CHAPTER 5: Acid–Base Titrimetry

The chemistry of acids and bases has been a subject of interest since the days of the alchemist, who exploited the properties of acids in an attempt to transmute base metals into gold. In this chapter a summary of acid–base chemistry is presented which is contextualised by the following practical activities: standardisation of sodium hydroxide; determination of the pH of vinegar; determination of the volatile acidity of white wine; determination of the pK_a of 2-acetoxybenzoic acid; standardisation of hydrochloric acid; determination of the calcium carbonate content of eggshell; analysis of sodium sesquicarbonate by a double-indicator method; analysis of ammonia-based hair dyes by back titration. The chapter concludes with two open-ended investigations: how much phosphoric acid is in cola drinks and how good is your moisturiser.