titrant is added. Making sure that we are only adding one drop or less when the

solution changes color ensures that we are doing our best at finding the

equivalence point.

Common Errors to Avoid

Here are some common mistakes that you want to avoid when performing a

titration.

1. Make sure the tip of your buret is fully filled with solution before starting the

titration. It is common for air bubbles to collect in the tip of the buret when

filling. If you don’t remove the air bubbles before beginning the titration, then

at some point the air bubble will run out of your buret and instead of

delivering 0.5 mL of solution, you will have delivered 0.5 mL of air.

2. Remember the indicator. The titration only works if you can tell when the

equivalence point has been reached.

3. Make sure to appropriately read the volume. Take the time to interpret the

markings on the buret and read the volume directly. Near the top of the buret

is marked 0 mL and near the bottom of the buret is marked 50 mL. Record the

current location of the bottom of the meniscus when reading.

4. Avoid parallax errors when reading the buret. Parallax errors are avoided by

ensuring that your eye and the meniscus are at the same height when reading

the buret. This likely means you need to move either the location of your eye

or the location of the buret to appropriately take a reading. You can take the

buret out of the clamp to appropriately read the volume.

5. Go slow at the end of the titration. Remember we want the solution to change

colors when we have only added a drop or less. 

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