Copper Reactions

Lomeda, Rocel Mae M.

College of Science
De La Salle University - Dasmarias
Dasmarias City Philippines

ABSTRACT

In this activity, principles of Theoretical, Actual, and Percentage yield were

demonstrated by the subjection of Copper wire into a series of chemical reactions that
involved different compounds. Five sets of chemical reactions were performed in the
experiment. Under the fume hood, Nitric acid was first added to the Copper pieces
placed in a beaker. Distilled water was added to the reaction mixture when Copper
was totally dissolved. From the resulting reaction mixture, Copper nitrate in aqueous
state was formed and was later added to Sodium hydroxide. Copper hydroxide was
synthesized from the latter reaction. The Copper hydroxide was subjected to heat and
was allowed to boil. Copper oxide and Dihydrogen monoxide in gas form were formed
after the heating process of Copper hydroxide. The Copper oxide, characterized as a
black precipitate, was filtered using a filter paper. The filter paper containing Copper
oxide was placed inside a 250 ml beaker and was later added to Sulfuric acid. Water
and Copper sulfate were formed when the Copper oxide was allowed to react with the
Sulfuric acid. Lastly, the Copper sulfate was added with a Zinc metal. The Zinc metal
was allowed to be dissolved in the liquid Copper sulfate. Solid particles were formed
alongside with an aqueous Zinc sulfate. The solid particles were the retrieved Copper.
Zinc sulfate was decanted from the copper particles. Later, Methanol and Acetone
were added to the Copper particles inside the beaker in order to wash them. After
washing with acetone, the beaker containing the retrieved copper was subjected to a
water bath to totally dry the solid Copper. The Copper formed was again weighed
using the analytical balance. The last part of the experiment involved calculation of
the percentage yield. The mass of recovered copper (0.6307 g) was divided by the
mass of copper wire (1.0601 g) then the quotient was multiplied by 100, which had
given the percentage yield of 59.49%.

INTRODUCTION
Copper is a reddish brown nonferrous mineral which has been used for
thousands of years by many cultures. The metal is closely related with silver and gold,
with many properties being shared among these metals. (1)
Copper forms a rich variety of compounds with oxidation states +1 and +2, which
are often called cuprous and cupric, respectively. It does not react with water, but it
slowly reacts with atmospheric oxygen forming a layer of brown-black copper oxide. In
contrast to the oxidation of iron by wet air, this oxide layer stops the further, bulk
corrosion. (2)
Copper, silver and gold are in group 11 of the periodic table, and they share
certain attributes: they have one s-orbital electron on top of a filled d- electron shell and
are characterized by high ductility and electrical conductivity. The filled d-shells in these
elements do not contribute much to the interatomic interactions, which are dominated by
the s-electrons through metallic bonds. Contrary to metals with incomplete d-shells,
metallic bonds in copper are lacking a covalent character and are relatively weak. This
explains the low hardness and high ductility of single crystals of copper. (3)
Synthesis chemical reactions, like Copper reactions demonstrate the concepts of
theoretical, actual, and percentage yields. It was assumed that after the series of
chemical reactions in the experiment, the mass of Copper recovered will be close to the
value of the mass of Copper wire used prior to subjecting it to any chemical reaction.
Percentage yield is the ratio between the actual yield and the theoretical yield
multiplied by 100%. It indicates the percent of theoretical yield that was obtained from
the final product in an experiment. (4)
Percentage yield can be calculated using the mass of the actual product obtained
and the theoretical mass of the product calculated using the balanced equation of the
reaction. (4)

Percentage Yield =

Mass of Actual Yield

x 100
Mass of Theoretical Yield

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A Copper wire was used in the experiment. First, it was cut into small pieces.
The cut Copper pieces were weighed using an analytical balance. A 250 ml beaker was
also weighed using the balance. After such, the copper pieces were placed on the 250
ml beaker. The beaker with copper pieces was set inside the fume hood (5).
Next, 4.0 ml of 16 M HNO 3 was measured using a graduated cylinder under the
hood. It was added to the beaker with copper. After the copper wire has already
dissolved, distilled H2O was added to the beaker until is half full. Afterward, the beaker
was removed from the hood (5).
30 ml of 6M NaOH was measured and was later added to the reaction mixture.
The mixture was stirred and placed over a Bunsen burner for heating. Two pieces of
boiling chips were placed on the reaction mixture. The solution was heated until it
boiled. It was continually stirred (5).
The mixture, while hot, was filtered using a filter paper. The black precipitate that
was collected using the filter paper was washed using 100 ml very hot distilled water. 15
ml of 6 M H2SO4 was measured using a graduated cylinder. The filter paper with black
precipitate was dissolved using the sulfuric acid inside a 250 ml beaker. The black
precipitate was dissolved thoroughly until no trace precipitate can be observed (5).
Inside the fume hood, a piece of Zinc metal was added into the reaction mixture.
It was stirred until the Zinc metal was dissolved. After small particles were already
formed, the beaker was removed from the fume hood. It was allowed to cool to room
temperature. When the mixture was already cool, the solid particles that were formed
were collected using decantation (5).
10 ml of methanol was measured and was added to the beaker with the formed
solid particles. Afterward, the methanol was removed using decantation. 10 ml of
acetone was added to the solid particles and was later decanted (5).
Lastly, the beaker was heated over a water bath until the solids were totally dry.
The recovered solid particles (copper) and the beaker were weighed using the analytical
balance. The percentage yield was computed using the collected data (5).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

1. Initial mass of Copper wire

0.5 g

2. Mass of recovered copper and beaker

66.1206 g

3. Mass of beaker

65.7451 g

4. Mass of recovered copper

65,7451 g

5. Percentage yield

81.10 %

Percentage Yield =

Mass of recovered copper (ACTUAL YIELD)

Mass of copper wire(THEORETICAL YIELD)
=

x 100

O.80%

6. Describe the reaction of Copper with Nitric acid.

When copper was added with Nitric acid, there was formation of a bluishgreen liquid and an evolution of reddish brown gas was observed.

7. Describe the reaction of aqueous copper nitrate with sodium hydroxide.

A blue colored solution was formed and a pale blue paste was produced.

8. Describe what happens

solution of copper (II) hydroxide is heated.

when

an

aqueous

A black precipitate was formed.

9. Describe what happens when copper (II) oxide is dissolved in 6M sulfuric acid.
A bluish-green solution was formed.

10.

Describe what happens when Zinc metal is added to an aqueous solution of

copper (II) sulfate.
When Zinc metal was added to an aqueous solution of copper (II) sulfate a
gas evolved and red colored particles were formed. The solution turned into red
and the Zinc metal was dissolved.

Cu (s) + 4HNO3 (aq) Cu(NO3)2 (aq) +NO2 (g) +H2O (l)

Inside the fume hood, when the small pieces of copper inside the beaker were
added with Nitric acid, a bluish green colored solution was formed. This bluish green
colored liquid is Copper nitrate. Alongside the formation of Copper nitrate, Nitrogen
dioxide, a reddish brown gas evolved. Nitrogen dioxide is a toxic gas such that the
addition of Nitric acid was done under the fume hood. The bluish green color of Copper
nitrate is characteristic of Copper (II) ion in water solution.
Cu(NO3)2 (aq) +2NaOH (aq) Cu(OH)2 (s) + 2NaNO3 (aq)
What happened next was the formation of hydroxide. From the previous reaction,
Copper nitrate that was formed was added with Sodium hydroxide resulting to the
formation of Copper hydroxide and Sodium nitrate. Copper hydroxide is characterized to
be the pale blue gelatinous solid that was formed. The Sodium nitrate on the other hand
is the aqueous solution.
Cu(OH)2 (s) + CuO (s) + H2O (l)
The Copper hydroxide that was formed from the previous reaction was placed
above a Bunsen burner for it to be heated and continually stirred. After heating, the
black colored precipitate was the result. Water in liquid form was also formed during the
heating of Copper hydroxide. In order to filter the Copper oxide from the water, a
filtration set up using the filter paper was used. 100 ml of very hot distilled water was
used in order to filter the Copper oxide. Copper oxide was collected on the filter paper.
CuO (s) + H2SO4 (aq) CuSO4 (aq) + H2O (l)
After having filtered the copper oxide, it was then placed on a 250 ml beaker where it
was dissolved using Sulfuric acid. When Sulfuric acid was added on it, Copper sulfate in
aqueous form and water were formed. It was observable that the formation of a bluish
colored Copper sulfate can be noted.

CuSO4 (aq) + Zn(s) ZnSO4 (aq) + Cu(s)

The last step was the regeneration of copper. Again, done inside the fume hood, Copper
sulfate was added with a piece of Zinc metal. A gas evolved and the Zinc metal was

dissolved. Solid particles were formed in the lower portion of the beaker. This was the
retrieved Copper. The liquid formed was Zinc sulfate. After the Zinc was totally
dissolved, the resulting solid particulates were collected using decantation. The Zinc
sulfate was removed from the solution. The retrieved copper was washed with Methanol
and then decanted. A second washing was done using acetone. Methanol and acetone
washing was done in order to remove the remaining non-copper particles formed in the
chemical reaction. After acetone was decanted from the retrieved copper, the beaker
containing Copper particles was heated using a water bath. This was done in order to
evaporate all the remaining acetone from it. The retrieved copper was again weighed
using the analytical balance.

After doing the whole experiment, we were able to compute the percentage yield of
copper by following the formula:
Percentage Yield =

Mass of recovered copper

Mass of copper wire

= 0.4055g
0.5g
=

x 100

x100

0.80%

We were able to get a percentage yield of 0.80%.

REFERENCES:

(1) http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-copper.htm
(2) https://www.scribd.com/doc/76920629/Copper-Reactions
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper
(4) George L. Trigg; Edmund H. Immergut (1 November 1992).Encyclopedia of
applied physics. 4: Combustion to Diamagnetism. VCH Publishers. pp. 267
272.ISBN 9783527281268
(4) http://danielleamorim.tripod.com/
(5) Samonte, J.L. Figueroa L.V. General Chemistry Laboratory Manual
rd
3 ed. 2007. C and E Publishing, Inc. Philippines, Quezon Avenue.