What is the purpose of titrations in chemistry?

Titrations are a crucial technique in chemistry used to determine the precise volumes of two solutions that react completely with each other. During a titration, one solution of known concentration is gradually added to another solution of unknown concentration until the reaction reaches its endpoint, which is often indicated by a color change or another measurable response. This process allows chemists to calculate the concentration of the unknown solution based on the volume of the known solution used.

The goal of titrations is to achieve stoichiometric equivalence, where the number of moles of reactants are equal, ensuring that the reaction goes to completion without any excess of either reactant. This is particularly useful in analyses such as acid-base titrations, where you would want to know the exact point at which the acid and base have reacted fully.

In contrast, the other options discuss different analytical methods and principles that do not align with the specific purpose of titrations. For instance, measuring temperature changes is related to calorimetry, determining gas pressure pertains to gas laws and manometry, and identifying color changes might occur in various types of reactions, not specifically in the context of titration where the focus is on volume measurement and concentration determination.