Applying Techniques in Chemistry (DP IB Chemistry): Revision Note

Applying Techniques in Chemistry

• You should be familiar with practical techniques in the following categories:

  • Volumetric analysis techniques

  • Separation techniques

  • Purification techniques

  • Other techniques and experiments

Volumetric analysis

• Volumetric analysis techniques including:

  • Preparing a standard solution

  • Carrying out dilutions

  • Performing titrations (acid–base titration and redox titration)

• Volumetric analysis involves using the volume and concentration of a solution to determine the concentration of another

• The known solution is called a standard solution (or volumetric solution)

• The most common method is titration

• The volumes are measured using two precise pieces of equipment:

  • Burette – delivers the titrant (known solution) drop by drop.

  • Volumetric pipette – accurately measures a fixed volume of the unknown solution.

• Before the titration can be done, the standard solution must be prepared

• Specific apparatus must be used both when preparing the standard solution and when completing the titration, to ensure that volumes are measured precisely

Key pieces of apparatus used to prepare a volumetric solution and perform a simple titration 

Making a standard / volumetric solution

• A standard solution (or volumetric solution) is one with a precisely known concentration, used in quantitative analysis

• These solutions are prepared accurately using:

  • A 3-decimal place balance to weigh the solute

  • A volumetric flask to ensure exact final volume

• Careful technique helps to minimise measurement uncertainty and ensure reliability in titrations and other analyses

How to prepare a standard solution

Carrying out dilutions

• Concentration: The amount of solute dissolved in a solvent to make 1 dm³ of solution

  • Common units:

    • mol dm⁻³

    • g dm⁻³

    • parts per million (ppm)

  • Solute: Substance being dissolved

  • Solvent: Substance doing the dissolving (often water)

• A concentrated solution contains a large amount of solute

• A dilute solution contains a small amount of solute

• A concentrated solution can be diluted to form a dilute solution 

  • For example, diluting 500 cm³ of a stock 1.0 mol dm^–3 standard solution to a 0.5 mol dm^–3 standard solution

    • Take the 500 cm³ of the 1.0 mol dm^–3 standard solution

    • Add 500 cm³ of deionised water

    • There is now 1000 cm³ of a 0.5 mol dm^–3 standard solution

• A series of stepwise dilutions to achieve very low concentrations

• Each step reduces concentration by a constant factor (e.g. 10×):

  • For example adding 100 cm³ of stock to 900 cm³ of water for a 1:10 dilution

    • Repeat using the diluted solution from the previous step

Performing titrations

• Titrations include acid-base titrations and redox titrations:

  • Acid–base titrations involve the neutralization between an acid and a base.

  • Redox titrations involve simultaneous oxidation and reduction reactions, e.g.:

Fe²⁺ + MnO₄⁻​ → Fe³⁺ + Mn²⁺

• The key piece of equipment used in the titration is the burette

• Burettes are usually marked to a precision of 0.10 cm³

  • Since they are analogue instruments, the uncertainty is recorded to half the smallest marking, in other words to ±0.05 cm³

• The equivalence point in a titration is when stoichiometrically equivalent amounts of reactants have been mixed

• The endpoint is the observable change (usually a colour change) that signals the equivalence point

  • In acid–base titrations, this is detected using an indicator

  • In some redox titrations (e.g. MnO₄⁻ as the titrant), no indicator is needed due to the inherent colour change

For more information about choosing indicators, see our revision note on Choosing an Acid-Base Indicator

Using an indicator in titrations

Method

1. Measure a fixed volume (typically 20.0 or 25.0 cm³) of one solution using a volumetric pipette and transfer it into a conical flask

2. Fill the burette with the second solution and record the starting volume (usually filled to 0.00 cm³)

3. Add a few drops of an appropriate indicator to the solution in the conical flask, if needed

   • Place a white tile under the flask to make the colour change easier to see

4. Begin the titration by slowly opening the burette tap, adding the titrant to the flask in small portions

   • Swirl the flask after each addition to mix the solutions thoroughly

5. As you approach the endpoint, slow the addition to dropwise

   • Close the tap as soon as one drop causes a permanent colour change

6. Repeat the titration until you obtain concordant results (two or more volumes within ±0.10 cm³)

Recording and processing titration results

• Both the initial and final burette readings should be recorded and shown to a precision of  ±0.05 cm³, the same as the uncertainty

A typical layout and set of titration results

• The volume delivered (titre) is calculated and recorded to an uncertainty of ±0.10 cm³

  • For more information about working with uncertainties, see our revision note on Processing Uncertainties in Chemistry

• Concordant results are then averaged, and non-concordant results are discarded

  • For more information about calculating average titres, see "What is the mean average?" in our Applying General Mathematics in Chemistry revision note

• Appropriate titration calculations are then performed, as shown in our revision note on Concentration Calculations

Separation of mixtures

• The required separation techniques covered in our revision note on Separating Mixtures include:

• Filtration – separates insoluble solids from liquids.

• Crystallisation

• Distillation:

  • Simple distillation – separates liquids from solutions based on boiling point.

  • Fractional distillation – separates mixtures of liquids with closer boiling points using a fractionating column.

• Chromatography:

  • Paper and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) operate on the same principle:

    • Stationary phase: chromatography paper (paper) or a silica/alumina layer on a glass/plastic plate (TLC)

    • Mobile phase: any suitable liquid solvent

    • Separation: based on solubility

    • Detection: UV light or chemical locating agents like ninhydrin help reveal colourless spots

Purification techniques

• The specific purification techniques explicitly stated in the syllabus are:

  • Recrystallisation

  • Melting point determination

Recrystallisation

• Recrystallisation is used to purify an impure solid

• The solid is dissolved in a suitable hot solvent, then allowed to cool so the pure compound crystallises out

  • The product should be of higher purity

• This technique works because the desired compound is less soluble at lower temperatures, while impurities remain dissolved

• For more information about recrystallisation, see our revision note on Separating Mixtures

Melting point determination

• The melting point of a solid is indicative of its purity and identity

• It can be compared to a known value to identify or confirm a compound

• The proximity of a melting point to the actual data book value can express purity

  • Impurities tend to lower the melting point of a solid

• The melting point range also reveals the degree of purity

  • Pure substances have sharp well-defined melting points

  • Impure substances have a broad melting point range, i.e. a large difference between when the substance first melts and when it completely melts

• The accuracy of the result depends on the apparatus and method used:

Different apparatus used to determine the melting point of a sample

• However, there are some common key skills:

  • Correctly preparing the melting point tubes

  • Heating the tubes very slowly

  • Repeating to get a range of measurements (three would be normal)

• The sample solid must be totally dry and finely powdered:

  • This can be achieved by crushing it with the back of a spatula onto some filter paper or the back of a white tile (this absorbs any moisture)

• Use the first tube to find the approximate melting point range and then repeat using a much slower heating rate 

Other experiments and techniques

• Other specific experiments and techniques explicitly stated in the syllabus are:

  • Calorimetry

    • For more information about calorimetry, see our revision note on Calorimetry

  • Electrochemical cells

    • For more information about experiments involving electrochemical cells, see the relevant revision notes in our Electron Transfer Reactions topic

  • Drying to constant mass

  • Reflux

  • Colorimetry / spectrophotometry

  • Physical and digital molecular modelling

Drying to constant mass

• This technique is used to determine the amount of water or volatile substances in a sample

• Procedure:

  • Record the initial mass using a balance

  • Heat the sample in an oven or drying chamber at a controlled temperature

  • At regular intervals, cool the sample in a desiccator and reweigh it

  • Repeat until the mass stays the same, indicating all moisture has been removed

• Application:

  • Commonly used to calculate water of crystallisation in hydrated transition metal compounds

Heating under reflux

• Many organic reactions are slow at room temperature and require heating to proceed efficiently

• Reflux involves heating a reaction mixture so that it boils, while a condenser prevents the loss of volatile components

• Doing this ensures reactants remain in the system, allowing complete reaction without evaporation

• Unlike distillation, which separates components, reflux retains all substances in the flask

• Example reactions where heating under reflux could be used include:

  • Oxidation of a primary alcohol to a carboxylic acid (e.g. using acidified potassium dichromate)

  • Esterification reactions between an alcohol and a carboxylic acid using a concentrated acid catalyst

Method

1. Use a pear-shaped or round-bottomed flask

2. Add anti-bumping granules to ensure smooth boiling

3. Heat using a water bath or heating mantle for controlled temperature

4. Fit a vertical condenser using Quickfit apparatus (joints often greased)

5. Run cold water in at the bottom and out at the top of the condenser to maintain efficient condensation (known as a water jacket)

6. The mixture boils gently while vapours condense and return to the flask

7. Once heating is complete, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature

Heating under reflux practical equipment

Colorimetry / spectrophotometry

• Colorimetry and spectrophotometry are techniques used to determine the concentration of a solution by measuring how much light it absorbs at specific wavelengths

• Both techniques use the same basic method:

  • A light source emits a beam across a range of wavelengths

  • The sample solution absorbs some wavelengths of light based on its composition and concentration

  • A detector records the amount of light absorbed (absorbance) or light transmitted

• The detector on a colorimeter measures the intensity of light which is directly related to the concentration of the solution

  • It is a relatively quick process although not as precise as spectrophotometry, especially with low concentrations or complex mixtures

• The detector on a spectrophotometer measures the absorbance of each wavelength of light

  • The resulting absorption spectrum is plotted, showing the characteristic absorption peaks of the sample

  • The concentration is then determined by comparing this spectrum to a calibration curve

  • Spectrophotometry is highly sensitive and accurate, making it suitable for analysing low concentrations and complex mixtures

  • It is widely used in research, quality control, drug analysis, environmental monitoring and food testing

• For more information about calorimetry, see our revision note on Measuring Rates of Reaction

Physical and digital molecular modelling

• Physical molecular modelling is the creation of three-dimensional models using materials such as plastic balls and sticks (molymods)

  • It serves as a tool to understand molecular geometry, bond angles and the overall spatial arrangement of atoms within a molecule

• Digital molecular modelling uses specialist computer software to generate accurate and detailed 3D models of molecules

  • By giving specific data, such as bond lengths and angles, the software can produce highly accurate representations of molecules, including their electronic structures

  • It allows the study of more complex molecules, especially ones that are challenging to construct

  • It allows observations of molecular movements and reactions in real time

  • Digital molecular modelling provides access to various tools and simulations that can predict:

    • Molecular properties

    • Behaviour in different environments

    • Potential interactions with other molecules

    • These simulations aid researchers in drug design, material science and many other applications