Analysis of a Commercial Bleach Lab: 3/29/17

PURPOSE

The purpose of this lab experiment is to determine the amount of sodium hypochlorite (NaClO)

in commercial bleach through titration.

PRE-LAB QUESTIONS

1.) Titration is a technique where a solution of known acid or base concentration is used to

determine the concentration of an unknown acid or base solution.

2.) Moles = Molarity * Volume

(0.0500M NaOH)(16.7) = x

x = .0334 M

3.) 0.0334 M * 250 mL = x * 10.0

x = 0.0334 * 250 / 10.0

x = .835

4.) 1.05 * 10 mL = 10.5 g HC

PROCEDURE
 Transferred 5.00-mL of commercial bleach solution with distilled water into a 100-mL

graduated cylinder to the mark

Weighed 2 grams of KI and swirled it into the 25.0-mL dilute bleach from an Erlenmeyer flask

Added 2-mL of 3 M HaI while swirling the solution to get a dark yellow to red-brown color

Titrated with 0.10 M sodium thiosulfate solution until the iodine(dark-yellow solution) faded

to light yellow then added one dropperful of starch solution to get a blue color

Continued the titration until a drop of sodium thiosulfate solution causes the blue color to

disappear and then recorded the final buret reading before repeating the titration procedure for

a second trial

MEASUREMENTS TO BE TAKEN

The initial and final buret readings with the volumes of Na2S2O3 added that had to be taken.

MATERIALS

Materials

5% Bleach, 5-mL

3 M Hydrochloric acid, 6-mL

Potassium iodide, 6g

0.100 M Sodium thiosulfate solution, 70-mL

2% Starch solution, 3mL

Balance

Buret with Buret clamp

Materials

125-mL Erlenmeyer flask

Pipet bulb

Ring Stand

5-mL and 25-mL transfer pipets

100-mL Graduated cylinder

Distilled water

Weighing dish

DATA

Molarity of Trial 1(.100 M) Trial 2(.100 M) Trial 3(.100 M) Trial 4(.100 M)

Na2S2O3

Initial Buret 0.0mL 0.0mL 0.0mL 0.0mL

Reading

Final Buret 24.0mL 22.0mL 24.6mL 32.6mL

Reading

Volume of 24.0mL 22.0mL 24.6mL 32.6mL

Na2S2O3 added

Commercial Bleach before Commercial Bleach after Commercial bleach after

titration titration with sodium thiosulfate titrating with the starch

CALCUATIONS
RESULTS

Based on the data collected and the calculations, with the already known concentration of

sodium thiosulfate, the mass of NaClO in commercial bleach was approximately 21.975 mL that

was used in the titration procedure, which amounts to a percent of 5.51%. Since 6% of the

commercial bleach is sodium hydrochloride, the percent error was 8.17%(which is in proximity

when compared to the original percent error being 8.25%).

ANALYSIS

While the overall point of this lab was to find amount of sodium hypochlorite in commercial

bleach, the lab was able to teach our group how sodium thiosulfate and starch really affected our

solution based on the equations given from the background information. Our scientific error that

influenced our data was using diluted water to clean out our solutions reminded droplets from

the graduated cylinder. The H2O affects our solution when titrated with the sodium thiosulfate as

well as the starch droplet and thus affects our mass of NaClO with the percent error increased

more due to this. This lab was able to work because it uses titration in order to make the solution

more accurate than applying it through a pipet. A change that our group wouldve done to make

our data more accurate was with the 0.10 M sodium thiosulfate solution, remembering how many

drops we used until the iodine faded to light yellow. We would also inform the other group, that

we partnered with, in order to see how accurate the sodium thiosulfate solution would be in

making the solution from dark-yellow to light-yellow. The lab is worth repeating if our group

and our partnered group shared the same sodium thiosulfate solution instead of creating an

individual group solution, the perhaps the percent error wouldve been on or closer to 8.25%.
POST-LAB QUESTIONS

1.) Oxidation is defined as an increase in oxidation number, and reduction as a decrease in

oxidation number. This is achieved through the transfer of electrons. In oxidation, the reductant

yields the product plus an electron. In reduction, the oxidant plus electron yields a product.

2.) 2 H+ + ClO + e Cl + H2O reduction

2 I I2 + e oxidation

this equation shows iodide is being oxidized and the hypochlorite ions are being reduced.

I + I2 + 2 e 3 I reduction

2 S2O3 2 S4O6 2 + 2 e oxidation

this equation shows the thiosulfate ions are being oxidized and iodine is being reduced.

3.) Using an aliquot in diluting the original solution is an advantage because it makes the titration

more effective by conserving both time and materials. When the substance is diluted, only a

small portion is used, so there will be less moles present in the solution. So itll take less time to

neutralize. Due to the lower number of moles present, the color change, from dark yellow to a

light yellow, occurs much faster.

4.) Four 25.0 mL aliquots can be measured from a 100 mL volumetric flask, but only in theory.

When put in practice, not exactly 25.0 mL of solution can be extracted from the volumetric flask

due to inaccuracy errors.

5.) Each oxygen has an oxidation number of -2, with an overall charge of -12. This molecule has

a charge of -2, meaning that the total charge of the sulfurs must equate to +10. A 10+ charge does

not divide evenly into 4 sulfur atoms so the charges arent all equal. The charges would likely be

+2, +2, +3, +3. Overall, no I dont believe that all the sulfur atoms have the same oxidation

numbers.

6.)

a.) The calculated percentage will be less than the expected value cause the distilled water in the

pipet will dilute the commercial bleach solution to an extent. So then the number of moles will

also decrease and when divided by the total mass of the bleach, a smaller percent of NaClO in

the bleach is calculated.

b.) Adding an extra gram of KI will not show any change in the calculated percentage of NaClO

because KI is already added in excess in the procedure.

c.) In this experiment, less solid iodine would cause an indirect reaction with sodium thiosulfate

and therefore a smaller calculation in the number of moles of NaClO will be determined and a

smaller percentage will result.

7.) This question is answered in ANALYSIS