Titration- Too Fast, Too Furious

[Candlemoth]

Last year and this year, I just can't help but wonder how the other guys in my class manage to get 5 or more titre results down before my partner and I even manage to get started on the 1st sample?

It's not like I slack off (I want chem to be my top), I prepare before pracs, I focus on the task at hand, getting all the safety equipment, pipette, burette, substances etc. in place, and getting all the volumes as accurately and efficiently as possible.

I try to be "in the zone", quick yet careful, yet no matter which partner I go with, I can barely manage 3 concordant titres while others have already cleaned up and sat down and playing games/doing work/waiting for us slowpokes.

I keep a reasonably healthy diet, I exercise, and I'm very alert during class, but I don't usually drink coffee/energy drinks/whatevs (I think that's why everyone else is so fast).

Is it just me? Please don't let it be me...

[alondouek]

First up, you get the award for title of the year, this is superb.

With regards to lab techniques like titration, it's a matter of practice more than anything else. The more experience you have titrating, the faster and more efficiently you can do it without screwing up your results. Like anything, some people are naturally better at these sorts of things than others, but it's not something that can't be caught up to with some extra practice. Perhaps ask your teacher if they can show you some tips to increase the efficiency of your titrating?

[Candlemoth]

That was really fast reply, I didn't expect that

We only started on titrations quite late last year, yet I too can already see some of my classmates are better at the hands on stuff than others, MUCH better. The only practice I get is doing the actual pracs, but you're right, I could ask for a few pointers to cut off valuable minutes.

There's just so many precautions to juggle too, rinse with this substance, get 3 of these, 2 of that, try not to stab yourself with the pipette, the list goes on. I know much of it is common sense, so I guess practice is the only way to go if I want to improve.

[Stick]

Here's some pointers for you to consider:

1. How do you know your classmates aren't just rushing through the practical for the sake of it? Nothing is stopping them from recording concordant titres without actually achieving them. This is something I've been (slightly) guilty with in the past myself.

2. Make sure you just let the burette run freely during the first titration, even if it goes over the end point. This should give you a rough idea of the required volume, which means you can led the burette run more quickly at the beginning of subsequent titrations.

3. Don't get too pre-occupied with semantics. You have limited time and facilities and you're a student - you're not expected to get absolutely perfect results. Use your partnership efficiently. If you have made an error, you can mention it in your write up. Just make sure you specifically describe the error and explain the consequence of it completely.

[Candlemoth]

I see 4~5 conical flasks on their side of the bench usually all of the same colour, and we compare results at the end. We have the same volumes, it's just that they have at least 2 more results than mine

Yeah, I do have a bad habit of being too nitpicky on the first titre, I really should just use the first as an estimate.

You have limited time and facilities and you're a student - you're not expected to get absolutely perfect results.

I've been waiting for 12 YEARS for somebody to say that, haha

[scribble]

which step is taking the longest? are you spending ages trying to deliver whats in the burette drop by drop so you dont overshoot or something like that?
Usually with my first titre, i dispel whatever's in the burette pretty quickly, not worrying about an overshoot. Then afterwards, i know about when i need to slow down so i can quickly dispel whats in the burette until i get close to the end point before slowing down. once you get a fairly accurate titre, you should be able to quickly get the rest of your titres by working out when to stop for the next titre to be concoordant.

Also since youre working in pairs, there should never be one person not dong anything. don't pipette the solution into all the beakers and then titrate cause you'll be wasting time waiting around. get person 1 to pipette, and as soon as the aliquot is delivered into the conical flask/beaker/whatever youre using, add the indicator and get the person2 to start titrating. meanwhile, person1 should be pipetting into the next flask so its ready as soon as person2 has finished with the first titre.

[Candlemoth]

It's mainly getting the exact right amount in the pipette: sometimes I go too high, then I remove some, then it's too low, then I add some, now it's too high (rinse, repeat, rage).

2nd longest is titrating with the burette to get it just right.



Sometimes I just don't get along with my partner, or that he doesn't know what he's doing.

[scribble]

if you struggle using the pipette, get your partner to do it. #easywayout
+ it doesnt matter suuuuuper hugely if you're a tad off. like, try to get the meniscus on the line, but if its a bit under or over, it's not going to be the end of the world.

[Candlemoth]

It seems that the main problem is that I'm a little bit of a perfectionist, so I will have to ignore that part of my head during things like these

Huge thanks everyone!