Titration Competition

The RACI's Titration Competition is designed to encourage secondary students who enjoy Chemistry, particularly its practical side, to develop their scientific skills and understanding. It provides students an opportunity to experience conducting an experiment in a laboratory environment at a local university in their state and the chance to compete at a national level.

What is the Titration experiment? 

Each team member performs two sets of acid-base titrations in order to determine the unknown concentration of a weak acid in a solution that is supplied to them. This weak acid is either ethanoic acid (commonly known as acetic acid), oxalic acid or potassium hydrogen phthalate. A solution of the strong base sodium hydroxide is standardised against the standard acid provided, before being used to determine the concentration of the unknown acid.

How does the competition work?

Each state and territory has varying preliminary investigation activities leading to the identification of the most proficient teams that will qualify to participate in the national component (finals) of the competition. Refer to state or territory-based information (on the right hand side of this page) for the specific information for each location. 

How does the judging work? 

Judging is based on the values each team reports for whichever unknown weak acid is being used in the preliminary titration investigation within their state or territory. Teams are ranked on how close they get to the actual concentration for each acid. These volumetric analyses vary slightly from state to state,but are equivalent in their requirements. 

It is endeavoured that the top teams in each state or territory competition will be invited to participate in the national finals held in Term 3. All finalists complete the same analysis using the provided samples of solid potassium hydrogen phthalate. Some students will do this at university campuses, others at school. 

National Titration winners will be announced at the start of Term 4. All national finalists receive a gold or silver badge and a team plaque and certificates are awarded to outstanding teams. 

Titration Competition Rules, Guide and history

2022 Finals - university venues (this will be updated for 2023 during Term 2 2023)

2022 Finals - Details for own school venues (this will be updated for 2023 during Term 2 2023)

A Guide to Titration (Updated Feb 2022, this document is still relevant for 2023)

Tips for Titration Coordinators

ANTC Dr Trevor G Appleton Memorial Award Trophy

2022 Titration Competition Final Results

All States except Victoria took part in the National Final, with a total of 126 teams being invited to compete.

Excellent and Highly Commended teams are listed below.

St John’s Grammar School from South Australia achieved an outstanding level of success, with teams placed first, seventh and seventeenth. The top team’s score of just 2 has been achieved once before, by another team from South Australia. St John’s teams and teachers are pictured below, proudly displaying the Trevor Appleton Memorial Trophy.

"St John’s Grammar students have always thoroughly enjoyed participating in RACI’s National Titration Competition. The competition provides an additional incentive for students to perfect their titration skills over and above their school grades. The collaborative team format of the competition helps create a fun and exciting atmosphere which greatly adds to the enjoyment of mastering titration skills. Winning the competition this year was a wonderful surprise and added bonus for the student's hard work and perseverance. We would like to thank all the volunteers who give up their time year after year to ensure the continued existence and success of the competition." Helen Howlett Chemistry teacher

"It's a fun experience! It's been an honour to participate in this competition. Special thanks to my teacher and my fellow teammates." St John’s student

Congratulations to all those students who took part in the Final, and especially to those who were members of these high-achieving teams.

The teachers and scientific technicians who put in many hours of their own time also deserve a huge vote of thanks and appreciation. Without their dedication, this competition would not be a success.

Sincere thanks are also extended to the volunteers who coordinate the competition in each State, and to those who provide support at competition venues.

And for the first time this year, the competition has received support from Mettler Toledo, who provided a semi-micro balance for sample preparation for the final, as well as for State competitions in Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania.

2022 National Titration Competition Final Leaderboard

Elaine Bergmann NTC Coordinator 

Register here

More states will be released shortly.

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory 
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia
  

School Training Videos

Tips to Improve your Titration Skills

See all our Titration videos