What is a titration?

A titration is a quantitative analytical procedure used to determine the concentration of a solute in a solution. It involves the gradual addition of one solution (the titrant) to another solution (the analyte) until the reaction reaches its equivalence point, which is often indicated by a color change when an indicator is used. The process is typically conducted drop by drop, allowing for precise control over the amount of titrant added, which is crucial for accurately determining the concentration of the analyte.

In this context, the correct choice accurately captures the nature of titration as involving the careful and controlled mixing of an acid and a base, often using a burette for precise measurement. This fundamental concept in chemistry relies on stoichiometric relationships between the reactants and requires that the reaction is complete before the endpoint is noted, making dropwise addition essential.

The other options do not correctly describe titration: rapid heating refers to a thermal process, separation techniques involve isolating components of a mixture, and measurement of pressure pertains to physical characteristics of gases or liquids, none of which are relevant to the titration process.