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- Chemistry LibreTexts - Titration (Oct. 25, 2026)
titration
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What is titration?
Titration, or volumetric analysis, is a chemical analysis process used to determine the quantity of a substance (analyte) by adding a known amount of another substance (titrant) with which the analyte reacts in a known proportion.
The titrant, a standard solution of known concentration, is gradually added to the sample from a burette until the equivalence point is reached, where the titrant and analyte are in equivalent amounts. The end point, marked by a signal like a color change of an indicator or a change in electrical property, signals the completion of the reaction. The difference between the end point and the equivalence point is the titration error.
Titration reactions include acid-base, precipitation, complex-formation, and oxidation-reduction (redox) titrations. The end point can be detected through visual color indicators or electrical measurements like potentiometric, conductometric, amperometric, and coulometric titrations.
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Why is titration used in chemistry?
Titration is a chemical analysis technique used to determine the quantity of a substance (analyte) by reacting it with a known amount of another substance (titrant). A standard solution, or titrant, is gradually added to the sample until the reaction is complete, which is called the equivalence point. This point is typically identified by a color change from an indicator or a change in an electrical property. Titration is commonly used in acid-base, precipitation, complex-formation, and oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions. The volume of titrant used to reach the end point is then used to calculate the concentration or amount of the analyte.
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What are the main parts or tools needed for a titration?
Titration is a chemical analysis method that determines a substance's quantity by reacting it with a known amount of another substance.
Key tools for titration:
* Burette A graduated measuring tube with a stopcock that dispenses the titrant, a solution of known concentration.
* Titrant The standard solution added to the sample.
* Indicator A substance that signals the endpoint of the titration, often by changing color. The endpoint should be as close as possible to the equivalence point.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How does an indicator help in a titration?
In a titration, an indicator signals the endpoint by undergoing a visible change, usually a color change, when a critical range of values is reached. The indicator's color changes depending on the acidity, oxidizing strength of the solution, or the concentration of a specific chemical species.
For instance, in acid-base titrations, the indicator exists in an acid form and a basic form, which differ in color. Examples of indicators include litmus, which is blue in alkaline solution and red in acid, and phenolphthalein, which is colorless in acid solution and red in alkaline solution. The selection of an appropriate indicator minimizes the difference between the endpoint and the equivalence point, known as the titration error.
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What are the steps to perform a basic titration?
Titration is a chemical analysis that determines the quantity of a substance (analyte) by adding a known amount of another substance (titrant) with which the analyte reacts in a known proportion.
Steps to perform a basic titration:
1. Add a titrant from a burette to the measured sample.
2. Stop adding when the equivalence point is reached.
3. The endpoint is marked by a signal, such as a color change of an indicator.
4. Use the known concentration of the titrant and the volume added to calculate the amount or concentration of the analyte.
5. Ensure the difference between the endpoint and the equivalence point is minimal for accuracy.4 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
How can titration be used to find the concentration of an unknown solution?
Titration is a chemical analysis process used to determine the quantity of a substance by adding a known amount of another substance with which it reacts in a definite proportion.
In titrimetric analysis, a reagent, called the titrant, is added in small increments to the unknown solution (analyte) from a burette. Titration determines the equivalence point, which is typically observed as a color change. If there is no color change, a chemical indicator is added to the analyte before titration. The volume of the added titrant and its known concentration are used to determine the unknown analyte's concentration.
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titration, process of chemical analysis in which the quantity of some constituent of a sample is determined by adding to the measured sample an exactly known quantity of another substance with which the desired constituent reacts in a definite, known proportion. The process is usually carried out by gradually adding a standard solution (i.e., a solution of known concentration) of titrating reagent, or titrant, from a burette, essentially a long, graduated measuring tube with a stopcock and a delivery tube at its lower end. The addition is stopped when the equivalence point is reached.
At the equivalence point of a titration, an exactly equivalent amount of titrant has been added to the sample. The experimental point at which the completion of the reaction is marked by some signal is called the end point. This signal can be the colour change of an indicator or a change in some electrical property that is measured during the titration. The difference between the end point and the equivalence point is the titration error, which is kept as small as possible by the proper choice of an end-point signal and a method for detecting it.
For many titration reactions it is possible to find a suitable visual colour indicator that will signal the end point at, or very close to, the equivalence point. Such titrations, classified according to the nature of the chemical reaction occurring between the sample and titrant, include: acid-base titrations, precipitation titrations, complex-formation titrations, and oxidation-reduction (redox) titrations. In acid-base titration (i.e., the titration of an acid with a base, or vice versa), the indicator is a substance that can exist in two forms, an acid form and a basic form, which differ in colour. For example, litmus is blue in alkaline solution and red in acid solution. Phenolphthalein is colourless in acid solution and red in alkaline solution. A wide choice of acid-base indicators is available, varying not only in the colours of the two forms but also in their sensitivity toward acid or base.
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Precipitation titrations may be illustrated by the example of the determination of chloride content of a sample by titration with silver nitrate, which precipitates the chloride in the form of silver chloride. The presence of the first slight excess of silver ion (i.e., the end point) can be marked by the appearance of a coloured precipitate. One way in which this can be done is by employing potassium chromate as indicator. Potassium chromate reacts with the first slight excess silver ion to form a red precipitate of silver chromate. Another method involves the use of an adsorption indicator, the indicator action being based on the formation on the surface of the precipitate of an adsorbed layer of silver indicator salt, which forms only when an excess of silver ion is present.
The most important titrations based upon complex-formation reactions are those involving the titration of metal ions with the reagent disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (a salt of edetic acid, or EDTA). The indicators are dyes that have the property of forming a coloured complex with the metal ion. As the titration proceeds, the reagent reacts first with uncomplexed metal ions, and, finally, at the end point it reacts with the metal-indicator complex. The colour change corresponds to the conversion of the metal-dye complex into the free dye.
In oxidation-reduction (redox) titrations the indicator action is analogous to the other types of visual colour titrations. In the immediate vicinity of the end point, the indicator undergoes oxidation or reduction, depending upon whether the titrant is an oxidizing agent or a reducing agent. The oxidized and reduced forms of the indicator have distinctly different colours.
Alternatively, for many titrations the end point can be detected by electrical measurements. These titrations may be classified according to the electrical quantity that is measured. Potentiometric titrations involve the measurement of the potential difference between two electrodes of a cell; conductometric titrations, the electrical conductance or resistance; amperometric titrations, the electric current passing during the course of the titration; and coulometric titrations, the total quantity of electricity passed during the titration. In the four titrations just mentioned, except coulometric titrations, the end point is indicated by a marked change in the electrical quantity that is being measured. In coulometric titrations, the quantity of electricity required to carry out a known reaction is measured, and from Faraday’s law the quantity of material present is calculated.
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