Q.What is the indicator used for the titration between oxalic acid and sodium hydroxide ? Justify your answer with suitable reason.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Phenolphthalein is the correct indicator for oxalic acid vs NaOH because the salt formed (sodium oxalate) hydrolyses to give an alkaline solution at the equivalence point, and only phenolphthalein's transition range covers that alkaline pH.
The titration: Oxalic acid, , is a weak diprotic acid; sodium hydroxide is a strong base.
Nature of the equivalence point: The product, sodium oxalate, is the salt of a weak acid and a strong base. The oxalate ion undergoes hydrolysis in water:
This hydrolysis releases ions, so at the exact equivalence point the solution is not neutral but distinctly alkaline, with pH typically around 8–9.
Choice of indicator: An indicator must change colour exactly over the pH range through which the titration's pH jumps at the equivalence point.
- Phenolphthalein changes colour (colourless → pink) over pH 8.3–10, which matches the alkaline equivalence-point pH of this titration — correct choice. …
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