NaOH and HCl Titration Curves | Selecting Indicators

Titration curve of strong acid and strong base

HCl and NaOH are strong acid and strong base respectively and their titration curves are similar (shape of curve) in different concentrations.

NaOH + HCl = NaCl + H₂O

Both reactants and products are in aqueous state.

Important factors and equations of HCl + NaOH reaction and its titration curve.

• HCl and NaOH reacts in 1:1 ratio (in same amount).
• To decide required amount (mol) and volume, the relationship between amount (mol), volume and concentration is used. concentration = amount / volume

Equivalence point

• Amount of titrant added is enough to completely neutralize the analyte solution. That means, all reactants (here HCl and NaOH) are reacted and no remaining reactants in the solution. Due to no HCl and NaOH, solution is neutral.

Indicators

Indicators are used to find pH value in equivalence point. Colour of indicator is changed at one range of pH. That colour changeing point is called "end point".

If colour change of indicator is occurred at pH=7 in strong acid - strong base titration, its end point and equals to the equivalence point.

pH ranges, pH of end point, and colours of indicators

Indicator	pH of end point	pH range	Colour 1	Colour 2
Methyl orange	3.7	3.2 - 4.2	Red	Yellow
Bromophenol blue	4.0	2.8 - 4.6	Red	Blue
Bromocresol green	4.7	3.8 - 5.4	Yellow	Blue
Methyl red	5.1	4.2 - 6.3	Red	Black
Bromothymol blue	7.0	6.0 - 7.6	yellow	blue
Phenol red	7.9	6.8 - 8.4	yellow	red
Phenolphthalein	9.3	8.2 - 10.0	colourless	red
Thymophthaline	9.7	8.3 - 10.0	colourless	blue

Obtaining Titration Curve when flask holds HCl and adding NaOH

There are three sections of titration curve of when strong base is added to the strong acid.

1. pH increases slowly
2. Steep increment of pH due to unreacted of NaOH, no HCl exist furthermore in the aqueous solution. Solution become neutral or become basic.
3. Slow increment of pH

0.1 mol dm^-3 HCl and 0.1 mol dm^-3 NaOH Titration Curve

0.1 moldm^-3 HCl 25cm³ is placed at a beaker. 0.1 moldm^-3 NaOH solution is added to the HCl solution drop by drop slowly.

In the titration curve, first pH increases slowly, then has a steep increment and then again increases slowly.

Explanation to titration curve of 0.1 mol dm^-3 HCl and 0.1 mol dm^-3 NaOH

• In the initial step, there is 0.1mol dm^-3 HCl in the flask. So pH of the initial aqueous HCl solution is 1. If you are not familiar with calculating pH of HCl, refer this tutorial.
• Initial HCl amount of 25 cm³ is 0.0025 mol. To neutralize the all HCl amount, same amount of NaOH is required because HCl and NaOH reacts according to the 1:1 ratio.
• To provide 0.0025 mol of NaOH, 25 cm³ of aqueous NaOH solution is need. At that point, solution does not have more HCl or added NaOH. Only NaCl is present with water.
• NaCl is stable in the water. So it is a stable salt and at that point pH of the solution is 7.
• After addition of 25 cm³ of NaOH, more NaOH is added drop by drop. So now there is hydroxyl ions are present in the solution. Therefore solution starts to get basic and pH value will be over 7 now.
• When add more aqueous NaOH solution, it will be more basic solution and pH value will increase furthermore.

Choose correct indicator

Check the pH range which has a steep increment (3-11). Then check pH range of indicator. When this steep increment occurs, indicator should change its colour. Lets look which indicators are suitable for this titration.

• Phenolphthalein: colour change of Phenolphthalein is occurred between 8.2 - 10 . So Phenolphthalein can be used as an indicator to identify equivalence point.
• Bromothymol blue: Bromothymol blue is also a suitable indicator because its colour is changed between 6.0 - 7.6 .

0.01mol dm^-3 HCl and 0.01mol dm^-3 NaOH

0.01 moldm^-3 HCl 25cm³ is placed at a beaker. 0.01 moldm^-3 NaOH solution is added to the HCl solution drop by drop.

0.001mol dm^-3 HCl and 0.001mol dm^-3 NaOH

0.001 moldm^-3 HCl 25cm³ is placed at a beaker. 0.001 moldm^-3 NaOH solution is added to the HCl solution drop by drop.

Overall Explanation of the titration curves of HCl and NaOH reaction

In all beakers, aqueous HCl acid solution is present and aqueous NaOH solution is added to HCl solution.

• At the beginning (no addition of NaOH) pH is depends on the concentration of NaOH and when concentration of HCl decreases pH value increases.

So we are done with titration curve when HCl is in the flask. Now we are going to focus on how pH curve will vary when flask holds NaOH and adding HCl.

Titration Curves when adding HCl to the aqueous NaOH solution

So pH of NaOH is higher than 7 and with addition of HCl, pH decreases of the solution.

As mentioned earlier, due to 1:1 stoichiometry ratio between NaOH and HCl, they react in same amount.

pH variation of NaOH with concentration

NaOH Concentration (mol dm-3)	pH
0.1	13
0.01	12
0.001	11

We take three flasks which have three different concentrations of NaOH. Then we add dilute HCl to react with NaOH and calculate pH of the solution to obtain three titration curves.

0.1 mol dm^-3 NaOH 25 cm³ with 0.1 mol dm^-3 HCl

Questions

titration of NaOH +HCl theoretical ratio

NaOH and HCl react 1:1 ratio according to the stoichiometric equation. Therefore, same amount of HCl and NaOH are consumed in the reaction. If same concentration solutions of NaOH and HCl are used, same volumes of NaOH are HCl are consumed too.

experimental ratio of NaOH and Hcl

Ig your HCl or NaOH is mixed with a un-wanted (dirt) which can react with HCl or NaOH,your experimental ration can be different from 1:1. Otherswise, it should be 1:1.

how to determine mole of hcl by adding naoh?

Think you have a HCl bottle with unknown concentration. You can measure the volume of HCl solution.

Also, there is a NaOH solution with known concentration. Adding this NaOH solution to HCl bottle will neutralize HCl solution. You have to choose correct indicator for this experiement.

When colour of the solution is changed suddenly, it means All HCl are now finished. Now, measure the spent NaOH volume.

From NaOH concentration and volume, you can measure the mole of NaOH. Then, you can determine amount of mol of HCl using stoichiometry of the balanced reaction.

Suitable concentration for a NaOH and HCl?

There is no certin values for NaOH and HCl concentrations. If you want to make a certain pH value NaOH solution, you have to measure the volume and concentrations of HCl solution.

is it important that the HCl and NaOH be similar in concentration?

No. In a titration, we are going to determine the concentration of HCl or NaOH or other used acid or base. One known concentration solution is used to titration.

is 10M naoh stable?

Consider 25⁰C temperature. At 25⁰C temperature, solubility of NaOH is 1000 g for one liter of water. In 1000 g of NaOH, there are 25 moles of NaOH. Therefore, 10M naOH solutions can be exist.

what is the ph range when a titration of K2O solution with HCl reaches equivalence point

First thing is, there is no K₂O solution. K₂O immediately converts to KOH when water is added. Because, KOH and HCl are strong base and strong acid respectively, when one component is completely neutralized by another component, pH should be seven at 25⁰C.

If bromothymol blue is titrated in NaOH and HCl, what is the ph at equivalence point?

Bromothymol blue is not titrated in NaOH and HCl titration. When pH value is changed, colour of bromothymol blue is changed.

in a titration hcl is titratated with a solution of naoh, which number from the titraton curve would demonstrate the picture below?