Titration Competitions

Please note the following information for those teams participating in their own school:

Each team (3 students per team) will receive a set of 6 x 5 mL vials. Each vial will contain approximately 0.4 g (2.0 x 10-3 mol) of potassium hydrogen phthalate, a soluble weak organic acid which is a primary standard. Three of the vials will be the Standard samples and three will be the Unknown samples. The task for each student is to use 2 sets of acid-base titrations to firstly standardise a solution of NaOH (0.02M provided by the school), then to find the concentration and hence the number of moles of acid in the Unknown Sample.

Samples will be mailed to schools together with a risk assessment, instructions, tips for practice and links to instructional videos. Students should be given 2 hrs to complete the titrations during term 2 with results returned by 19 June.

Please note the following information:

The state coordinators will note the number of teams entered by each participating school, and will prepare an appropriate number of vials of standard i.e. known oxalic acid and of unknown oxalic acid samples to be posted or delivered to school offices. 

It is important to note on each of the vial labels, the volume of distilled water for the solid sample to be prepared as the titrant solution.

Further information on procedure, safety and calculations will be circulated by email from the state coordinators.