Effect of Temperature on Solubility of a Salt

In this experiment, you will study the effect of changing temperature on the amount of solute that will 
dissolve in a given amount of water. Water solubility is an important physical property in chemistry, and is 
often expressed as the mass of solute that dissolves in 100 g of water at a certain temperature. In this 
experiment, you will completely dissolve different quantities of an unknown salt, in the same volume of 
water at a high temperature. As each solution cools, you will monitor temperature using a Temperature Probe
and observe the precise instant that solid crystals start to form. At this moment, the solution is saturated and 
contains the maximum amount of solute at that temperature. Thus each data pair consists of a solubility value
(g of solute per 100 g H2O) and a corresponding temperature. A graph of the temperature­solubility data, 
known as a solubility curve, will be plotted using LabQuest.  From that solubility curve the identity of the 
unknown salt will be determined using Reference Table G.
OBJECTIVES
In this experiment, you will
 Study the effect of changing temperature on the amount of solute that will dissolve in a given amount
of water.
 Plot a solubility curve
 Determine the identity of the unknown salt

MATERIALS
Graphing Paper Test tube holder
Temperature Probe Distilled water
400 mL beaker 10 mL graduated cylinder
hot plate four test tubes
Unknown Ionic Salt (from Table G) 250 ml beaker as test tube holder
Stirring rod(s)

PROCEDURE
1. Obtain and wear goggles.

2. a. Fill a 400 mL beaker three-fourths full of tap water.

b. Place it on a hot plate.
c. Place the Temperature Probe in the water bath to monitor the temperature and to warm the probe.
CAUTION: Be sure to keep the temperature probe cord away from the hot plate.
d. Heat the water bath to approximately 90°C; adjust the heat accordingly to maintain the water at this
temperature. DO NOT WAIT FOR THE WATER BATH TO REACH THIS TEMPERATURE; AS
SOON AS THE UNKNOWN SALT AND WATER ARE MIXED PLACE THE TEST TUBES INTO
THE WATER BATH.

3. a. Label four test tubes 1–4.

b. Into each of these test tubes, measure out the amounts of solid shown in the second column below
(amount per 5 mL). NOTE: The third column (amount per 100 g of H2O) is proportional to your
measured quantity, and is the amount you will enter for your graph in Step 8.

Chemistry with Vernier 12 ­ 1
 Amount of salt used per 5 mL Amount of salt used per 100 g
Test tube
H2O (weigh in Step 2) H2O (use in Step 10)
number
1 2.0 40
2 4.0 80
3 6.0 120
4 8.0 160
4. Add precisely 5.0 mL of distilled water to each test tube (assume 1.0 g/mL for water).

5. a. Place all of the test tubes into the 400 mL beaker with the water bath (even if the temperature of the
water bath is not yet up to 90°C).
b. While immersed in the hot water bath, use a stirring rod to stir the solution in test tube labeled “1”
until the salt is completely dissolved. Do not leave the test tube in the water bath any longer than is
necessary to dissolve the solid. NOTE: In order to dissolve all of the unknown salt, Test Tubes 3 and 4
need to be heated to a higher temperature than Test Tubes 1 and 2, so they will take longer.
c. Keep the remaining test tubes in the water bath to continue to heat up the solutions.

6. You are now ready to collect temperature-solubility data.

a. Start data collection.
b. When the first test tube with the unknown salt is completely dissolved, remove the Temperature Probe
from the water bath, wipe it dry, and place it into the solution in the test tube.
c. Use a test tube holder to hold the test tube up to the light to look for the first sign of crystal formation.
At the same time, stir the solution with a slight up and down motion of the Temperature Probe.
d. At the moment crystallization starts to occur, tap Keep.
e. Enter the mass in grams (mass (g) is the solubility value in column 3 of Step 2, g per 100 g H2O).
Select OK to store the temperature-mass data pair.
f. After you have saved the temperature-mass data pair, return the test tube to a test tube rack and place
the Temperature Probe in the water bath for the next trial.
7. Repeat Steps 7 and 8 for each of the other three test tubes. Here are some suggestions to save time:
 One lab partner can be stirring the next salt-water mixture until it dissolves while the other partner
watches for crystallization and enters data pairs.
 Test tubes 1 and 2 may be cooled to lower temperatures using cool tap water and ice in the 250 mL
beaker. This drops the temperature much faster than air. If the crystals form too quickly, briefly warm
the test tube in the hot-water bath and redissolve the solid. Then repeat the cooling and collect the data
pair.
8. a. When you have collected the fourth and last data pair, stop data collection.
b. Discard the four solutions as directed by your instructor.

9. Examine the data points along the curve on the displayed graph (or the data table) and record the
temperature values in your data table.
Name ___________________________
Date _________________
Lab period/day _________

A. Competency:

(LAB) Determine the solubility of a solid in a given amount of water at different temperatures
STEM_GC11PP-IId-f-120

B. Pre-Lab Questions:
1. Define saturated solution. ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. a) How many test tubes will you be using? ____________
b) Will each test tube have the same amount of salt dissolved in it? _______________
3. How much distilled water will go into each test tube? _________
4. What is the mass of unknown salt placed into:
Test tube 1: __________
Test tube 2: __________
Test tube 3: __________
Test tube 4: __________
5. As each solution begins to cool, what are you monitoring? ____________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
6. What kind of solution is it when you observe the answer to question #5? _________________________
7. How should test tubes 1 and 2 be cooled to enable the temperature to drop faster than it would in air?
___________________________________________________________________________________
8. Why must test tubes 3 and 4 be heated to a higher temperature than test tubes 1 and 2 were?
___________________________________________________________________________________
9. What should you do if the crystals form too quickly? _________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
10. a) What is the y-axis labeled on Reference Table G? _________________________________________
b) What is the value used to create a proportion between 5 mL of H2O and 100 mL of H2O? __________
c) Why is it necessary to make the third column proportional to your measured quantity during this lab?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
C. Data Table

Amount of salt used Solubility Temp

Trial per 5 mL H2O (g/100 g H2O) (°C)

1 2.0 40.0

2 4.0 80.0

3 6.0 120.0

4 8.0 160.0

D. Graph: (use best graph practices)

.
E. Questions

1. According to your data, how is solubility of the unknown salt affected by an increase in temperature of
the solvent?
___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

2. What is effect of temperature in salt?______________________________

For the following questions, USE THE GRAPH YOU CREATED IN PART D.

3. Use your graph from the previous page to determine if each of these solutions would be saturated,
unsaturated or supersaturated:
a. 110 g of unknown salt in 100 g of water at 40°C _________________________________________

b. 60 g of unknown salt in 100 g of water at 70°C ___________________________________________

c. 140 g of unknown salt in 200 g of water at 60°C __________________________________________

4. According to your graph, will 50 g of salt completely dissolve in 100 g of water at 50°C? Explain.

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

5. According to your graph, will 120 g of salt completely dissolve in 100 g of water at 40°C? Explain.

___________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________

6. According to your graph, how many grams of salt will dissolve in 100g of water at 30°C? _________