Chemistry Regents Practice Test

What laboratory process uses a volume of solution of known concentration to determine the concentration of another solution?

1. Titration

2. Filtration

3. Distillation

4. Chromatography

The correct answer is: Titration

Titration is a laboratory process that involves the gradual addition of a solution of known concentration (the titrant) to a solution of unknown concentration until a reaction reaches its endpoint, indicated by a color change or another measurable change. This technique allows chemists to accurately determine the concentration of the unknown solution based on the volume of titrant used and its concentration. During the titration process, the precise measurements and the stoichiometric relationship between the reactants are used to calculate the unknown concentration. This is particularly useful in acid-base reactions or redox reactions, where the precise balance between the reactants is key to determining quantitative data in chemical analysis. In contrast, filtration is a method used to separate solids from liquids or gases, distillation separates components of mixtures based on differences in boiling points, and chromatography is a technique that separates components in a mixture based on their movement through a stationary phase. While all these methods have their own applications in chemistry, they do not provide the direct method for determining the concentration of one solution using another solution of known concentration, as titration does.