Procedures in volumetric analysis

Volumetric analysis, also known as titrimetric analysis, is a quantitative technique used to determine the amount of a particular substance in a solution of unknown composition.
This requires:

• A standard solution, which is a solution of a compound of accurately known concentration, that reacts with the substance to be analysed.
• The test solution, containing an unknown concentration of the substance to be analysed.
• Some means of detecting the end-point of the reaction between the standard and test solutions, e.g. a chemical indicator or, in the case of potentiometric titrations, a pH electrode. Some reactions exhibit a colour change at the end-point without the addition of an indicator.

The volume of standard solution that reacts with the substance in the test solution is accurately measured. This volume, together with a knowledge of concentration of the standard solution and the stoichiometric relationship between the reactants, is used to calculate the amount of substance present in the test solution.