to react to minimise the time for the
temperature to change. A way to do this would be to take both of the substances straight from
the ice box or hot water and begin the reaction immediately, however, due to the sodium
thiosulphate taking longer to heat than the hydrochloric acid, likely due to it being a larger
volume, this makes this method harder as they will not be at the desired temperature at the
same time. To try to combat this, I could take the hydrochloric acid out at 5 degrees higher
than it should, put it in the beaker to let it cool slightly as the sodium thiosulphate reaches the
intended temperature. Due to also having one hand free, it may mean that I would be able to
start the timer accurately without the need for a partner, however, I think that a partner would
remain beneficial as I would be able to focus on doing one thing well rather than two things
to a lower standard with less concentration.
A final improvement to be made is linked to the previous of time management and
efficiency. Due to taking two lessons to complete the experiment, it meant that the substances
used may be slightly different to the other day as I would not be using the same exact
substances, and the laboratory technicians who make the solutions of the substances may
have made them at a slightly different concentration which will have made my results less
reliable. As well as the concentration and such of the substances, the room temperature
may/will have been different on each day, and therefore affecting the cooling rate of the
hydrochloric acid and the sodium thiosulphate and make the temperatures of the reaction
differ and therefore make the reaction time different and make my results less reliable.
Therefore, to combat this, next time I would carry out the entire experiment on the same day
with the same substances.
Although there are many points of the experiment which could be improved on, the
results were reliable due to me having already taken many precautions to gain such results.
An example of this is taking the precaution to keep the same cross for the entire experiment,
because if I were to change to a thinner and/or smaller cross, it would be less visible sooner
and be covered more than a large red, thick cross like I had used in my trials.
Also, to cover the said cross, I had taken the precaution to make sure that I had
enough volume of the substances so that the cross would be entirely covered so that it was
clear when the substances had reacted. However, having said this, I believe that the
hydrochloric acid to sodium thiosulphate ratio should have been 1:4 rather than 1:3, due to
the hydrochloric acid being 2M and the sodium thiosulphate being 0.25M, therefore the ratio
will have balanced the molar difference, but I had made up for the difference mostly by
making the ratio 1:3. Another way to cover the cross better would be to use a smaller surface
area to make the solution more viscous and therefore clearer to see when the cross is covered.

Although I do have many improvements, I did partly do most of these, for example,
when I realized that the different perceptions of the cross made it look like the cross was or
was not covered, I only looked form above. Also, to make sure the temperatures stayed at the
desired temperature, I would heat the hydrochloric acid until slightly over and then take it off
to let it cool to the desired temperature whilst the sodium thiosulphate was heating. The only
problem was that my method was inconsistent, and using the method described earlier, I
would be able to do it more efficiently and routinely.
A final way I made my results more reliable was to change my data points slightly,
due to it not being easy if possible at all to achieve the temperature of 5C in the hour and a
half period, therefore I did not include or test this value. However, this caused me to have a
smaller set of data, so next time I would add a data point to the other end of the data, of 75C
to have a larger spread of data and therefore to achieve more reliable results.
I believe that my hypothesis reliable because my conclusion agrees with my
hypothesis. The only thing which I did not predict was that the time would decrease at a
decreasing rate, however, this did not have much significance because the aim of my
experiment was to find the relationship between the rate of reaction and temperature rather
than the reaction time and the temperature.
The results I collected were mostly entirely reliable, with only very few anomalies in
my data which could be seen due to them not being on the trend line. However, these are
mostly unavoidable due to human error with timing the reaction precisely and such, therefore
I believe that my graphs are accurate and reliable due to them finding a pattern which agrees
with my hypothesis as well as my conclusion.