KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING

TITLE: DETERMINATION OF CHLORIDE ION WITH AgNO3 (MOHR’S METHOD)

NAME: OWUSU-APPIAH EVANS

COURSE: BSC. PETROLEUM ENGINEERING

YEAR: SECOND YEAR

EXPERIMENT NO. : A.1.2.3.

I.D. NO: 3669109

DEMONSTRATOR: MICHAEL BAAH MENSAH

DATE: 15TH APRIL, 2011.

Aims and Objectives:
To determine the presence of chlorine ions in an unknown sample with silver nitrate.

INTRODUCTION
The Mohr’s method determines the chloride ion concentration of a solution by titration with silver
nitrate. This method uses chromate ions as an indicator in the titration of chloride ions with a
silver nitrate standard solution. As the silver nitrate solution is slowly added, a precipitate of silver
chloride forms.
Ag+(aq) + Cl–(aq) → AgCl(s)
The end point of the titration occurs when all the chloride ions are precipitated. Then additional
chloride ions react with the chromate ions of the indicator, potassium chromate, to form a red-brown
precipitate of silver chromate.
2 Ag+(aq) + CrO42–(aq) → Ag2CrO4(s)
This method can be used to determine the chloride ion concentration of water samples from many
sources such as seawater, stream water, river water and estuary water. Seawater is used as the
example here.
The pH of the sample solutions should be between 6.5 and 10.

CHEMICALS AND EQUIPMENT

EQUIPMENTS

 Burette and stand

 Pipettes
 100 mL volumetric flask
 250 mL conical flasks
 10 mL and 100 mL measuring cylinders

CHEMICALS
 0.1M AgNO3
 Unknown solution
 Potassium Chromate indicator solution

PROCEDURE
0.1g of the unknown sample was accurately weighed and quantitatively into a 250ml volumetric
flask. The sample was dissolved with distilled water and diluted to the mark. 50ml of the solution
was pipetted into 250ml titration flask. 2ml of 5% potassium chromate was added and the resulting
solution was titrated with the standard 0.1M AgNO 3. Two more titrations were done for concordant
values of the endpoint.

TABLE OF VALUES
 Burette
Readings/cm3 Indicator
1 2 3

Final 4.90 17.40 17.80 18.65

Initial 0.00 12.70 13.00 18.00

Titre Value 4.90 4.70 4.80 0.65

Average titre = 4.90 +4.70 + 4.80 = 4.80cm3

Calculations

[AgNO3] = 0.10M

V(AgNO3) = 4.80cm3

n(AgNO3) = c[AgNO3] x v(AgNO3)

= 0.10 x 4.80

1000

=4.80 x 10-4mol

n(Cl-) = n(AgNO3)

= 4.80 x 10-4mol

This amount is contained in 50cm3 of the unknown solution.

∴ The amount of Cl- in the 250cm3 turbid solution is

= 250 x 4.80 x 10-4

50

= 2.4 x 10-3mol

but M(Cl-) = 35.5g/mol

∴ m(Cl-) = n(Cl-) x M(Cl-)

=2.40 x 10-3 x 35.5

 =0.0852g

% Cl- in solution= mass of Cl- x 100%

Mass of unknown

=0.0852 x 100%

0.10

=85.2%

PRECAUTIONS

 Equipments were washed before and after each experiment.

 Glass wares were handled with care to avoid breakages.
 The mass of unknown was accurately weighed.
 The burette readings were taken from below the meniscus.
 Hands were washed before leaving the laboratory.

CONCLUSION

REFERENCES
1. Skoog D. A.; West D. M.; Holler F. J. (1996), Fundamentals of Analytical Chemistry,
Thomson Learning, Inc, USA, 7 Edition, 725-727
th

2. Sheen R.T. and Kahler H. L. (1938) ,Effects of Ions on Mohr Method for Chloride
Determination, Ind. Eng. Chem. Anal. Ed.; 10(11); pages 628-629.
3. Kraemer E. O. and Stamm A. J. ( 1924) , Mohr’s Method for the Determination of Silver and
Halogens in other than Neutral Solutions, J. Am. Chem. Soc.; Edition 46(12); pages 2707-
2709.
Additional Notes
1. Silver nitrate solution will stain clothes and skin. Any spills should be rinsed with water
immediately.
2. Residues containing silver ions are usually saved for later recovery of silver metal. Check this with
your teacher.
3. The Mohr titration should be carried out under conditions of pH 6.5 – 9. At higher pH silver ions
may be removed by precipitation with hydroxide ions, and at low pH chromate ions may be removed
by an acid-base reaction to form hydrogen chromate ions or dichromate ions, affecting the accuracy
of the end point.
4. It is a good idea to first carry out a “rough” titration in order to become familiar with the colour
change at the end point.
5. The Mohr titration is sensitive to the presence of both chloride and bromide ions in solution and
will not be too accurate when there is a significant concentration of bromide present as well as the
chloride. However, in most cases, such as seawater, the bromide concentration will be negligible. For
this reason, the method can also be used to determine either the total concentration of chloride and
bromide in solution, or the concentration of bromide when the chloride concentration is known to be
negligible.