2.4.2
Titrations
Redox Titrations
Redox Titrations
Redox titrations use a redox reaction to measure the concentrations of unknown solutions. Like acid/base titrations, they require an indicator and use the same technique.


Common reagents
Common reagents
- A redox titration is a good way of determining the concentration of Fe2+ in a solution.
- Fe2+ is a reducing agent, so you can titrate it with an oxidising agent.
- A common oxidising agent to use is potassium permanganate, KMnO4.
- KMnO4 can only be reduced in acidic conditions, so you need to add an excess of sulfuric acid.


Doing a titration
Doing a titration
- First, fill the burette with KMnO4.
- Measure out a known volume of Fe2+ solution into a conical flask. Add an excess of sulfuric acid.
- Titrate the Fe2+ solution with the KMnO4 solution. When the colour turns slightly pink, your titration is complete.
- This is because the KMnO4 goes colourless when reduced, so when you see a colour change, all the reducing agent has reacted.


Concordant titrations
Concordant titrations
- There are a lot of places to make errors in titrations, so we need to be sure that our result is accurate.
- One way of doing this is to carry out titrations until we get the same result.
- Concordant titrations are titrations that give the same result, no more than 0.10cm3 apart.
- In practice, you repeat your titration until you get two values this far apart.
Balancing Half-Equations
Balancing Half-Equations
To do some calculations with your titration result, you need to know the equation for the reaction. We use redox half-equations to develop the full equation.


Oxidising Fe2+
Oxidising Fe2+
- We know that if we’re oxidising Fe2+, it’s gonna go to Fe3+ (we can’t take any more electrons off than that!)
- So the half-equation for the oxidation of Fe2+ is:
- Fe2+ → Fe3+ + e-
-min,h_400,q_80,w_640.jpg)
-min,h_400,q_80,w_640.jpg)
Reducing KMnO4
Reducing KMnO4
- We know that the KMnO4 goes colourless, so which ion of manganese is colourless?
- Mn2+ is technically a pale pink, but unless it’s very concentrated, you can’t actually see that. This is what we’re reducing it to.
- So part of our half equation is: MnO4- + 5e- → Mn2+
- We now need to balance the number of oxygen atoms in this half equation.


Balancing oxygen and hydrogen
Balancing oxygen and hydrogen
- We’re in solution, so things that can get involved in the reaction are: H+, OH- and water.
- We added acid to the reaction flask, so we can’t have any OH- (it would react with the acid and give water).
- So what’s involved is acid on one side, and water on the other.
- This is a general rule - you can add acid or hydroxide to one side, and water to the other.
 Diagram 1.1.7b - Diffusion of potassium permanganate in water ,h_400,q_80,w_640.png)
 Diagram 1.1.7b - Diffusion of potassium permanganate in water ,h_400,q_80,w_640.png)
Applying this to KMnO4
Applying this to KMnO4
- For our half equation, we need to react four oxygen atoms from the KMnO4, so here we’re going to use 8H+ ions to make four water molecules.
- The eventual half-equation is:
- MnO4- + 5e- + 8H+ → Mn2+ + 4H2O


Working out the overall equation
Working out the overall equation
- As earlier, our two half equations are:
- MnO4- + 5e- + 8H+ → Mn2+ + 4H2O
- Fe2+ → Fe3+ + e-
- To combine them, just multiply one of the equations to make the number of electrons match.
- So we need 5Fe2+ → 5Fe3+ + 5e- to balance the electrons in the other equation.
- The overall equation is:
- MnO4- + 5Fe2+ + 8H+ → Mn2+ + 4H2O + 5Fe3+
1Physical Chemistry
1.1Atoms, Molecules & Stoichiometry
1.2Atomic Structure
1.2.1Fundamental Particles
1.2.2Isotopes & Mass Number
1.2.3Electron Shells, Sub-Shells & Orbitals
1.2.4Electron Configuration
1.2.5Ionisation Energy
1.2.6Factors Affecting Ionisation Energies
1.2.7Trends of Ionisation
1.2.8Specific Impacts on Ionisation Energies
1.2.9Electron Affinity
1.2.10End of Topic Test - Atomic Structure
1.2.11A-A* (AO2/3) - Atomic Structure
1.3Chemical Bonding
1.3.1Ionic Bonding
1.3.2Covalent & Dative Bonding
1.3.3Shapes of Molecules
1.3.4Intermolecular Forces
1.3.5Intermolecular Forces 2
1.3.6Electronegativity
1.3.7Bond Length, Bond Energy, & Bond Polarity
1.3.8Metallic Bonding
1.3.9Physical Properties
1.3.10End of Topic Test - Bonding
1.3.11A-A* (AO2/3) - Bonding
1.4States of Matter
1.5Chemical Energetics
1.6Electrochemistry
1.7Equilibria
1.7.1Dynamic Equilibrium & Le Chatelier
1.7.2Kc
1.7.3Kp
1.7.4pH
1.7.5The Ionic Product of Water
1.7.6Weak Acids & Bases
1.7.7Introduction to Solubility Equilibria
1.7.8Solubility Equilibria Calculations
1.7.9Free Energy of Dissolution
1.7.10pH and Solubility
1.7.11Common-Ion Effect
1.7.12End of Topic Test - Kp & Electrochemistry
1.7.13A-A* (AO2/3) - Electrochemical Cells
1.8Partition Coefficient
1.9Reaction Kinetics
1.9.1Collision Theory
1.9.2Orders, Rate Constants & Equations
1.9.3Rate Graphs
1.9.4Rate Determining Step
1.9.5Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution
1.9.6Catalysts
1.9.7Homogeneous Catalysts
1.9.8Heterogeneous Catalysts
1.9.9End of Topic Test - Kinetics
1.9.10End of Topic Test - Rate Equations
1.9.11A-A* (AO2/3) - Rate Equations
2Inorganic Chemistry
2.1The Periodic Table
2.2Group 2
2.3Group 17
2.4Transition Metals
3Organic Chemistry & Analysis
3.1Introduction to Organic Chemistry
3.2Hydrocarbons
3.2.1Fractional Distillation
3.2.2Cracking
3.2.3Combustion
3.2.4Chlorination
3.2.5End of Topic Test - Alkanes
3.2.6Introduction to Alkenes
3.2.7Reactions of Alkenes
3.2.8Polymerisation Reactions
3.2.9End of Topic Test - Alkenes
3.2.10Arenes
3.2.11Evidence for Structure of Arenes
3.2.12Reactions of Benzene
3.2.13End of Topic Test -Arenes
3.3Halogen Derivatives
3.4Hydroxy Compounds
3.5Carbonyl Compounds
3.6Carboxylic Acids & Derivatives
3.7Nitrogen Compounds
3.8Polymerisation
3.9Analytical Techniques
3.9.1Chromatography
3.9.2High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
3.9.3Gas Chromatography
3.9.4IR Spectroscopy
3.9.5Uses of IR Spectroscopy
3.9.6Mass Spectrometry
3.9.7Mass Spectrometry Analysis
3.9.8Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
3.9.9Carbon-13 NMR
3.9.10Proton NMR I
3.9.11Proton NMR II
3.9.12End of Topic Test - Analytical Techniques
3.9.13A-A* (AO2/3) - Analytical Techniques
Jump to other topics
1Physical Chemistry
1.1Atoms, Molecules & Stoichiometry
1.2Atomic Structure
1.2.1Fundamental Particles
1.2.2Isotopes & Mass Number
1.2.3Electron Shells, Sub-Shells & Orbitals
1.2.4Electron Configuration
1.2.5Ionisation Energy
1.2.6Factors Affecting Ionisation Energies
1.2.7Trends of Ionisation
1.2.8Specific Impacts on Ionisation Energies
1.2.9Electron Affinity
1.2.10End of Topic Test - Atomic Structure
1.2.11A-A* (AO2/3) - Atomic Structure
1.3Chemical Bonding
1.3.1Ionic Bonding
1.3.2Covalent & Dative Bonding
1.3.3Shapes of Molecules
1.3.4Intermolecular Forces
1.3.5Intermolecular Forces 2
1.3.6Electronegativity
1.3.7Bond Length, Bond Energy, & Bond Polarity
1.3.8Metallic Bonding
1.3.9Physical Properties
1.3.10End of Topic Test - Bonding
1.3.11A-A* (AO2/3) - Bonding
1.4States of Matter
1.5Chemical Energetics
1.6Electrochemistry
1.7Equilibria
1.7.1Dynamic Equilibrium & Le Chatelier
1.7.2Kc
1.7.3Kp
1.7.4pH
1.7.5The Ionic Product of Water
1.7.6Weak Acids & Bases
1.7.7Introduction to Solubility Equilibria
1.7.8Solubility Equilibria Calculations
1.7.9Free Energy of Dissolution
1.7.10pH and Solubility
1.7.11Common-Ion Effect
1.7.12End of Topic Test - Kp & Electrochemistry
1.7.13A-A* (AO2/3) - Electrochemical Cells
1.8Partition Coefficient
1.9Reaction Kinetics
1.9.1Collision Theory
1.9.2Orders, Rate Constants & Equations
1.9.3Rate Graphs
1.9.4Rate Determining Step
1.9.5Maxwell-Boltzmann Distribution
1.9.6Catalysts
1.9.7Homogeneous Catalysts
1.9.8Heterogeneous Catalysts
1.9.9End of Topic Test - Kinetics
1.9.10End of Topic Test - Rate Equations
1.9.11A-A* (AO2/3) - Rate Equations
2Inorganic Chemistry
2.1The Periodic Table
2.2Group 2
2.3Group 17
2.4Transition Metals
3Organic Chemistry & Analysis
3.1Introduction to Organic Chemistry
3.2Hydrocarbons
3.2.1Fractional Distillation
3.2.2Cracking
3.2.3Combustion
3.2.4Chlorination
3.2.5End of Topic Test - Alkanes
3.2.6Introduction to Alkenes
3.2.7Reactions of Alkenes
3.2.8Polymerisation Reactions
3.2.9End of Topic Test - Alkenes
3.2.10Arenes
3.2.11Evidence for Structure of Arenes
3.2.12Reactions of Benzene
3.2.13End of Topic Test -Arenes
3.3Halogen Derivatives
3.4Hydroxy Compounds
3.5Carbonyl Compounds
3.6Carboxylic Acids & Derivatives
3.7Nitrogen Compounds
3.8Polymerisation
3.9Analytical Techniques
3.9.1Chromatography
3.9.2High-Performance Liquid Chromatography
3.9.3Gas Chromatography
3.9.4IR Spectroscopy
3.9.5Uses of IR Spectroscopy
3.9.6Mass Spectrometry
3.9.7Mass Spectrometry Analysis
3.9.8Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
3.9.9Carbon-13 NMR
3.9.10Proton NMR I
3.9.11Proton NMR II
3.9.12End of Topic Test - Analytical Techniques
3.9.13A-A* (AO2/3) - Analytical Techniques
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