Common Misconceptions
Part of Titrations (HT) — GCSE Chemistry
This common misconceptions covers Common Misconceptions within Titrations (HT) for GCSE Chemistry. Revise Titrations (HT) in Quantitative Chemistry for GCSE Chemistry with 22 exam-style questions and 20 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 9 of 13 in this topic. Use this common misconceptions to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 9 of 13
Practice
22 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
⚠️ Common Misconceptions
Misconception 1: "You add the indicator to the burette"
The indicator always goes into the conical flask, not the burette. It needs to be in the solution where you are watching for the colour change. Adding it to the burette would contaminate the standard solution and the colour change would be invisible.
Misconception 2: "You should take the average of all results"
You only average the concordant results (those within 0.10 cm³ of each other). The first rough titration is always discarded — it is used only to find the approximate endpoint. Anomalous results must be identified and excluded before calculating the mean.
Misconception 3: "The endpoint is the same as pH 7"
The endpoint depends on the indicator chosen. Phenolphthalein changes colour around pH 8.2-10, while methyl orange changes around pH 3.1-4.4. For a strong acid/strong alkali titration the pH at the equivalence point is 7, but the indicator may change colour slightly before or after this point depending on which indicator is used.