EXPERIMENT NUMBER 3: STOICHIOMETRY OF SOLUTIONS

F. J. S. PRADO, A. J. H. SACCUAN, J. E. S. SERRANO, I. R. C. SIOSON

School of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering


In the analysis of acetic acid in vinegar under a neutralization reaction, the acidity of various brands of
vinegar is determined by titrating it with standard sodium hydroxide solution using phenolphthalein as
indicator. There are four brands of vinegars and all of them had been proved to be of commercial vinegar
solution. Datu Puti was considered the most acidic with 3.66 percent by weight acetic acid in water.
Followed by Silver Swan with 3.6%, SM Bonus has 2.52% and Amihan has 2.31%. For the analysis of
dissolved oxygen in tap water under redox reaction, the amount of dissolved oxygen in a water sample is to
be determined by using the iodometric or Winkler method. Calculating for the dissolved-oxygen content in
tap water at normal temperature to be 7 ppm, it is determined that the tap water has the ability to maintain
the survival of aquatic life.

Keywords: Experiment; Chemistry; Stoichiometry; Solutions; Titration

Introduction

Neutralization is the reaction of an acid with
the base to form a salt and, usually, water
2
. The
significant feature of this reaction in aqueous solution
is the combination of hydronium ion with hydroxide
ion to form water. In this reaction, a point is reached
where both acid and base are consumed and neither is
in excess. This is called the equivalence point of
neutralization.
1


To locate the equivalence point in a
neutralization reaction requires that careful control be
exercised over the addition of a base to an acid (or
acid to base) and a means be found to signal the point
at which the reaction mixture turns from acid to base
(or base to acid).. The first objective can be achieved
by dispensing one solution into the other through a
burette. This device measures accurately the volumes
of the solutions used. The latter is achieved by using
an acid-base indicator, which changes color when the
solution changes from having a very slight excess of
acid to having a very slight excess of base. This
analytical technique of accurately measuring the
volume of a solution required to react with another
solution is called titration. Titrant or standard
solution is the solution of known concentration while
the analyte is the solution of unknown concentration.
The point at which the indicator changes color is the
endpoint of titration, which can differ slightly from
the equivalence point.
1

In this experiment, the acidity of several
brands of vinegar is to be determined by titrating it
with standard sodium hydroxide solution using
phenolphthalein as indicator. Vinegar is a solution
that is 4-6 percent by weight acetic acid in water.1

The oxygen normally dissolved in water is
important to fish and other aquatic organisms.
Certain pollutants deplete the dissolved oxygen
during the course of their decomposition. This is true
for many organic compounds that are present in
sewage or dead algae. These are decomposed by
microorganisms, which use these organic compounds
for food. The metabolic process is the oxidation of
the organic compounds the dissolved oxygen is the
oxidizing agent. Thus while these microorganisms
are removing the pollutants, they are also removing
the dissolved oxygen that otherwise would be present
to support aquatic life. Since the solubility of gases in
solution decreases as the temperature of the solution
increases, thermal pollution also decreases the
dissolved oxygen content. Lost dissolved oxygen can
be replenished as atmospheric oxygen usage exceeds
the rate at which the oxygen can be supplied, the
body of water may become anaerobic. As a logical
consequence of this, one empirical standard for
determining water quality is the dissolved-oxygen
content (DO). The survival of aquatic life depends
upon the ability of water to maintain certain
minimum concentrations of the vital dissolved
oxygen. At normal temperature, the maximum
amount of oxygen that can possibly dissolve in water
is about 9mg/L or 9ppm. For a diversified warm-
water biota, the DO concentration should be at least
5ppm.
1

In this experiment, the amount of dissolved
oxygen in a water sample is to be determined by
using the iodometric (or Winkler) method. This
procedure is based on the use of manganous
compounds that are oxidized to manganic compounds
by the oxygen in the water sample. The manganic
compound in turn reacts with potassium iodide to
produce iodine. The released iodine is then titrated
with standardized sodium thiosulfate using starch as
the indicator.
1

Experimental Section

Chemicals. This experiment used 65 mL of 0.2M
sodium hydroxide, 6 drops of phenolphthalein, 65
mL of 0.025M sodium thiosulfate, 15 mL of 1M
hydrochloric acid, 10 mL manganous sulfate
solution, 10 mL of alkaline iodide reagent, 10 mL
vinegar samples, 6 mL of 1% starch solution and 10
mL of sulfuric acid.

Apparatus. The two parts of the experiment used a
base burette, burette clamp, iron stand, two 150-mL
beaker, 10-mL graduated cylinder, 125-mL
Erlenmeyer flask, 3 measuring pipettes, acid burette,
100-mL graduated cylinder, 500-mL Erlenmeyer
flask, 500-mL plastic container, and a rubber bulb.

Computation of the Percent by Weight of Acetic
Acid in a Vinegar Sample. In the first part, the Acid-
Base Reaction: Analysis of Acetic Acid in Vinegar,
consist of three subparts. These are the preparation of
burette for use, analysis of acetic acid in vinegar, and
the computation of the percent by weight of acetic
acid in the vinegar. The first of the three subparts was
already done by the laboratory assistant. This was of
cleaning the base burette with a soap solution.

In the analysis of acetic acid in vinegar, the
previously cleaned base burette was rinsed with
approximately 5 milliliters of 0.2 molar sodium
hydroxide solution, making certain that no water
droplet adhered to the inside wall of the burette.
Some of the solution was allowed to run through the
tip of the burette. This used sodium hydroxide
solution was discarded in a beaker. The rinsing
process was repeated two more times. The burette is
then clamped to an iron stand. It was completely
filled with the 0.2M sodium hydroxide solution and
the air from the tips was removed by running out
some of the solution into the beaker used for
washings. A 5 mL of vinegar was measured and
placed in a 125-mL Erlenmeyer flask. 20 mL of
distilled water and 2 drops of phenolphthalein was
added. The solution was mixed by swirling. The
sodium hydroxide solution was added slowly while
the contents of the flask were being swirled gently.
The titration process was stopped when the color of
the vinegar changes to light pink. The volume of the
sodium hydroxide used was recorded. Another trial
was made.

The last subpart contains the process for
computing the percent by weight of acetic acid in the
vinegar. The number of moles of sodium hydroxide
used in the titration was computed first using
equation 1.

(1)

The number of moles of acetic acid in the vinegar
was also calculated using equation 2.

(2)

The weight of acetic acid in the vinegar and
the weight of the vinegar were determined using
equations 3 and 4 respectively, assuming the density
of vinegar is 1 g/mL.

The percent by weight of acetic acid in the
vinegar was finally calculated using equation 5.

Lastly, the average percent by weight of acetic
acid in the vinegar from the two trials was computed.

Computation of the Dissolved Oxygen
Content of a Water Sample. The second part, the
Redox Reaction: Analysis of Dissolved Oxygen in
Tap Water consists of four subparts. For the first and
second procedural subparts, a 500-ml plastic bottle
container was filled with tap water without any air
inside first. Then, a 5 mL of manganous sulfate
solution was added in the bottle using a measuring
pipette. This was done by dipping the end of the
pipette halfway of the water depth and releasing the
contents of the pipette, causing an overflow of the
water sample. After adding manganous sulfate
solution, a 5 mL of alkaline iodide reagent was added
using another pipette the same way of adding
manganous sulfate solution. The bottle was carefully
covered again to avoid splashing. The contents were
mixed thoroughly by making two rapid inversions in
the hand. A milky precipitate appeared. The
precipitate was allowed to settle at the bottom of the
bottle. When the precipitate has settled, a 5 mL
concentrated sulfuric acid was added in the same way
as before. The container was closed quickly and the
contents were mixed until the precipitate has
completely dissolved.
Titration is the third subpart. A burette was
rinsed with 5 mL of 0.025M sodium thiosulfate
solution, making sure that no water droplet adhered
inside the wall of the burette. Some liquids were
allowed to run out through the tip of the burette. The
sodium thiosulfate solution used was discarded to the
sink with plenty of water. The rinsing process was
repeated two more times. The cleaned 25-mL burette
was filled with 0.025M sodium thiosulfate solution.
It was then attached to an iron stand using a burette
clamp. A 500-mL Erlenmeyer flask was filled with
200 mL of the sample using a 100-mL graduated
cylinder. 3 mL of 1% starch solution was also added.
The sample was titrated with the standard sodium
thiosulfate solution until the color of the sample
changes from blue to colorless. The flask was swirled
continuously while adding sodium thiosulfate. The
volume of the sodium thiosulfate solution used was
recorded. Another trial was made after.
The number of moles of sodium thiosulfate
used in the titration of the 200-mL portion of the
water sample was calculated using equation 6.

) (

)
The number of moles of dissolved oxygen
was computed by equation 7.

(7)
The weight of dissolved oxygen was also
determined and the dissolved oxygen content of the
water sample in ppm was calculated using equations
8 and 9 respectively. To finish, the average dissolved
oxygen content of the water sample in ppm was also
computed.

Results and Discussion

When the endpoint of titration was reached, the
volume of the sodium hydroxide solution used in the
titration process was recorded. The volume of 0.2M
NaOH in the first trial was 15mL and 9mL in the
second trial. The moles NaOH was determined in the
first trial as 3x10
-3
moles while in the second trial, as
1.8x10
-3
moles using equation 1. The moles HC
2
H
3
O
2
,
was obtained using equation 2. In the first trial the
moles HC
2
H
3
O
2
was computed as 3x10
-3
moles then
1.8x10
-3
moles in the second. Next, the weight of
HC
2
H
3
O
2
in grams was computed using equation 3.In
the first trial the weight of HC
2
H
3
O
2
was computed
about 0.18g and 0.108g in the second. After
computing the value of the weight of HC
2
H
3
O
2
, the
weight of vinegar in grams was computed using
equation 4. The weight of vinegar in grams in the
first trial was computed as 5g and 5g also in the
second trial. After getting the weight of vinegar in
grams, the percent by weight of HC
2
H
3
O
2
is
computed next by equation 5. The percent by weight
of HC
2
H
3
O
2
in the first trial was computed about
3.6% and 2.16% in the second. The average percent
by weight of acetic acid in the vinegar was computed
by dividing the sum of the two values to two and the
result was 2.88%.
Table 1. Summary of Results for Analysis of Acetic
Acid in Vinegar
BRAND OF VINEGAR: SM BONUS
TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2
Volume of
0.2M NaOH in
mL
15mL 9mL
Moles of NaOH 3x10
-3
moles 1.8 x10
-
3
moles
Moles of
HC
2
H
3
O
2

3x10
-3
moles 1.8 x10
-
3
moles
Weight of
HC
2
H
3
O
2
in
grams
0.18g 0.108g
Volume of
vinegar in ml
5mL 5mL
Weight of
vinegar in
grams
5g 5g
% by weight
HC
2
H
3
O
2

3.6% 2.16%
Average % by Weight
HC
2
H
3
O
2

2.88%


In the comparison of the activity of the
different brands of vinegar, it can be determined in
which of the four brands is the most acidic by
computing the percentage by weight of the acetic
acid. With the information gathered from different
groups, it can be defined that Datu Puti is the most
acidic among all of the vinegar because the average
of its percent is 3.66%, which is a greater value
compared to others. This can be shown in the table
below.



Table 2. Comparison of the Acidity of the Different
Brands of Vinegar
GROUP NO. Brand of
vinegar
% by weight
HC
2
H
3
O
2

1 Amihan 1.8%
2 Sm Bonus 2.16%
3 Datu Puti 2.95%
4 Silver swan 3.6%
5 Amihan 2.82%
6 Sm Bonus 2.88%
7 Datu Puti 4.36%

In the second part, after the sample was
titrated with the standard sodium thiosulfate solution
until the color changes from blue to colorless, the
volume of the solution used was recorded. The
volume of standard thiosulfate solution in the first
trial was 7.1 mL and for the second trial it decreased
to 6.9 mL. The number of moles Na
2
S
2
O
3
was
calculated using equation 6. For the first trial the
moles Na
2
S
2
O
3
computed is about 1.775x10
-4
moles
and for the second trial the moles O
2
computed is
1.725 x10
-4
moles. After computing for the moles of
Na
2
S
2
O
3,
the next thing that was computed was the
moles O
2
using equation 7. Using this formula, it was
computed that the moles O
2
for the first and second
4.4375x10
-5
moles and 4.3125x10
-5
moles
respectively. Weight of dissolved oxygen was
determined to be about 1.42x10
-3
grams in the first
trial and 1.38x10
-3

grams in the second trial, using
equation 8
.
Lastly, for computing the dissolved
oxygen content of the water sample in ppm, equation
9 was used. The liter sample used was 0.2 mL. For
the ppm O
2
of the first trial was 7.1 ppm and for the
second trial was computed to be 6.9 ppm. The
average dissolved oxygen content of the water
sample in ppm was 7.

Table 3. Summary of Results for the Analysis of
Dissolved Oxygen in Tap Water
Trial 1 Trial 2
Volume of water
sample in mL
200 mL 200mL
Volume of 0.025M
Na
2
S
2
O
3
in mL
7.1 mL 6.9 mL
Moles Na
2
S
2
O
3
1.775x10
-4
moles
1.725 x10
-4
moles
Moles O
2
4.4375x10
-5

moles
4.3125x10
-5
moles
Weight of O
2
in
Grams
1.42x10
-3

grams
1.38x10
-3

grams

Dissolved oxygen
in ppm
7.1 ppm 6.9 ppm
Average DO
Content in ppm
7 ppm
Conclusion
In the first experiment, using the SM Bonus
Vinegar sample, it was computed that the percent by
weight acetic acid in water was 2.88%. This proves
that the sample was certainly vinegar for the society.
Close enough to the approximate concentration of
vinegar which is 4-6 percent by weight acetic acid in
water, it can be concluded that SM Bonus vinegar is
less acidic than the norm. With comparison to the
acidity of other brands of vinegars, Datu Puti was
considered the most acidic with 3.66%. Silver Swan,
SM Bonus, and Amihan were ranked accordingly
next to Datu Puti for the more acidic vinegar. Silver
Swan has 3.6%, SM Bonus has 2.52% and Amihan
has 2.31%. Calculating for the dissolved-oxygen
content in tap water at normal temperature to be 7
ppm, it is concluded that the tap water has the ability
to maintain the survival of aquatic life.

References
(1) E.S. Espiritu, R.L. Ngo, N.D. Santos. General
Chemistry Laboratory Manual Part 2.
Philippines. 2011.
(2) K.W. Whitten, R.E. Davis, M.L. Peck, G.G.
Stanley. Chemistry. 9th ed. Belmont, CA, USA.
2010.