In the titration of a diprotic acid, such as sulfuric acid, it is essential to recognize the presence of two equivalence points, which necessitates careful calculations to determine the equivalence volumes. The diprotic acid acts as the analyte, while a strong base, like potassium hydroxide (KOH), serves as the titrant. To find the equivalence volumes, we can use the relationship between the molarity and volume of the acid and base.
The first equivalence volume can be calculated using the formula:
where
Solving for
Before any strong base is added, the solution contains a weak diprotic acid. To analyze the equilibrium state, we can use an ICE (Initial, Change, Equilibrium) chart. The dissociation of the first acidic hydrogen from sulfuric acid can be represented as:
For this reaction, we utilize the first dissociation constant,
indicates that we cannot ignore the change in concentration (denoted as
To find the pH of the solution, we take the negative logarithm of the
At this stage, the titration has not yet commenced. As we begin to add KOH to the sulfuric acid solution, it is crucial to identify the specific point in the titration process—whether it is before, at, or after the equivalence points—since the calculations will vary accordingly. Understanding these dynamics is vital for accurately interpreting the titration results.