I'm looking to titrate a weak base as accurately as possible with the tools I have at hand.
I have at my disposal:
a 3 place (0.001g) balance with glass doors
50ml burette with 0.1ml divisions
25ml burette with 0.1ml divisions
1ml pipette with 0.01ml divisions
Various other pipettes from 2ml to 50ml with 0.1ml to 0.2ml divisions
Various volumetric flasks and graduated cylinders from 25ml to 1000ml
0.1N H2SO4
1st Question:
How accurate is prepackaged 0.1N H2SO4 purchased from a namebrand chemical supply company?
+/-0.01? +/-0.02? +/-0.03?, etc.
2nd Question:
I understand that to get the most accurate known base, the base will have to be standardized against dried KHP.
If I were to skip that step and purchase prepackaged standardized 0.01N NaOH, how accurately would I be able to standardize the H2SO4?
I'm assuming only to the same significant figure as the NaOH, but I could be wrong. See 1st question.
Along those same lines, would using a standardized 0.313N NaOH solution be more accurate than 0.1N or 0.01N?
3rd Question:
Back to most accurate and maximum number of significant places.
Using the tools at hand and KHP dried as best as possible (I have an oven but not a dessicator to cool it in) to standardize my base, how many significant figures could I realistically expect to achieve?
4th Question+:
I can get KOH or NaOH to use as a base from 0.01N and up.
Which is preferable to use and why?
I've read that NaOH is unstable and can drift on a daily basis.
Is KOH any more stable?
Once I unseal the bottle it's packaged in, how rapidly and how far will it drift in concentration if I keep the bottle capped as much as possible?
Will the very first use and introduction of outside air/humidity cause a significant shift?
I appreciate any time or patience spent in helping me get a better understanding of this, as I'm sure the answers will most likely lead to more questions.