titrattava

Titrattava is a Finnish term used in chemistry to describe a substance that can be titrated. It refers to the component whose amount is determined by reacting with a titrant of known concentration during a titration. In practice, the titratable substance is the analyte being quantified, while the titrant is the reagent added from a burette to produce a measurable reaction change at the end point.

Etymology and usage: The word is formed from the root related to titration and a suffix that denotes capability or suitability. It is commonly used in phrases such as titrattava aine (the titratable substance) or titrattava näyte (the titratable sample). In Finnish scientific writing, distinguishing between the titratable substance and the titrant helps clarify which component’s amount is being determined.

Role in titration: During a titration, the titrant reacts with the titratable substance according to a known stoichiometry. The endpoint or equivalence point is reached when stoichiometric amounts have reacted, allowing calculation of the analyte’s amount from the known titrant concentration. Titrattava can be involved in various titration types, including acid–base, redox, complexometric, and precipitation titrations, each with its indicators or measurement methods for endpoint detection.

Example: In an acid–base titration, acetic acid is the titratable substance, and sodium hydroxide serves as the titrant. By measuring the volume of NaOH needed to reach the endpoint, the amount or concentration of acetic acid in the sample is determined.

See also: titration, titrant, endpoint, analyte, indicator.