Question

Your lab group forgot to record the initial volume measurement on the buret and assumed later that it started at 0.00 mL when the actual starting buret reading was 2.00 mL. Would your final calculated molarity of the unknown acid be higher, lower or equal to the actual concentration

Answer 1

Calculated molarity of acid is higher than the actual concentration.

Step-by-step explanation:

For an acid-base titration, the following equation is obeyed for calculation-

`C_(acid).V_(acid)=C_(base).V_(base)`

where, C represents concentration and V represents volume.

So,
`C_(acid)=(C_(base).V_(base))/(V_(acid))`

Here,
`C_(base)` and
`V_(acid)` are constants.

Actual volume of base added from burette is lesser than the volume used (based on assumption) for calculation of concentration of acid.

So, actual value of
`V_(base)` is lesser. Hence calculated concentration or molarity of acid is higher than the actual concentration.