Question
(d) Hydrochloric acid is added to the burette using a funnel. State why it is good practice to remove the funnel from the burette before the titration.
Answer
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Julia
Master · Tutor for 5 years
Answer
It is good practice to remove the funnel from the burette before the titration to prevent extra volume of the titrant from entering the burette, help safely complete the titration process preventing errors, and also to ensure that the titration solution remains uncontaminated.
Explanation
It is good practice to remove the funnel from the burette before titration due to a couple of reasons. First, the primary purpose of a funnel is to aid in the transfer of the solution into the burette without causing losses due to spillage. Once the fluid has been transferred, the funnel no longer serves any purpose. Second, if the funnel were left on the burette during titration, droplets of the titrant (here, Hydrochloric acid) may adhere to the walls of the funnel. If these droplets fall into the burette during the titration, it would introduce extra volume of the titrant, thus giving an inaccurate measurement of the quantity of the titrant added to the titrate. This would subsequently affect the end point determination and objectivity in terms of equivalence point of the reagents, potentially cause errors in the final results. Lastly, in some instances, if the funnel were left, since it opens into the atmosphere, could invite contamination from dust and other impurities present in the air which can interfere with the outcome of the titration. Hence, to ensure the titration is accurate and reliable, the funnel should be removed.