What are Primary Standards?
A primary standard is a highly pure, stable chemical used to accurately determine the concentration of other solutions. Think of it as a "gold standard" for concentration. For a substance to be a good primary standard, it needs to meet several strict requirements:
- High purity: It must be very clean, with minimal impurities, so its mass directly reflects the amount of the substance.
- Known composition: Its chemical formula must be exact and unchanging.
- Stable in air: It shouldn't react with air (like absorbing water or CO₂) which would change its mass and purity.
- High molar mass: A larger molar mass means you can weigh out a larger amount, reducing weighing errors.
- Non-hygroscopic: It shouldn't absorb moisture from the air, which would make its measured mass inaccurate.
What are Secondary Standards?
A secondary standard is a solution whose concentration is determined by reacting it with a primary standard. Unlike primary standards, secondary standards are often less stable or pure, meaning their exact concentration isn't known just by weighing them out. They are used more frequently in everyday lab work once they've been accurately standardized.
- Less stable: They might react with air or decompose over time, so their concentration can change.
- Requires standardization: You must react them with a primary standard to find their true concentration.
- More reactive: Often chosen for their reactivity in specific chemical tests.
- Lower cost: Generally less expensive than primary standards.
- Common availability: Easily found and used in many laboratory settings.
Steps for Solution Preparation
Preparing a chemical solution accurately is crucial for reliable experimental results. Here are the general steps involved:
- Weighing: Precisely measure the solid chemical using an analytical balance. Accuracy here is key.
- Dissolution: Carefully dissolve the weighed chemical in a small amount of solvent (usually distilled water) in a beaker.
- Volume adjustment: Transfer the dissolved chemical to a volumetric flask and add solvent until the solution reaches the precise volume mark. This ensures accurate concentration.
- Standardization: If it's a secondary standard, react it with a primary standard to find its exact concentration.
- Storage: Store the prepared solution properly (e.g., in a labeled bottle, away from light) to maintain its stability and concentration over time.
Common Sources of Error
Even with careful technique, errors can occur during solution preparation and standardization, affecting the accuracy of your results:
- Weighing errors: Inaccurate measurement of the solid chemical's mass can lead to an incorrect starting amount.
- Volume measurement: Using incorrect glassware or not reading the meniscus properly can lead to inaccurate solution volumes.
- Temperature effects: Solution volumes can change slightly with temperature, affecting concentration.
- Contamination: Impurities in chemicals or glassware can react with your solution or alter its concentration.
- Indicator errors: If using an indicator for titration, misjudging the endpoint color change can lead to inaccurate volume readings.