titrar

Titrar is a Spanish verb meaning to perform a titration, a quantitative chemical analysis used to determine the concentration of a solute in a solution. In a titration, a solution of known concentration, called the titrant, is added gradually to a solution containing the analyte until the reaction reaches a defined end point.

The end point is detected by an indicator that changes color or by a measurement such as pH or electrical conductivity. From the volume of titrant used and the stoichiometry of the reaction, the concentration of the analyte can be calculated. Titrations rely on careful standardization of the titrant and accurate observation of the end point.

Common titration types include acid–base titrations, redox titrations, complexometric titrations (for example with EDTA), and precipitation or argentometric titrations. Modern laboratories often employ automated or semi-automatic titration systems that determine the endpoint electronically and generate a titration curve, which helps assess accuracy and precision.

Key terms associated with titrar include titrant (the reagent of known concentration), analyte (the substance being measured), endpoint (the observed completion of the reaction), equivalence point (the theoretical completion of the reaction), standardization, and titration curve.

Applications span quality control, pharmaceutical analysis, environmental monitoring, food and beverage analysis, clinical chemistry, and research. In Spanish-language contexts, the noun for the procedure is “titulación,” while “titrar” denotes the act of performing the titration. The concept is closely aligned with its English counterpart, “to titrate.”