Question 1 of 9701 Paper 3 is almost always a titration, and the accuracy marks depend on your technique. By hand, bring the pipette meniscus to the line, make the solution up to the mark and shake it, then run the burette, swirl and add single drops. Record a rough and accurate titrations, find the mean and work back through the dilution. Every attempt uses a different acid concentration. Allow about 45 minutes.
Past-paper referenceOriginal experiment, wording and numbers, written in the style of Cambridge AS & A Level Chemistry 9701 Paper 3 (Advanced Practical Skills), Question 1. It is not copied from a past paper.This type of experiment has come up 33 times in the past papers we checked. Show the list
Checked: Cambridge 9701 Paper 3, February/March 2023 to May/June 2026. Only the papers in our collection are listed, so the real number may be higher. Question papers are available from Cambridge.
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How this question is marked
Making up the solution (a)
25.0 cm³ pipetted with the meniscus on the line, made up exactly to the mark and mixed by shaking.
Results (b) and (c)
Row headings with units, every burette reading to 0.05 cm³, titres by subtraction, two accurate titres within 0.10 cm³, a mean of concordant titres only, and accuracy marks for a titre close to the value from perfect technique.
Calculations (d)
Moles from the pipetted volume, the 2 : 1 mole ratio, the concentration of the diluted acid, then the dilution factor of ten, to 3 significant figures.
Evaluation (e)
The percentage error in a titre, the methyl orange colour change, and why rinsing the flask with water does not matter.
Habits that save marks
Never include the rough titre in the mean.
Stop at the first permanent orange; red means you have overshot.
Remember the dilution: 25.0 cm³ made up to 250 cm³ is a factor of ten.
The marking follows the conventions in published Cambridge mark schemes. The experiments, readings and wording on this page are our own.