Chemistry Lab Report :

Determining the Percentage Composition of Magnesium Oxide

Submitted by: Diwa Koirala
Date:- 6th May 2015

Introduction:
Law of Definite Proportions is the law stating that a specific compound always contains
the same elements in definite proportions by mass. One has to experimentally
determine the composition by mass of a substance and then convert the mass amounts
to percentages in order to get the percentage composition. Magnesium is a silvery
metal that burns with such a bright flame that it was once used in flashbulbs for
photography. Magnesium oxide is a grey/white powder which is produced as a result of
the synthesis reaction of combustion magnesium.

Hypothesis:
The percentage composition by mass of magnesium oxide will be 60.3% magnesium
and 39.7% oxygen.

Procedure/Material:
Chemistry 11, F. Mustoe, MY. Jansen, T. Doram, McGraw-Hill Ryerson, Toronto,
Canada, 2001, pg. 282- 283.

Analyze and Interpret:

1. What mass of magnesium was used in the reaction?
Solution 1:
Mass of Mg = Mass of crucible, lid, and magnesium (g)-Mass of clean, empty crucible and lid(g)
= 21.73g - 21.64g
= 0.09g

Solution 2:
Mass of Mg = Mass of magnesium oxide produced (g)-Mass of oxygen that must have reacted(g)
= 0.13g - 0.04g
= 0.09g

2. What mass of magnesium oxide was produced?

Solution:
Mass of MgO = Mass of crucible, lid, and magnesium oxide(g) - Mass of clean, empty crucible
and lid(g)
= 21.77g - 21.64g
= 0.13g

3. Calculate the mass of oxygen that reacted with the magnesium.

Solution:
Mass of O = Mass of crucible, lid, and magnesium oxide (g) - Mass of crucible, lid, and
magnesium (g)
= 21.77g - 21.73
= 0.04g

Conclude and Communicate:

4. Use the data to calculate the percentage composition of
magnesium oxide.
Solution:
Mass of O = 0.04g
Mass of Mg = 0.09g
Mass of MgO = 0.13g
Mass Percent of Mg = Mass of Mg X 100%
Mass of MgO
= 0.09g X 100%
0.13g
= 69.2%

Mass Percent of O = Mass of O

X 100%
Mass of MgO
= 0.04g X 100%
0.13g
= 30.8%

5. Calculate the percentage error (PE) using the difference between

the experimental mass percent (EP) of magnesium and the actual mass
percent (AP) of magnesium.
Solution:
Mass of O = 15.999g
Mass of Mg = 24.305g

Mass of MgO = (24.305 g/mol) + (15.999 g/mol)

= 40.304 g/mol
Mass Percent of Mg = Mass of Mg X 100%
Mass of MgO
= 24.305 g X 100%
40.304 g
= 60.3 %

Mass Percent of O = Mass of O

X 100%
Mass of MgO
= 15.999 g X 100%
40.304 g
= 39.7 %

Percentage Error Calculation:

PE(Mg) = ?
EP(Mg) = 69.2 %
AP(Mg) = 60.3 %

PE(O) = ?
EP(O) = 30.8 %
AP(O) = 39.7 %

Solution 1:

Solution 2:

PE (Mg) = EP - AP X 100%
AP
= (69.2 - 60.3) X 100%
60.3
= 14.8 %

PE (O) = EP - AP X 100%
AP
= (30.8 - 39.7) X 100%
39.7
= - 22.5 %
= 22.5 %

6. Suppose that some magnesium oxide smoke escaped during the

investigation. Would the Mg:O ratio have increased, decreased, or
remained unchanged? Explain your answer using sample calculations.
Mass of Mg = 0.09 g
Mass of O = 0.04 g
Mass of MgO = 0.13 g

The loss of magnesium oxide would result in the loss of an equal amount of
both magnesium and oxygen atoms. As a result, the magnesium to oxygen
ratio would remain unchanged. For example, the amount of MgO smoke lost
from 0.13g of MgO is 0.05 g, then the new mass of MgO would be 0.08g
(0.13g - 0.05g = 0.08g of MgO). The loss of magnesium oxide would result
in a loss of an equal amount of both magnesium and oxygen. As a result, the
0.08g of the reacting products must be in the equal ratio 9:4 to form the mass
of 0.08g produced, so mass of Mg would be 0.056g and mass of O would be
0.024g.

7. How would the value you calculated for the percentage

composition of magnesium oxide have been affected if all the
magnesium in the crucible had not reacted? Support your answer with
sample calculations.
(Mg: 0.09g) + (O: 0.04g) = (MgO: 0.13g)
Half Mg reacted.
(Mg: 0.03g) + (O: 0.02g) = (MgO: 0.5g)
For instance, if only half of the Mg reacted you would have 0.03 g of unreacted Mg together with
0.03g + 0.02g = 0.05 g of MgO making the total mass appear to be 0.8g (0.05g + 0.03g). The
apparent mass of MgO would be less than expected as you would have expected 0.13g for the
mass of MgO. Therefore, the mass is going to be less as no oxygen combines with the unreacted
magnesium, in which makes the total mass lower than expected when under complete
combustion.
Current Percentage Composition:
Mass of Mg = 0.09 g
Mass of O = 0.04 g
Mass of MgO = 0.13 g
Mass Percent of Mg = Mass of Mg X 100%
Mass of MgO
= 0.09g X 100%
0.13g
= 69.2%
Sample Percentage Composition:
Mass of Mg = 0.03 g
Mass of O = 0.02 g
Mass of MgO = 0.05 g
Mass Percent of Mg = Mass of Mg X 100%
Mass of MgO
= 0.03g X 100%
0.05g
= 60%