EMPIRICAL

FORMULAE
Determining the empirical formula of
copper(II) oxide

Apparatus & Materials

Combustion tiub with a small hole at the
end,bunsen burner, stoppers, glass tube,
retort stand and clamp , electronic
balance , U-tube, spatula , porcelain
dish.
Hydrogen gas , copper(II) oxide ,
anhydrous calcium chloride , wooden
splinter

Set up apparatus

Method
Refer to Practical Book pg
Laboratory work 3.4 ( page 23 )

Results

Calculation
(Relative atomic mass :
O = 16 , Cu = 64)
Element

Copper / Cu Oxygen / O

Mass / g

z -x

y-z

Number of moles of
atoms

zx
64

yz
16

Simplest ratio of
moles

Based on the calculation , m mole of

copper atoms combine with n mole of
oxygen atoms. Therefore , the
empirical formula of copper(II) oxide is
Cu mO n

The chemical equation :

Hydrogen gas + copper(II) oxide
water + copper
H2 + CuO Cu + H2O

Precautions & Safety measures

A mixture of hydrogen gas and air will explode when

lighted.Therefore, all the air in the combustion tube
must be totally removed before the gas that comes out
from the small hole of the tube is burnt or before
copper(II) oxide is heated.
The flow of hydrogen gas is continuos throughout the
activity until cooper cools down to room temperature.
This is to prevent the hot copper from reacting with the
oxygen in the air to form copper(II) oxide again.
The heating , cooling and weighing are repeated until a
constant mass is obtained to ensure that all copper(II)
oxide has changed into copper.

Discussion
Hydrogen gas reacts with copper(II) oxide to produce
copper and water.
Copper(II) oxide changes colour from black to brown
during heating.
This method can also be used to determine the empirical
formula of oxides of low reactivity metals such as tin(II)
oxide , lead(II) oxide.
The empirical formula of copper(II) oxide cannot be
determined by heating copper(II)oxide with reactive
metals such as magnesium or calcium.Both the
reactants and products are solids ,thus tha individual
mass of copper and oxygen cannot be determined at
all.