Project 1: Inorganic Contaminants Present in a Sample of Water

March 1st, 2024.

Course: CHM 2045L-024.
Minh Quang Nguyen, Brianna Depablos, Manuela Amaya Castro.

1. Experiments Objectives: (Brianna Depablos)

To identify the unknown compound, the team will use at least one quantitative test. Then,
depending on the characteristics of the unknown compound, we will decide whether to carry out
a volumetric or gravimetric analysis.

2. Materials required: (Minh Quang Nguyen)

- Provided by the laboratory stockroom:

● General laboratory glassware (Erlenmeyer flask, beaker, test tubes)

○ 100 mL flask/beaker
● Conductivity meter or Multimeter
● Bunsen burner
● pH strips
● Wire loop
● Chemicals: calcium chloride (CaCl2), sodium nitrate (NaNO3), ammonium sulfate
((NH4)2SO4), ammonium chloride (NH4CI), magnesium sulfate (MgSO4), calcium
nitrate (Ca(NO3)2, sodium acetate (CH3CO2Na), sodium carbonate (Na2CO3), sodium
oxalate (NaC2O4),
● Burette (Volumetric Analysis)
● Funnel and Filter paper (Gravimetric Analysis)

3. Potential hazards: (Minh Quang Nguyen):

Calcium Chloride:
Can cause serious eye irritation. Wash hands after handling. Avoid dispersal of dust in the air.
Routine housekeeping should be instituted. Do not eat, smoke, drink, or use personal products
while handling chemicals. Use in ventilated areas. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing.
Store in a cool location. Provide ventilation for containers, Avoid storage near extreme heat,
ignition sources, or open flame. Store away from food and oxidizing agents. Keep the container
tightly sealed and away from moisture.

Sodium Nitrate:
May oxidize fire. Can cause serious eye irritation. Wash hands after handling. Avoid dispersal of
dust in the air. Routine housekeeping should be instituted.
Do not eat, smoke, drink, or use
personal products while handling chemicals. Use in ventilated areas. Avoid contact with eyes,
skin, and clothing. Store in a cool location. Provide ventilation for containers, Avoid storage near
extreme heat, ignition sources, or open flame. Store away from food and oxidizing agents. Keep
the containers tightly sealed and away from moisture.

Ammonium Sulfate:
Can cause serious eye irritation. Wash hands after handling. Avoid dispersal of dust in the air.
Routine housekeeping should be instituted. Do not eat, smoke, drink, or use personal products
while handling chemicals. Use in ventilated areas. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing.
Store in a cool location. Provide ventilation for containers, Avoid storage near extreme heat,
ignition sources, or open flame. Store away from food and oxidizing agents. Keep the container
tightly sealed and away from moisture.

Ammonium Chloride:
Toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects. Can cause serious eye irritation. Wash hands after
handling. Use proper disposal methods. Avoid dispersal of dust in the air. Routine housekeeping
should be instituted. Do not eat, smoke, drink, or use personal products while handling
chemicals. Use in ventilated areas. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing. Store in a cool
location. Provide ventilation for containers, Avoid storage near extreme heat, ignition sources, or
open flame. Store away from food and oxidizing agents. Keep the container tightly sealed and
away from moisture.

Magnesium Sulfate:
May cause eye irritation, and skin irritation. Can cause gastrointestinal irritation with nausea,
vomiting, and diarrhea. May be harmful if swallowed or inhaled, and may lead to respiratory
tract irritation. Use adequate ventilation to keep airborne concentrations low. In case of
Spills/Leaks, Vacuum or sweep up material and place it into a suitable disposal container. Avoid
generating dusty conditions. Provide ventilation. Do not let this chemical enter the environment.
Handling: Minimize dust generation and accumulation. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and
clothing. Avoid ingestion and inhalation. Use with adequate ventilation.
Storage: Store in a cool, dry place. Store in a tightly closed container. Store protected from
moisture.

Calcium Nitrate:
Oxidizing solids . May intensify fire; oxidizer. Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, and
hot surfaces. No smoking.
Acute toxicity, oral. May be harmful if swallowed.Skin corrosion or irritation. Causes skin
irritation. Serious eye damage or irritation. Causes serious eye irritation. Specific target organ
toxicity, single exposure. May cause respiratory irritation . Store with amides, nitrates, nitrites
and azides. Store in a cool, dry place. Deliquescent. Store in a cool, dry place within a Flinn
Chem-Saf™ bag. Keep and store away from clothing and combustible materials (P220). Take
any precautions to avoid mixing with combustibles. Avoid contact with strong reducing agents,
acids, and organic material.
Sodium Acetate:
May cause mild eye irritation, skin irritation, harmful if absorbed through the skin.
May cause irritation of the digestive tract. May be harmful if swallowed. May cause respiratory
tract irritation. May be harmful if inhaled. As in any fire, wear a self-contained breathing
apparatus in pressure-demand, MSHA/NIOSH (approved or equivalent), and full protective gear.
Dusts at sufficient concentrations can form explosive mixtures with air. During a fire, irritating
and highly toxic gasses may be generated by thermal decomposition or combustion. For small
fires, use water spray, dry chemical, carbon dioxide or chemical foam. Wash thoroughly after
handling. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse. Use with adequate ventilation.
Minimize dust generation and accumulation. Avoid contact with eyes, skin, and clothing. Avoid
ingestion and inhalation. Store in a tightly closed container. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated
area away from incompatible substances.

Sodium Carbonate:
Causes eye irritation. Lachrymator (substance which increases the flow of tears).
Causes skin irritation. May be harmful if absorbed through the skin. May cause irritation of the
digestive tract. May be harmful if swallowed. Harmful if inhaled. May cause respiratory tract
irritation. Adverse reproductive effects have been reported in animals.

Immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, occasionally lifting the upper
and lower eyelids. Get medical aid. Get medical aid. Immediately flush skin with plenty of water
for at least 15 minutes while removing contaminated clothing and shoes. Do not induce
vomiting. Get medical aid. Remove from exposure and move to fresh air immediately. If not
breathing, give artificial respiration. If breathing is difficult, give oxygen. Get medical aid. Treat
symptomatically and supportively. Minimize dust generation and accumulation. Do not get in
eyes, on skin, or on clothing. Do not ingest or inhale. Use only in a chemical fume hood. Store in
a cool, dry place. Store in a tightly closed container. Keep away from acids. Do not get water
inside containers.

Sodium Oxalate:
Causes eye irritation. May result in corneal injury.
Oxalate is an irritant and may cause dermatitis. Skin lesions begin with epithelial cracking and
the formation of slow-healing ulcers. The fingers may appear cyanotic.
Ulcerations of the mouth, vomiting of blood, and rapid appearance of shock, convulsions,
twitching, tetany, and cardiovascular collapse may occur following ingestion of oxalic acid or its
soluble salts. Systemic effects may be due to formation of calcium oxalate which is insoluble at
physiological pH and can be deposited in the brain and kidney tubules. Resultant hypocalcemia
might disturb the function of the heart and nerves. Mean lethal dose for oxalates in adults is
estimated at 10 - 30 grams (143 - 428 mg/kg). Inhalation of oxalic acid dust or vapor produces
irritation of the respiratory tract, protein in the urine, nosebleed, ulceration of the mucous
membranes, headache, nervousness, cough, vomiting, emaciation, back pain (due to kidney
injury), and weakness. Inhalation of oxalic acid dust or mist over a long period of time might
result in weight loss and respiratory tract inflammation. Rats administered oxalic acid at 2.5 and
5% in the diet for 70 days developed depressed thyroid function and weight loss.
Vacuum or sweep up material and place into a suitable disposal container. Clean up spills
immediately, observing precautions in the Protective Equipment section. Avoid generating dusty
conditions. Provide ventilation

Wash thoroughly after handling. Remove contaminated clothing and wash before reuse. Use with
adequate ventilation. Minimize dust generation and accumulation. Avoid contact with eyes, skin,
and clothing. Keep the container tightly closed. Avoid breathing dust.
Store in a tightly closed container. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from
incompatible substances. Store protected from moisture. Oxalates slowly corrode steel.

4. Methods and Procedures: (Manuela Amaya Castro)

In order to determine the identity of the unknown compound, the indicated qualitative method to
determine the identity of the salt should be through determining the solubility. For other
qualitative analyses, a pH, flame, and conductivity test should be performed as well.

Practice test:

1. Prepare solvent: pour a 100ml of Deionized water as the solvent for the test on a beaker;
2. Weight 2 grams of a known compound according to the solubility chart. This will be the
solute;
3. Add the solute to the solvent and gently mix to make the components dissolve. Observe
the behavior of the solution to see if the solute dissolves fully, partially, precipitates, or
doesn’t dissolve at all. Record the results by observing the color of the substance, texture,
and change in volume. By dissolving in water, the behavior of the known substance in
water determines if it is soluble or insoluble;
4. Draw a hypothesis based on the physical behavior of the solute, and later compare it to
the solubility chart of compounds.

Experimental test:
 1. Repeat the preparation for solvent;
2. Weight 2 grams of the unknown compound given by the stockroom as the solute;
3. Add the solute to the solvent and gently mix to make the components dissolve. Observe
the behavior of the solution to see if the solute dissolves fully, partially, precipitates, or
doesn’t dissolve at all. Record the results by observing the color of the substance, texture,
and change in volume. By dissolving in water, the behavior of the known substance in
water determines if it is soluble or insoluble;
4. Draw a hypothesis based on the results obtained, and compare them to the solubility chart
to narrow the conclusion.
5. Record the measures of each substance to later apply them in the solubility formula. This
can help define the unknown compound based on the results. Check for the results on a
solubility table to find a matching answer to a defined compound.

pH test:

1. Prepare solvent: pour a 100ml of Deionized water as the solvent for the test on a beaker;
2. Weight 2 grams of a known compound according to the solubility chart. This will be the
solute;
3. Dip the pH test stripe in the solution and wait ten seconds until the strip changes its color.
If there is a digital pH tester, insert the tester without letting it touch the glass in where
the solution is contained;
4. For the stripe, record the color obtained and compare it to the pH color guide for acidic or
basic substances. For the result given by the digital tester, match the given value with a
pH chart;

Flame test:

1. While using a classic wire loop (platinum or nickel), clean with hydrochloric or nitric
acid, followed by deionized water.
2. To test the cleanliness of the loop, when put into the gas flame no color should show.
3. Dip the loop on the unknown compound powder and place it on the flame;
4. Record the observed color and match it with a flame test chart of results;

Conductivity test:

1. Prepare solvent: pour a 100 ml of Deionized water as the solvent for the test on a beaker;
2. Weight 2 grams of a known compound according to the solubility chart. This will be the
solute;
3. Use a conductivity meter to measure the level of conductivity;
5. Calculations: (Brianna Depablos)

Molarity = Moles of Solute/Liters of Solution

Stoichiometric calculations

Grams to Moles= (Number of Grams)(1 Mole)/(Molar Mass)

Solubility= S (in grams or mol/L)= Amount of Solvent / Amount of Solute​ ×100

Percent yield= (Actual/Theoretical)100%

Solubility Chart:

References: (Manuela Amaya Castro)

Anderson, Laura; Figueroa, Jhon; Lykourinou Vasiliki; General Chemistry I Laboratory Manual,
3rd Edition;Procopy, 2023.

“Solubility Tests - Identification of Unknowns (Part 1).” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Mar. 2021,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1frcZAUCBTY.

“7.11: Solubility: Calculations.” Chemistry LibreTexts, Libretexts, 11 Aug. 2020,

chem.libretexts.org/Courses/Heartland_Community_College/CHEM_120:_Fundamentals_of_Ch
emistry/07:_Solutions/7.11:_Solubility:__Applied_Calculations.

Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph.D. “Here’s How to Do a Flame Test.” ThoughtCo, ThoughtCo, 3
June 2020, www.thoughtco.com/perform-and-interpret-flame-tests-603740.