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I am doing my planning for my chemistry course work and I don’t know what indicator to use to determine the concentration of ethanoic acid in a sample of vinegar by titration against a standard solution of sodium hydroxide.

Igloo says
Ethanoic acid is a weak acid, whereas sodium hydroxide is a strong base, so the appropriate indicator to use is phenolphthalein. The theory is covered in the Nuffield Advanced Chemistry Students’ Book in Topic 14, pages 342-343.
 
Phenolphthalein is colourless in acidic solutions and red/pink in alkaline solutions, so the end point is sharp and relatively easily obtained.

Risk assessment
Before attempting any practical work based on the advice and suggestions on this website, you must do the following. Identify any hazards, assess the risks from these hazards, and then decide appropriate control measures to reduce the risks. You must have these approved by those in authority in your school or college laboratory. Do not rely on what is said on this website. For further guidance see our tutorial on Risk Assessment.

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this information is amazing thnk you
sandra 12 October 2007

updated: 09 December 2004

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