Performing the perfect titration

Titration is the process of determining the concentration of an unknown solution (the analyte or titrand) by adding a solution of known concentration (the titrant) with a suitable indicator that changes colour at the end point of a reaction. Using the results of the titration and our knowledge of the reaction occurring, we can calculate the concentration of the titrand

Figure 1 Apparatus

All exam specifications require you to be able to carry out a titration.

Best practice in the laboratory is handed down through generations of chemists. In this outline of how to perform a titration there are lots of little snippets of wisdom passed on to me by my teachers, along with some of my own tips. See Figure 1 for the apparatus you need.