The key difference between acidimetry and alkalimetry is that acidimetry is the measurement of the strength of acids, whereas alkalimetry is the measurement of the strength of alkaline compounds.
Acidimetry and alkalimetry are two types of volumetric analysis techniques where the fundamental reaction of the analysis is a type of neutralization reaction.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Acidimetry
3. What is Alkalimetry
4. Side by Side Comparison – Acidimetry vs Alkalimetry in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is Acidimetry?
Acidimetry is a specialized analytical technique used to determine the strength of an acid. We can use this technique in an acid-base titration to determine the concentration of a basic or an alkaline substance. However, we need to use a standard acid solution for this determination. It involves a neutralization reaction. This type of reaction techniques is useful in volumetric analysis processes.
In acidimetry, the standard acid we are using should have a known concentration; otherwise, we cannot determine the concentration of the base. Since almost all the acids and bases we are typically using in an acid-base titration process are colourless, we need to use an indicator that helps in determining the endpoint of the titration.
After performing the acid-base titration, we can use the following relationship for the determination of the concentration of the base.
C1V1=C2V2
Where C1 is the concentration of the standard acid, V1 is the volume of the acid reacted with the analyte sample, C2 is the unknown concentration of the base (that we are going to find out), and V2 is the volume of the analyte sample (base).
What is Alkalimetry?
Alkalimetry is a special analytical technique we can use to determine the strength of a base or an alkaline compound. In this technique, we can determine the concentration of a basic or an alkaline substance if we are using the reaction in an acid-base titration process. It involves a neutralization reaction.
Figure 01: Using a phenolphthalein indicator to determine the endpoint of an acid-base titration give a pink colour
In alkalimetry, the standard base we use should have a known concentration; if not, we cannot determine the concentration of the acid. Since almost all the acids and bases we typically use in an acid-base titration process are colourless, we need to use an indicator that helps in determining the endpoint of the titration.
What is the Difference Between Acidimetry and Alkalimetry?
In analytical chemistry, it is very important to know the strength of acids and bases we are using in an analysis. Acidimetry and alkalimetry are helpful in determining these strengths. The key difference between acidimetry and alkalimetry is that acidimetry is the measurement of the strength of acids, whereas alkalimetry is the measurement of the strength of alkaline compounds. In addition, acidimetry measures the tendency of an acid to dissociate, forming protons and an anion, while alkalimetry measures the tendency of a base to accept protons from another chemical species.
Furthermore, the following infographic summarizes the difference between acidimetry and alkalimetry in tabular form.
Summary – Acidimetry vs Alkalimetry
In analytical chemistry, it is very important to know the strength of acids and bases we are using in an analysis. Acidimetry and alkalimetry are two types of volumetric analysis techniques where the fundamental reaction of the analysis is a kind of neutralization reaction. The key difference between acidimetry and alkalimetry is that acidimetry is the measurement of the strength of acids, whereas alkalimetry is the measurement of the strength of alkaline compounds.
Reference:
1. “Base Strength.” Chemistry LibreTexts, Libretexts, 24 Aug. 2020, Available here.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Phenolphthalein in Flask” By 384 – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia