The table below shows the results that we got when we added citric acid to sodium hydroxide. Based on this, the results in the table are not totally reliable, as a second test wasn't performed to confirm them. We have found out through experimenting that our predictions were mostly correct. We predicted that a graph would be formed which had a peak at the neutral point. We found that this was correct, but only for nitric and hydrochloric acids.
Citric acid is a weak acid, whereas sodium hydroxide is a strong alkali.
This is a diagram of a hydrogen citrate molecule, where the 'X' represents the rest of the molecule that doesn't take part in this part of the reaction. However, for the bond to be broken, heat is needed from the reaction taking place. This means that most of the heat produced in the reaction is used to break other bonds, and so this heat energy will not heat the solution. This was another cause of a much smaller temperature rise. This is based on the fact that the colour of the solution never went red, which would indicate a lower pH number.