Begin by preparing your burette as described on the burette page Your burette should be conditioned and filled with titrant solution You should check for air bubbles and leaks before proceeding with the titration Take an initial volume reading and record it in your notebook Before beginning a titration you should always calculate the expected endpoint volume Prepare the solution to be analysed by placing it in a clean Erlenmeyer flask or beaker If your sample is a solid make sure it is completely dissolved Put a magnetic stirrer in the flask and add indicator Use the burette to deliver a stream of titrant to within a couple of mL of your expected endpoint You will see the indicator change colour when the titrant hits the solution in the flask but the colour change disappears upon stirring Approach the endpoint more slowly and watch the colour of your flask carefully Use a wash bottle to rinse the sides of the flask and the tip of the burette to be sure all titrant is mixed in the flask As you approach the endpoint you may need to add a partial drop of titrant You can do this with a rapid spin of a Teflon stopcock or by partially opening the stopcock and rinsing the partial drop into the flask with a wash bottle Ask your TA to demonstrate these techniques for you in the lab Make sure you know what the endpoint should look like For phenolphthalein the endpoint is the first permanent pale pink The pale pink fades in 10 to 20 minutes If you think you might have reached the endpoint you can record the volume reading and add another partial drop Sometimes it is easier to tell when you have gone past the endpoint