EXPT.

7 CONDUCTOMETRIC DETERMINATION
OF ACETIC ACID CONTENT OF
VINEGAR
Structure
7.1 Introduction
Objectives
7.2 Principle
7.3 Requirements
7.4 Procedure
7.5 Calculations
7.6 Results

7.1 INTRODUCTION
A detail of conductometry methods is already disused the Units 4 and 6 of MCH -004
course. In this experiment you are going to perform a conductrometric titration of a
weak acid with a strong base. Conductance changes during the titration are measured by
conductometer. The equivalence point of the titration is detected by plotting a titration
curve using conductance values and volumes of a base added.

Objectives
After performing this experiment you will be able to:

• perform a conductometric titration of a weak acid with a strong base,

• determine the equivalence point of the titration by plotting titration curve using
conductance values and amount of the base added during titration,

• estimate the strength of the commercial vinegar,

• state the advantages conductometric titrations, and

• practice the precautions while performing a conductometric titration experiment.

7.2 PRINCIPLE
This experiment is also based on the same principle as the previous experiment. In this
experiment, acetic acid is a weak acid. When it is titrated with a strong base like
NaOH, initially the conductance is low due to the feeble ionization of acetic acid. On
the addition of base, there is decrease in conductance not only due to the replacement
of H+ by Na+ but also suppresses the dissociation of acetic acid due to common ion
acetate. But very soon, the conductance increases on adding NaOH as NaOH
neutralizes the un-dissociated CH3COOH to CH3COONa which is the strong
electrolyte. This increase in conductance continues raise up to the equivalence point.
The graph near the equivalence point is curved due the hydrolysis of salt CH3COONa.
Beyond the equivalence point, conductance increases more rapidly with the addition of
NaOH due to the highly conducting OH − ions. You will get a titration curve which
resembles the one shown in the (Fig. 7.1). The point of intersection of the two lines
gives the point of neutralization i.e. equivalence point.

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SpectroscopicMethods
Lab.

Fig. 7.1: Conductometric titration of a weak acid (acetic acid) vs. a strong base (NaOH)

7.3 REQUIREMENTS

Apparatus
Same as given in experiment No.6

Chemicals
Vinegar and sodium hydroxide.

Solutions provided

1. 0.1 M Sodium hydroxide solution which was standardized with standard

oxalic acid.

2. Vinegar solution: 3 cm3 of a vinegar sample from the market is taken in a

standard calibrated flask and dilute it to100 cm3 with distilled water.

7.4 PROCEDURE
1. Pipette out 30 cm3 of vinegar solution from the flask in a 50 cm3 beaker and dip
the conductivity cell into it.

2. Take NaOH solution in the burette.

3. Connect the conductometer to the mains and to the conductance cell. Switch on
the instrument keeping the meter switch at ‘CAL’.

4. Calibrate the meter keeping the selector knob at ‘ 20 ms’ by rotating the
‘sensitivity’ knob till the meter reads 1.0.

5. Shift the meter switch to ‘Read’. Read the conductance of the solution. Record
this value in the observation Table 4.2.

6. Make additions of NaOH from the burette as given in observation Table 4.2.
After each addition, stir the solution well and read the conductance. Enter all the
conductance data in Observation Table 1.

7. Plot conductance versus volume of NaOH on a graph sheet and calculate

the volume(V1cm3) of standard NaOH used in the titration.

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Observations

Observation Table 1: Conductometric titration of a given vinegar sample with a

strong base (NaOH)

Volume of 0.1 M NaOH Conductance (mS)

added (cm3)

0.00

0.30

0.60

0.90

1.20

1.80

2.21

2.40

2.70

3.00

3.30

7.5 CALCULATIONS
Estimation of the strength of a the diluted vinegar solution

Molarity of standard NaOH solution = M1 mol dm-3 = 0.1 mol dm-3

Volume of NaOH solution used from (From the graph) = V1 cm3

Volume of the diluted vinegar solution taken = V2 cm3 = 30.0 cm3

Molarity of the diluted vinegar solution = M2 mol dm-3

Molarity equation for the titration of acetic acid (vinegar) and NaOH can be written as
M1V1 = M2V2
(NaOH) (CH3OOH)
Molarity of the diluted vinegar solution,
M2 = M1V1/ V2 = ……………… mol dm-3

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SpectroscopicMethods
Lab. 7.6 RESULTS
Since 3 cm3 of the commercial vinegar sample is taken and diluted to 100 cm3, so the
molarity of the commercial vinegar
= M2 × 100/3 mol dm-3

= ……………. mol dm-3

Formula weight of acetic acid = 60

Hence, the strength of commercial vinegar

= M2 × 100/3 × 60 g dm-3 =………………. g dm-3

Precautions
1. After switching on the instrument (conductometer), it should be allowed to
stabilize prior starting the experiment.

2. The conductance cell must always be dipped either in solution or in

distilled water.

3. The platinum electrodes of the conductance cell must be completely

immersed in the solution during the measurement of conductance.

4. There should be no air bubble between the two electrodes.

5. The titrant must be at least ten times more concentrate than the analyte.

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