Predicting Hydrate Formulas

Full Lab Report by Molly Hamilton and Allysa Croasmun

February 14, 2020

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ABSTRACT

This lab required students to find the percentage of water in a hydrate in order to

determine the hydrate formula. A hydrate is a compound in which water molecules are

chemically bonded to another compound/element (https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrate).

The hydrate formula demonstrates the number of water molecules by multiplying the number of

water molecules per molecule of the compound (https://study.com/academy/lesson/hydrates-

determining-the-chemical-formula-from-empirical-data.html). The given compound was then

heated repeatedly until all water had evaporated out, and the difference between the hydrate and

the anhydrate (the dehydrated hydrate) was used to calculate the percentage of water in the

original compound. The percentage of water in Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4) was found to be

39.47% with a percent error of 22.85%. Most errors were likely personal errors.

DISCUSSION

The lab will determine the formula for a hydrated ionic compound. A hydrate is a

compound in which water molecules are bonded to the molecules of the compound or element,

which means that heat can be applied to the hydrate to break these bonds and evaporate the

water. Students will heat the hydrate under a Bunsen Burner or a hot plate at five-minute

intervals and mass the sample after each five minutes until the masses are within 0.01g of each

other.

A hydrate forms with an ionic compound when the compound is exposed to air and bonds

with water molecules. Here is the formula demonstrating this change:

MgSO47H2O + ∆ ⟶ MgSO4 + 7H2O (g)

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 After all bonds with water are broken, the hydrate is instead called an anhydrate. The

hydrate’s formula reflects the number of moles of water in the hydrate by using a ratio of moles

of water to moles of anhydrate, which results in a whole number. For example, the ratio for

Magnesium Sulfate will be seven, which means there are seven molecules of water in every

formula unit of MgSO4.

OBJECTIVES

In this lab, students will…

1. Remove water from a hydrate

2. Predict the formula for the hydrate

3. Find the experimental and theoretical percentages of water

MATERIALS

Students will need the hydrate, a ring stand, a medium ring, wire gauze, an evaporating

dish, a watch glass, a Bunsen Burner and hose, a flint striker, an analytical balance, crucible

tongs, a stopwatch or clock, and distilled water.

SAFETY

Always wear goggles and handle the hot evaporating dish with crucible tongs after the

first five-minute heating session. Allow the evaporating dish and watch glass to cool to room

temperature before handling to avoid burns to the hands or other bare skin. Assume the hydrate

itself is dangerous and do not allow contact with bare skin, nose, eyes, or mouth.

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PROCEDURE

1. Clean and mass an evaporating dish and watch glass. Heat for one minute to dry.

2. Add hydrate and record the combined mass of the evaporating dish, watch glass, and

hydrate.

3. Heat the hydrate for five minutes, cool, and mass. Handle with crucible tongs for the rest

of the lab.

4. Repeat step 3 until the last two masses are within 0.01g of each other.

5. Repeat the above procedure with a second sample of the hydrate.

CLEANUP

Dump the anhydrate into the trash and rinse the watch glass and evaporating dish

thoroughly with distilled water. Allow them to dry and put away in the lab drawer.

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DATA

Masses of Anhydrates After Heating

Trial 1 Evaporating Dish + Watch Glass w/o 141.0522g

Hydrate

Trial 1 E.D. + W.G. w/ hydrate 142.9468g

Trial 1, Heating 1 142.2500g

Trial 1, Heating 2 142.1879g

Trial 1, Heating 3 142.1862g

Trial 2 Evaporating Dish + Watch Glass w/o 140.9339g

Hydrate

Trial 2 E.D. + W.G. w/ hydrate 143.0581g

Trial 2, Heating 1 142.4036g

Trial 2, Heating 2 142.2857g

Trial 2, Heating 3 142.2508g

Trial 2, Heating 4 142.2341g

ANALYSIS

Trial One

1. Mass of hydrate

| 141.0522g - 142.9468g | = 1.8946g

2. Mass of anhydrate

142.1862g - 141.0522g = 1.1340g

3. Mass of water

1.8946g - 1.1340g = .7606g

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 4. Moles of Anhydrate

1.1340g MgSO4 1mol MgSO4

120.37g MgSO4
= .0094210mol MgSO4

5. Moles of water

.7606g H2O 1mol H2O

18.0153g H2O
= .04222mol H2O

6. Number of Water Molecules

.04222mol H2O/.009410mol MgSO4 = 4

7. Percentage of Water in Hydrate (Trial 1)

(.7606g H2O/1.8946g) x 100% = 40.15%

8. Average Percentage of Water

40.15% + 38.79% = 78.94%/2 = 39.47%

9. Actual Percentage of Water

(126.107g/mol H2O/246.477mol MgSO4 x 7H2O) x 100% = 51.16%

Trial Two

1. Mass of hydrate

| 140.9339g - 143.0581g | = 2.1242g

2. Mass of anhydrate

142.2341g - 140.9339g = 1.3002g

3. Mass of water

2.1242g - 1.3002g = .82400g

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 4. Moles of Anhydrate

1.3002g MgSO4 1mol MgSO4

120.37 MgSO4
= .010802mol MgSO4

5. Moles of water

.8200g H2O 1mol H2O

18.0153g H2O
= .045739mol H2O

6. Number of Water Molecules

.045739mol H2O/.010802mol MgSO4 = 4

7. Percentage of Water in Hydrate (Trial 2)

(.82400g/2.1242g) x 100% = 38.79%

See above calculations for full experimental value/percentage as well as the actual

percentage of water in the hydrate.

Error Calculations

Ea = | X e - X t |

Ea = |39.47 - 51.16 | = 11.69

E% = Ea/Xt x 100

E% = (11.69/51.16) x 100% = 22.85%

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CONCLUSIONS

The experiment wielded an absolute error of 39.47 and a 22.85% percent error, likely

personal, with an experimental percentage of water in Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4) of 39.47%.

The errors were personal because we touched the evaporating dish often to see if it had

cooled enough to mass the hydrate, and the oils on our fingers increased the mass. The increased

mass caused our results to be lower by lessening the gap between the weight of the hydrate and

the weight of the anhydrate, which impacted the experimental value of moles of water.

After the amount of time devoted to this lab, we were happy with the results. Of course,

our results could have been better with more time to do more trials or if we had not touched the

evaporating dish as frequently as we had over the course of the lab, but overall, a ~20% error is

not terrible. We learned how to develop and determine a hydrate formula, what a hydrate is, and

how to turn one into an anhydrate. This will apply to the real world by helping to further our

problem-solving skills and our ability to think beyond what we think we already know.