NAME: Rukayat Alabi DATE: May 9, 2024

Lab Report
Ionic and Covalent Bonds

This lab report is for you to reflect on what you completed and learned in this simulation, and to practice your
written scientific communication skills. Include enough detail to clearly describe the lab experience to
someone who understands the concepts but has not participated in the simulation. Use correct scientific
terminology whenever applicable.

Sections

1. Describe the overall objective and make a hypothesis

2. Introduce relevant background knowledge on this topic
3. Summarize the steps taken in the simulation
4. Explain any obtained results
5. Discuss the conclusions and implications

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 1. Describe the overall objective and make a hypothesis.
What is the overall purpose of the experiments or activities? Make a hypothesis. Recall that the hypothesis is a
claim that answers a question or makes a prediction about an event that has not yet occurred.

Hint: The purpose is often stated in the welcome message of the simulation (as shown in the example image
below).

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Include one statement that describes the overall objective in your own words.
● Include one statement that describes the hypothesis.

Objective
Explore the properties of chemical substances that can be used to identify the types of bond in a chemical
substance using a laboratory procedure.

Hypothesis
If a substance is solid at room temperature and has a crystalline structure, dissolves easily in water and conducts
electricity then it possibly has ionic bonds otherwise it possibly has covalent bond.

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 2. Introduce relevant background knowledge on this topic.
What have you learned in class or researched on your own that would help prepare for this simulation?

Hint: You can review the “THEORY” section in the simulation (as shown in the example image below)

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Include at least three important details from the lab “Theory” tab, the Lab Manual, or other resources, in
your lab report that support the simulation activity.

Controlled Variables
Water stirring duration, amount of substance.

Dependent Variables
State of matter, texture, appearance, solubility in water, crystalline structure, type of bonds (whether ionic or
covalent)

Independent Variables
Different substances

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 3. Summarize the steps taken in the simulation.
Explain all steps you completed, including the equipment and techniques you used.

Hint: You can use the “MISSION” tab in the LabPad as inspiration (as shown in the example image below).

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Document each step you completed, including the equipment and techniques you used.

Materials
i. Five 25ml breakers
ii. 10ml graduated cylinder
iii. Stirring rod
iv. Spoon
v. Distilled water in washed bottle
vi. 2g sodium bicarbonate
vii. 2g cornstarch
viii. 2g sodium chloride
ix. 5ml oil
x. Conductivity apparatus

Procedure
(Repeat step 1 – 4 for each of the following: 5ml of oil and 2g of each of sodium bicarbonate, cornstarch and
sodium chloride

1. State and appearance

2. Determine solubility in water
3. Determine conductivity

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 4. Determine whether the substances are ionic or covalent

4. Describe any obtained results.

Explain all obtained results. Were these results expected or unexpected?

Hint: You can use the “MEDIA” tab in the Lab Pad to revisit relevant images from the simulation (as shown in the
example image below).

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Document the results from the simulation.
● Document whether the results were expected or unexpected, and briefly explain why.

Oil Cornstarch Sodium Chloride Sodium

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 Bicarbonate
State of Matter Liquid Solid Solid Solid
Texture and Sticky amorphous, Powder Powder Very fine, Powder
Appearance viscus
Crystalline NO (not a solid) NO (Solid) YES Yes
Structure (Yes /
No)
Solubility In Not Soluble Not Soluble YES Mostly Soluble
Water
Conductivity NO NO YES Yes
(Yes / No)
Ionic or Covalent Covalent Covalent Ionic Ionic
Bond

Different substances have bonds (Ionic and Covalent)

This was represented in the data, the substances shared some qualities but the main rules applied (i.e.
conductivity in water)

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 5. Discuss the conclusions and implications.
How do your results relate back to the original purpose and your hypothesis? Were there any systematic sources of
error that could have affected the results? What did you learn?

For your entry make sure to include the following:

● Include a statement that briefly summarizes how the results of the simulation relate back to your original
purpose and hypothesis.
● Include a statement that details any systematic sources of error you identified that could have affected
the results. If the lab did not have any systematic sources of error, include a statement that
acknowledges the lack of error present in the lab.
● Include a statement about what you learned from the simulation.

Conclusion
You can identify the types of bonds contained in a substance by comparing and contrasting properties common
in Ionic and/or Covalent compounds.

If a substance is solid at room temperature, conducts electricity, has a crystalline structure and dissolves easily in
water, then it most possibly has ionic bonds, if otherwise it most possibly has covalent bonds.

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