EXPERIMENT:

THE EMPIRICAL FORMULA OF COPPER(II)

OXIDE.
To determine the empirical formula of copper(II)
AIM
oxide.
Problem
How is the formula of copper(II) oxide determined ?
Statement
The empirical formula of copper(II) oxide can be
Hypothesis determined by finding out the mass of copper and
oxygen in a sample of copper(II) oxide.

Manipulated variable : Mass of copper oxide

Variables Responding variable : Mass of copper formed
Fixed variables : An excess of hydrogen gas

Combustion tube, Bunsen burner, Stoppers, Glass

Apparatus tube, Retort stand and clamp, Balance, U tube,
Spatula, Porcelain dish.
Hydrogen gas, H2, Copper(II) oxide, Anhydrous
Materials calcium chloride, CaCl2, Wooden splinter, Zinc
granules.

Figure

Procedure 1. The mass of the combustion tube with porcelain dish

in it is weighed.
一 小 匙

2. A spatulaful of copper(II) oxide is added to the

porcelain dish. The tube is weighed again.
3. The apparatus is set up as shown in Figure.
4. Hydrogen gas is allowed to flow into the set of
 apparatus for 5 to 10 minutes to remove all the air /
oxygen in the tube.
5. To determine whether all the air has been removed
from the tube, the gas that comes out from the small
hole is collected in a test tube. Then, the gas is tested
with a lighted wooden splinter. If the gas burns quietly
without a ‘pop’ sound, then all the air has been totally
removed from the combustion tube.
6. The excess hydrogen gas that flows out from the small
hole of the combustion tube is burnt and the copper(II)
oxide is heated strongly.
7. The flame is turned off when the copper(II) oxide turns
completely brown.
8. The flow of hydrogen gas is continued until the set of
apparatus cools down to room temperature.
9. The mass of the combustion tube with its content is
weighed again.
10. The heating, cooling and weighing are repeated until a
constant mass is obtained. The constant mass is
recorded.
Description Mass(g)
combustion tube + porcelain dish x
combustion tube + porcelain dish + y
copper(II) oxide
combustion tube + porcelain dish + copper z
Copper z-x
Data & Oxygen y–z
Observation
Element Copper, Cu Oxygen, O
Mass (g) z–x y-z
Number of z–x y–z
moles of atoms 64 16
Simplest ratio of
moles
 1) The function of anhydrous calcium chloride is to
dry the hydrogen gas.

2) Copper(II) oxide is black in colour. It reacts with

hydrogen gas to produce brown copper metal.
CuO + H 2 → Cu + H2O

3) Below are the precautions and safety measures

taken during the activity.
a) Air in the combustion tube must be totally
removed before step 6. ( a mixture of hydrogen
gas and air will cause an explosion when
lighted. )

b) The flow of hydrogen gas must be continuous

throughout this activity so that air does not
Discussion enter the tube. ( if not, an explosion may occur
and the hot copper produced will react with
oxygen again. )

c) Heating, Cooling, Weighing process is repeated

until a constant mass is obtained to ensure all
the copper(II) oxide has change into copper.

4) This method can also be used to determine the

empirical formulae of oxides of other low reactivity
metals such as tin(II) oxide and lead(II) oxide.

5) This method cannot be replaced by heating

copper(II) oxide with reactive metals such as
magnesium or calcium. Both the reactants and
products are solids and thus the individual mass of
copper and oxygen cannot be determined at all.

Conclusion The empirical formula of copper(II) oxide is CuO.

 o Pass the hydrogen gas through combustion tube
before heating.
– remove the air to avoid the explotion.

o The hydrogen gas is continuously flowed through

the combustion tube.
Precautions – to avoid explotion / prevent copper react with
oxygen again.

o Heating, Cooling, Weighing process is repeated

until a constant mass is obtained.
– to ensure all the copper(II) oxide had change to
copper.