Gravimetric Analysis Investigation

Background:
Gravimetric analysis is a way to ______________ gather information about
mixtures. It involves finding the ___________ of each component.
Examples of situations where gravimetric analysis is used include: a
mining company wanting to know the composition of a particular ore
sample, or a health authority wishes to know the composition of air near
an industrial site to monitor pollution. Today, we will be using a
technique called _________________ in order to separate a dissolved solid
from a solution in order to find its percentage composition.

Aim:
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Materials:

- Retort stand - Thermometer

- Salt solution (prepared by - Beaker
teacher) - Cool water
- Condenser - Electronic balance
- Round bottom flask - Measuring cylinder
- Bunsen burner

Risk assessment:
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Method:

1. Weigh the dry, empty round bottom flask and the dry, empty
beaker. Record these readings in your results table to 3
significant figures (3sf).
 2. Use a measuring cylinder to pour 50mL of the salt water into the
round bottom flask and reweigh. Record this reading into your
results table (3sf).
3. Set up your material as in the diagram below:

4. Ensure water is following through the condenser before heating

the flask.
5. Distil the mixture with gentle heating to prevent salt-water
entering the condenser until all the water has evaporated and only
salt is left behind.
6. Allow the flask to cool before removing it from the apparatus.
7. Weigh the beaker with water and round bottom flask with salt and
record these readings in your results table (3sf).
8. Clean up all equipment.

Results:

Weight (g) 3 sig fig.

Weight of empty round bottom flask
Weight of empty beaker
Weight of round bottom flask + solution
Weight of solution
Weight of round bottom flask + salt
Weight of salt
Weight of beaker + distillate
Discussion

1. Determine the percentage by weight of both the salt and the water in
the original solution. (Hint: % of x in solution = weight of x / total weight of
solution)

Percentage of salt in solution:

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Percentage of water in solution:

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2. According to your recordings, do the individual components of the

mixture add up to the total weight of your solution? Account for any
discrepancies.

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3. How could this experiment be improved?

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Extension question:

Crystals of potassium nitrate (KNO3) can have impurities of potassium

bromide (KBr) in them. Explain how we could find the % of impurity
within a KNO3 crystal given that both salts are soluble in water at 60oC
but only KBr is soluble at 10oC.