POST- EXP 1 | Physical and Chemical Properties of Substances

LABORATORY
Section 36, Group 3 February 6, 2024
SECTION & DATE (MM/DD)
GROUP

1. Alan, Karylle Ashley A.

2. Paglinawan, Frances Ian N. INSTRUCTOR’S
SIGNATURE
3. Palma, Joahnne Vjenize E.
GROUP MEMBERS
Alphabetical 4. Quiamco, Daniela Margaret P.
Order SN, GN
MI 5. Rodriguez, Elisha Cassandra P.
6. Nalla, Christa Isabela L. SCORE
7. Villamor, Eizen Kyle C.

Post-Laboratory Questions

1. Mg(OH)2 is an inorganic compound that is insoluble in water but soluble in acids like HNO 3. Explain why that is.
Initially, magnesium hydroxide has a low solubility since its hydroxide ions do not interact
with water molecules. But because of the acid-base reaction that occurs, some chemical
processes, such as nitric acid, referred as HNO₃, can be dissolved. Nitric acid reacts with
hydroxide ions to form water and magnesium nitrate Mg(NO₃)₂. This process changes the
solubility of Mg(OH)₂and dissolves the acidic solution. In a nutshell, Mg(OH)2 avoids water
but finds a friend in HNO₃, causing a change in volatility.

2. What will happen if silver metal was dipped in a CuSO4 solution instead of iron fillings? Why?
When silver comes into contact with copper sulfate, it takes the place of copper, resulting in
the creation of silver sulfate and the release of copper. This displacement is determined by
the reactivity series, where the less reactive silver can replace copper in the compound.
Ag + CuSO ₄ → Ag ₂ SO ₄ + Cu
The infrequent occurrence of this reaction with silver is due to its low reactivity, in contrast to
iron, a more reactive metal capable of displacing copper under similar circumstances.

3. Tollen’s reagent is another reagent that can undergo a redox reaction with acetaldehyde, but it will not react with
ethanol. Write the chemical equation for the reaction between acetaldehyde and Tollen’s reagent, and explain why
the reagent does not react with ethanol.
The reaction between acetaldehyde and Tollen's reagent results in a silver mirror. The
chemical equation is
2 CH₃CHO + 3 [Ag(NH₃)₂]NO₃ + 3 OH⁻ → 2 Ag + 2 CH₃COO⁻ + 2 NH ₄⁺ + 4 H ₂O . Due
to ethanol's lower oxidation rate under the mild Tollen's test conditions, it does not react with
Tollen's reagent. The reagent is more efficient in converting aldehydes to carboxylic acids;
ethanol does not significantly oxidize in this reaction because it is not an aldehyde.
Conclusion

The magnesium hydroxide solubility behavior depends on the pH of the solution. It remains
insoluble in water due to its low Ksp, but it dissolves in acids by forming soluble salts. In the
case of when a silver is dipped into a copper sulfate solution, it undergoes a redox reaction,
leading to the formation of silver ions and the deposition of copper metal. However, this
reaction is infrequent with silver due to its low reactivity compared to more reactive metals
like iron, which can displace copper more readily. While the Tollen’s reagent selectively
reacts with aldehydes (like acetaldehyde) to produce a silver mirror, while ketones (like
ethanol) being a primary alcohol, does not undergo significant oxidation in this reaction.