Curricular Competency Explanation:

A titration is a laboratory technique used to determine the concentration of an unknown solution by slowly adding a solution of known concentration until a chemical reaction reaches completion. In this lab, titration was used to find the concentration of an unknown acid by reacting it with a base of known concentration. The endpoint of a titration is the moment when the acid and base have completely reacted. We know we’ve reached the endpoint when the colour of the indicator changes permanently in our case, phenolphthalein turned from colourless to faint pink and stayed that way for at least 30 seconds. Our results showed that the unknown acid had a concentration of approximately 0.146mol/L, and we achieved consistent results across multiple trials.

Core Competency Reflection (Thinking):

During this titration lab, I demonstrated critical thinking by carefully observing changes in colour and making precise measurements to ensure accuracy. I had to think ahead about each step, like when to slow down the buret drops as the solution neared the endpoint. When errors occurred, I thought about what could have caused them and how to improve in the next trial. This process helped me better understand chemical reactions and the importance of accuracy in scientific work.