When you come in, please

Put all book bags, etc. away in cubbies

Hand in the data sheets and post-lab questions for EXP 2
(Chromatography)
Hand in the flow chart for EXP 3 (Determination of a
chemical formula)

Determination of a
Chemical Formula
Experiment 3 Week of 2/23/15

Experimental Summary
Purpose
To determine the amount of water in a hydrate sample
Determine the number of moles of Cu and Cl in the sample
Determine the empirical formula of the compound

Hydrates
Water of hydration
Water molecules bound to an anhydrous salt

Anhydrous = no water

Procedure Obtaining a Sample

TODAY YOU WILL BE WORKING INDIVIDUALLY
Obtain a crucible from the stockroom
Add 1 grams of hydrate sample to your crucible

Procedure Obtaining a Sample

Set up assembly as shown
You will need

a bunsen burner
gas tubing
clay triangle
iron ring
ring stand
crucible

Gas and Vacuum Lines

You will be using both of them
Off position = valve perpendicular to
the port (shown in photo)
On position = valve parallel to port

Procedure Heating Sample

Use flint starter to
start bunsen burner
Heat for 5 minutes
When crackling
sound stops, heat
gently for 2 more
minutes
Cool crucible on a
wire gauze for 10
mins
Once cool, record
new mass of
crucible/compound

Copper Chloride + Aluminum

Transfer solid
from crucible to
a clean, dry 50
mL beaker
Rinse crucible
with 8 mL DI H20
(twice)
Add 20cm Al
wire to the
beaker

Use your time wisely!

During the 30 min wait period for reaction to complete, clean
equipment and set up Buchner funnel for vacuum filtration

Addition of HCl
When the reaction is complete (after 30 mins) add 5 drops of
6M HCl to your beaker
This MUST be done in the fume hood

Remove any copper from the Al wire using a glass stirring rod
Al wire goes in the bin marked for used Al wire

Vacuum Filtration
Step 1: Separate copper
from liquid in your mixture
via vacuum filtration
Step 2: Discard filtrate from
beaker into waste container
provided
Step 3: With vacuum off,
add ethanol to funnel and let
sit for one minute
Step 4: Turn suction on and
let vacuum run for 5 mins
Step 5: Discard ethanol in
waste container provided

Collecting your final product

Remove copper from filter paper and place it on a large
watch glass
Place watch glass in drying oven (located in SAMC 102) for 5
minutes
Allow watch glass to cool before weighing
Determine weight of copper product and place copper in the
waste container

Special Considerations
Goggles and gloves are to be worn at all times
Handle hot crucible with caution. Use tongs
NEVER LEAVE AN OPEN FLAME UNATTENDED
Waste Containers:

Al wire
Aluminum chloride filtrate (1st filtrate)
Used ethanol (2nd filtrate)
Copper product

The oven in SAMC 102 is running and is very hot. Use

protective equipment when handling watch glasses
Be sure to clean balances and lab benches before leaving
WASH YOUR HANDS BEFORE LEAVING

For next week

Hand in completed data sheet and post-lab questions for
Determination of Chemical Formula
Hand in flow chart for Determining Mole Ratios in a Chem
Rxn