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Determining The Percentage of Water and Formula of An Unknown Hydrate

This document provides the procedure for determining the percentage of water and formula of an unknown hydrate. Students will heat a sample of an unknown hydrated copper(II) sulfate in a crucible to drive off the water and determine the mass lost. From the initial and final masses, they will calculate the moles of water and anhydrous salt to determine the ratio of water to salt and empirical formula of the hydrate. They will also calculate the percentage of water in the hydrate. Sources of experimental error will be examined.

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Aimee Koranteng
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83 views2 pages

Determining The Percentage of Water and Formula of An Unknown Hydrate

This document provides the procedure for determining the percentage of water and formula of an unknown hydrate. Students will heat a sample of an unknown hydrated copper(II) sulfate in a crucible to drive off the water and determine the mass lost. From the initial and final masses, they will calculate the moles of water and anhydrous salt to determine the ratio of water to salt and empirical formula of the hydrate. They will also calculate the percentage of water in the hydrate. Sources of experimental error will be examined.

Uploaded by

Aimee Koranteng
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Name __________________________________________________ Date ________________________

NORTH ALLEGHENY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL


AP Chemistry

DETERMINING THE PERCENTAGE OF WATER AND FORMULA OF AN


UNKNOWN HYDRATE
INTRODUCTION

When an ionic solid is crystallized from water solution, the crystal which forms often contains
chemically-bound water molecules. The number of moles of water per mole of ionic substance is usually an
integer. Compounds of this sort are called hydrates. One of the commonly encountered hydrates is magnesium
sulfate heptahydrate, otherwise known as Epsom salt:
MgSO4.7H2O

The water in a hydrate is bound loosely, and so is relatively easily removed by heating. Most hydrates lose their
water of hydration at temperatures slightly above 100 oC. Sometimes the water is liberated in stages, with one
or more lower hydrates being observed during the heating process. Thus, MgSO4 may also be prepared with 1
mole of H2O per mole of ionic solid. If all the hydrated water is removed, as it will be if the solid is heated
sufficiently, the ionic solid is said to be anhydrous (without water).
Given the mass of a sample of the hydrate and the mass of anhydrous salt of known formula obtained on
heating, it is easy to find the formula of the hydrate. One simply needs to determine the number of moles of
water per mole of anhydrous compound in the hydrate. Once you have your mole values, use your knowledge
of finding empirical formulas to determine the formula of the hydrated salt (in our case hydrated copper(II)
sulfate).
Finding the percent of water in the hydrate will be done in a similar fashion. From the difference in the
mass of the hydrated and the anhydrous magnesium sulfate, one can find the mass of water liberated. Dividing
this number by the original mass will give the percent water in the hydrate.
Thus, in this experiment it is our goal to determine the percent of water in an unknown hydrate as well
as the formula of the hydrate. This will be done through a knowledge of finding empirical formulas and
percent composition.

PRE-LAB ASSIGNMENT

Along with you introduction and procedure, construct a data table for the lab. Keep in mind you are to
complete two trials with the unknown magnesium sulfate hydrate.

PROCEDURE

1. Wash and dry a porcelain crucible and lid. Heat both the crucible and cover for about 2-3 minutes to
ensure that any water that is adsorbed to the walls of the crucible or cover is driven off. Allow the
crucible and cover to cool on a piece of wire gauze.

2. When the crucible and cover are cool, obtain the mass (at this point you should clean and cool a second
crucible for your duplicate measurement. It is completely acceptable to run two trials at the same time.
Rarely as scientists are we satisfied with one set of data.)

3. Put about 2-3 g of the hydrated copper(II) sulfate in the crucible, replace the cover and mass (carry the
crucible and cover in a beaker as described in class.)
4. Place the crucible on the clay triangle on a ring stand. With the cover on the crucible slightly ajar, heat
the crucible and its contents, gently at first and then strongly, for approximately 8-10 minutes. The
hydrate will probably have a different appearance when the water has been driven off.

5. Allow the crucible and cover to cool, and obtain a mass.

6. Place the crucible and cover back onto the clay triangle and heat strongly for another 3 minutes. Allow
the system to cool and obtain a second mass. Repeat this step until a constant mass is obtained.

7. Complete two trials on the unknown copper(II) sulfate hydrate.

8. Dispose of the solid product in the trash can, and wash the crucible and cover for the next group to use.

CALCULATIONS

Show the following calculations in your lab report for each trial:
o moles of water
o moles of anhydrous salt
o ratio of water/salt (actual value, and then the closest integer)
o formula of hydrate

CONCLUSION

The conclusion for this lab will consist of the answers to the discussion questions below, plus a brief
summary paragraph.

1. What is the formula for your hydrate? Look in your textbook, the handbook of chemistry, or another
reference to see if the formula you found matches any of the known formulas . How many hydrates of
your salt are known? Is your hydrate among them? Give a reference to the source in which you found
it.

2. Determine the experimental % of water in the hydrate.

3. Examine each of the following sources of error. Determine and explain the direction of the error in the
determination of the ratio, water/anhydrous salt. The direction of the error is considered positive when
the ratio exceeds the theoretical value and negative when the ratio is less.
a. Insufficient heating of the hydrated salt.
b. Absorption of moisture by the dried salt before weighing.
c. Weighing a warm crucible (which gives a low mass) before introducing the sample.
d. Weighing a warm crucible after heating the sample.
e. Overheating to cause decomposition, such as decomposing CuSO4(s) to CuO(s) and SO3(g).

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