NICOLETTE RICHARDS AND JEANNA COLLINS; 2007372, 2000620

THE MOLE CONCEPT

Experiment 3: Determining the Mole Ratios in a Chemical Reaction

A balanced chemical reaction equation gives the mole ratios of the reactants and the products as
coefficients. When some of the chemical formulas are not known, an experiment must be
conducted to help determine the mole ratios.
This experiment uses two common substances as the reactants: hypochlorite ion (OCl –) from
household bleach and thiosulfate ion (S2O32–), the active ingredient in a photographic “fixer”
solution used to develop film. In the reaction, hypochlorite ions oxidize the thiosulfate ions
according to the unbalanced and incomplete reaction equation below.
A OCl– + B S2O32– → products
It is possible to identify the coefficients, A and B, for the reactants, without knowing the
products of the reaction. The process that you will use to determine the coefficients is called
continuous variations. You will prepare a series of mixtures of the two reactants. Each mixture
will have the same total volume and the same total number of moles of reactants. The reaction is
exothermic, thus the mixture that generates the most heat energy will be the reaction that
completely consumes both the hypochlorite and the thiosulfate ions. You will use this mixture to
establish the coefficients, and therefore the mole ratio, for the reaction.

OBJECTIVES
 In this experiment, you will
 Measure the enthalpy change of a series of reactions.
 Determine the stoichiometry of an oxidation-reduction reaction in which the reactants are
known but the products are unknown.

Aim
To determine the stoichiometry of a redox reaction by measuring the enthalpy change of a series of
reactions.

Abstract
To determine the stoichiometry of NaOCl and Na2S2O3 was done by using a redox reaction by measuring
the enthalpy change of a series of reactions. The mole ratio was found to be 4:1for hypochlorite and
thiosulfate respectively. An error associated with this experiment is the reactants not reacting completely
which could affect the result values.
 MATERIALS
three 250 mL beakers
two 10 mL graduated cylinders
two 25 mL graduated cylinders
two 50 mL graduated cylinders
0.50 M sodium hypochlorite, NaOCl, solution
0.50 M sodium thiosulfate, Na2S2O3, solution
0.2 M sodium hydroxide, NaOH
Styrofoam® cups

PROCEDURE
Firstly, goggles were obtained and worn. Next, about 200mL of each reactant, NaOCl and Na2S2O3 were
obtained. A pipette was then used to measure out precisely 25.00mL of 0.50 M NaOCl solution. The
solution was poured into a Styrofoam cup and the cup was nested in a beaker to help with stability. Next,
the tip of the thermometer was immersed in the Styrofoam cup containing the NaOCl solution. After, the
same amount of measurement was done for 0.5 M Na2S2O2 solution. Next, the initial temperature for a 20
seconds period was recorded and the Na2S2O3 solution was then added and gently swirled. The
continuation of the temperature was recorded at 20 seconds intervals for up to three minutes. The
maximum temperature change was calculated and recorded through the examination of the graph; a
temperature vs. Time graph was plotted and the highest and initial temperature change from the graph
was determined. The reaction mixture was rinsed out and disposed of. After, the necessary steps were
repeated to continue testing various ratios of the two solutions, the total volume at 50.00mL was kept
until three measurements on either side of the ratio that produced the greatest temperature change.
Finally, a change in temperature vs. Volume of the hypochlorite graph was plotted.

DATA TABLE

TABLE OF VOLUMES, TEMPERATURE CHANGE AND LIMITING REACTANT

FOR OCl- AND S2O2-.
–
Volume OCl
– Volume S2O 2 Temperature
3
Limiting reactant
(mL) (mL) change (°C)

25 25 19.5 thiosulfate

20 30 15.2 thiosulfate

30 20 23.2 thiosulfate

10 40 7.9 thiosulfate

40 10 31.9 thiosulfate

43 7 21.5 thiosulfate

45 5 12.7 thiosulfate
Graph 1:
 Graph 2:

DATA ANALYSIS
1. Determine the whole number mole ratio of the two reactants. Use the information in the
graph 2 (temperature change vs. volume of hypochlorite).

Answer: The whole number ratio of the two reactant was determined to me :

4 OCl– + 1 S2O32–

Mole ratio = 4:1

2. The molarities of the reactant solutions were equal in this experiment. Is this necessary, or
even important, for the success of the experiment? Briefly explain.
Answer: It is not necessary for the molarities of the reactant solutions to be equal because the purpose
of the lab is to find the mole ratio of the chemicals and not the molarity.
 3. Identify the limiting reactant in each trial?

Molarity of:

OCl = 0.50 M/ 0.5 in 1L

S2O32 = 0.50 M/ 0.5 in 1 L

 Trial 1: 25 ml OCl , 25ml S2O32

ml to L

25ml OCl= 0.025L

25ml S2O32 = 0.025L

Therefore:

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.025L

X = 0.0125moles of OCl

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.025L

X = 0.0125 moles of S2O32

4 OCl– : 1 S2O32–

4(0.0125) moles of OCl : 0.0125 moles of S2O32–

0.0125 mole OCl × 4 S2O32– / 1 mole OCl = 0.5 S2O32–

We only have 0.0125 moles S2O32– and 0.5 mol is needed to complete the reaction

Therefore, the limiting reactant =

S2O32–

 Trial 2: 20 ml OCl , 30ml S2O32–

30ml = 0.03L
 20ml OCl= 0.020L

30ml S2O32 = 0.030L

Therefore:

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.030L

X = 0.015moles of S2O32

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.020L

X = 0.01 moles of OCl

4 OCl– : 1 S2O32–

4(0.01) moles of OCl : 0.015 moles of S2O32–

0.01 mole OCl × 4 S2O32– / 1 mole OCl = 0. 04 S2O32–

We only have 0.015moles S2O32– and 0.04 mol is needed to complete the reaction

Therefore, the limiting reactant =

S2O32–

Trial 3: 30 ml OCl 20ml S2O32–

30ml OCl= 0.030L

20ml S2O32 = 0.020L

Therefore:

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.030L

X = 0.015moles of OCl
0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.020L

X = 0.01 moles of S2O32

4 OCl– : 1 S2O32–

4(0.015) moles of OCl : 0.01 moles of S2O32–

0.06 mole OCl × 4 S2O32– / 1 mole OCl = 0. 24 S2O32–

We only have 0.01moles S2O32– and 0.24 moles is needed to complete the reaction

Therefore, the limiting reactant =

S2O32–

Trial 4: 10ml OCl 40ml S2O32–

10ml OCl= 0.01L

40ml S2O32 = 0.04L

Therefore:

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.01L

X = 0.005moles of OCl

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.04L

X = 0.02 moles of S2O32

 4 OCl– : 1 S2O32–

4(0.005) moles of OCl : 0.02 moles of S2O32–

0.005 mole OCl × 4 S2O32– / 1 mole OCl = 0. 02 S2O32–

We have 0.02moles S2O32– and 0.02 moles is needed to complete the reaction

Therefore, the limiting reactant =

S2O32–

 Trial 5: 40 ml OCl 10ml S2O32–

10ml S2O32= 0.01L

40ml OCl = 0.04L

Therefore:

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.01L

X = 0.005moles of S2O32

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.04L

X = 0.02 moles of OCl

4 OCl– : 1 S2O32–

4(0.02) moles of OCl : 0.005moles of S2O32–

0.02 mole OCl × 4 S2O32– / 1 mole OCl = 0. 08 S2O32–

We only have 0.005moles S2O32– and 0.08 moles is needed to complete the reaction
Therefore, the limiting reactant =
S2O32–

 Trial 6: 45 ml OCl 5ml S2O32–

5ml S2O32= 0.005L

45ml OCl = 0.045L

Therefore:

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.005L

X = 0.0025moles of S2O32

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.045L

X = 0.0225 moles of OCl

4 OCl– : 1 S2O32–

4(0.0225) moles of OCl : 0.0025moles of S2O32–

0.0225 mole OCl × 4 S2O32– / 1 mole OCl = 0. 09 S2O32–

We only have 0.0025moles S2O32– and 0.09 moles is needed to complete the reaction

Therefore, the limiting reactant =

S2O32–

 Trial 7: 43 ml OCl 7ml S2O32–

 7ml S2O32= 0.007L

43ml OCl = 0.043L

Therefore:

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.007L

X = 0.0035moles of S2O32

0.5mol is in 1L

X mol is in 0.043L

X = 0.0215 moles of OCl

4 OCl– : 1 S2O32–

4(0.0215) moles of OCl : 0.0035moles of S2O32–

0.0215 mole OCl × 4 S2O32– / 1 mole OCl = 0. 086 S2O32–

We only have 0.0035moles S2O32– and 0.086 moles is needed to complete the reaction

Therefore, the limiting reactant =

S2O32–

EXERCISE:
Find the actual balanced chemical equation for the reaction between OCl – and S2O32–. Does
the mole ratio that you determined in your experiment match the actual reaction equation’s
coefficients for the two reactants? Explain, especially if your mole ratios do not match the
 coefficients.
Answer: 4 OCl-{l} + S2O42-{l} + 2OH{l} → 2SO42-{l} + 4Cl-{l} + H2O{l}
The determined mole ratio matched the actual reaction equation’s coefficient of the two reactants. The
mole ratio for hypochlorite and thiosulfate was showed by a balanced chemical equation. There needs to
be one mole of thiosulfate for every four moles of hypochlorite.

Conclusion:
The mole ratio of hypochlorite and thiosulfate was determined to me 4:1 respectively.
Markscheme
Aim 1
Abstract 3
Procedure (Summary) 2
Data and Results 6
Calculations (Questions) 7 (3 + 2 + 2)
Exercise 4
Conclusion 1
References 1
Total = 25 marks