Definition

1. Noun:
   • A laboratory method in analytical chemistry: Titration is a quantitative analytical technique used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution. It involves the controlled, gradual addition of a solution of known concentration (the titrant) to a measured volume of a solution of unknown concentration (the analyte) until the chemical reaction between the two is just complete. This point of completion is called the endpoint, often indicated by a color change from an added indicator. The known concentration and volume used allow for the calculation of the unknown concentration.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The student performed an acid-base titration to find the concentration of the hydrochloric acid.
  • Precise titration is essential for obtaining accurate results in pharmaceutical quality control.
  • The endpoint of the titration was marked by a persistent pink color.

Advanced Usage

• "To perform/carry out a titration": This is the standard phrase for conducting the procedure.

  • The lab manual explains how to perform a redox titration safely.

• "Titration curve": A graph showing how a property of the solution (like pH) changes as the titrant is added.

  • Analyzing the titration curve helps identify the equivalence point.

• "Back titration": A technique where an excess of a standard reagent is added to the analyte, and the unreacted excess is then titrated.

  • Back titration is useful for analyzing substances that are insoluble or react slowly.

Variants and Related Words

• Titrate (verb): To carry out the process of titration.

  • You will titrate the vinegar sample with a standardized sodium hydroxide solution.

• Titrant (noun): The solution of known concentration that is added from the burette during a titration.

• Analyte (noun): The substance whose concentration is being determined in the titration.

• Titer/Titre (noun): The calculated concentration of the unknown solution, or a measure of the strength of a solution.

Synonyms

• Volumetric analysis: A broader term for analytical methods, like titration, based on measuring volumes of solutions.
• Assay: A term often used in biochemistry and pharmacology for testing purity or concentration, which may involve titration.

Related Phrases

• "Equivalence point": The theoretical point in a titration where the amount of titrant added is exactly stoichiometrically equivalent to the amount of analyte present.
• "Endpoint": The experimentally observed point where the indicator changes color, ideally as close as possible to the equivalence point.

Noun

1. a measured amount of a solution of unknown concentration is added to a known volume of a second solution until the reaction between them is just complete; the concentration of the unknown solution (the titer) can then be calculated