Joan Dao

Hour 3

9/16/10

How to identify chemical and physical changes with Copper (II)

chloride, water, and aluminum.
Problem statement:

What will the chemical change be when use these three substances, DI water, Copper(II) chloride and
aluminum?

Hypothesis: If we put copper(II) chloride with water, then there will be a chemical change because it
[copper (II) chloride] would dissolve making a new substance.

Answers to pre-lab questions:

1)
A. element 2) A. chemical
B. compound B. chemical
C. mixture C. physical
D. element D. physical
E. mixture
F . compound
G compound
H. mixture
3) color change, odor change, light released, heat being released/ absorbed, soilds/ gas in a
liquid
4 To see if there will be a chemical change

Data table:

Tests Physical changes Chemical changes

Copper(II) chloride and water
Copper (II) chloride and
aluminum
Salt just dissolved, green to
blue
Blue to a moss green
No chemical change
Released hydrogen gas
Aluminum rusting , fizzing
sound
Heat was released
22°c - 62°
 Procedure:
Materials: aluminum foil, copper(II)chloride, DI water, Beakers, stir rods, thermometer
1) Gather all materials
2) Pour in about 50-100 ml of DI water
3) Add in copper(II) chloride (about one scoop)
4) Measure temperature to see if there was any change
5) Add in aluminum foil
6) Measure temperature in the time span of two minutes

Conclusion:

The purpose of this experiment was to find out the physical and chemical changes when using
DI water, Copper (II) chloride and aluminum foil. Our procedure was to combine any of the
three materials listed before and see if there is a chemical reaction. My hypothesis was : If we
put copper(II) chloride with water, then there will be a chemical change because it [copper (II)
chloride] would dissolve making a new substance. The data does not support my hypothesis.
My results showed that there is no chemical reaction between (just) water and copper (II)
chloride, but a combo of all three substances produced a chemical reaction.

Concepts used in this lab were the signs of chemical changes and physical changes. In a
chemical change, tell tale signs are color change, light being produced, heat released or
absorbed, odor change, solids or gas in a liquid. In a physical change, it’s basically any change
that isn’t a chemical change ie dissolving, changes of state etc. In this particular experiment the
copper(II) chloride and water was just a physical change. Whereas adding all three substances
formed a chemical reaction because it displayed four out of the five signs of a chemical change
(see data table above). Including heat, in this experiment it was a 22°c ; with the highest
temperature at 62°c.

Factors that could have affected the experiment would be the measurement of temperature.
More likely than not, I rounded to the next graduation (degree) instead of eyeballing to the
tenth of a graduation. Therefore the temperatures weren’t as accurate as it could be; lower
than the recorded temperatures. To improve, a more accurate measurement would be taken.
This time to the tenths place. That way we get an accurate temperature reading of the chemical
reaction.