Ekvivalenttipiste

Ekvivalenttipiste, often translated as equivalence point, is a fundamental concept in titrimetry, a quantitative chemical analysis technique. It represents the point in a titration where the amount of titrant added is stoichiometrically equal to the amount of analyte present in the sample. In simpler terms, at the equivalence point, all of the substance being analyzed has reacted completely with the added reagent.

The equivalence point is theoretical and is determined through calculations based on the known concentrations and volumes of the reacting substances. It is crucial for accurately determining the concentration of an unknown solution. For instance, in an acid-base titration, the equivalence point is reached when the moles of acid exactly equal the moles of base. Similarly, in redox titrations, it is the point where the moles of oxidizing agent equal the moles of reducing agent.

While the equivalence point is a theoretical value, it is usually approximated in practice by the endpoint of the titration. The endpoint is the point at which a physical change, such as a color change indicated by an indicator, is observed. Ideally, the endpoint should coincide with the equivalence point, but slight differences can occur due to the indicator's properties or other experimental factors. The accuracy of a titration relies on minimizing this difference between the equivalence point and the observed endpoint.