Chem 141

Pre-lab Questions Experiment A-328 Transforming Copper

1. (a) You must carry out the oxidation of Cu with HNO​3​ in a fume hood because it is an

extremely concentrated acid and acid can burn your skin. It also produces toxic NO​2

gas.

(b) You should be particularly careful when you work with 3 M H​2​SO​4​ solution

because it is also toxic.

2. (a) decant- to pour gently from one container to another without disturbing sediment. This

occurs in part III: converting Cu(OH)​2​ to CuO in step 11. You must decant the supernatant in

beaker containing the copper into a large beaker.

(b) filtrate- ​the product of filtration; a gas or liquid that has been passed through a filter. This

occurs during day 2 step 18 when you filtrate the copper using acetone with the vacuum

filtration apparatus.

(c) supernatant liquid- The precipitate-free liquid remaining above the solid. This occurs

during part III: Converting Cu(OH)​2​ to CuO when the solution is formed it is called the

supernatant.

3. Cu (s) + 4 H​3​O​+​ (aq) + 2 NO​3​-​ (aq) → [Cu(H​2​O)​6​]​2+​ (aq) + 2 NO​2​ (g)

[Cu(H​2​O)​6​]​2+​ (aq) + 2 OH​-​ →Cu(OH)​2​ (s) + 6 H​2​O (l)

Cu(OH)​2​ (s) →CuO (s) + H​2​O (l)

CuO (s) + 2 H​3​O​+​ (aq) + 3 H​2​O (l) → [Cu(H​2​O)​6​]​2+​ (aq)

[Cu(H​2​O)​6​]​2+​ (aq) + Zn (s) → Cu (s) + Zn​2+​ (aq) + 6 H​2​O (aq)

4. (a) The test to perform to determine when you added sufficient NaOH solution in part II is

dip the stirring rod into the top layer of the solution and touch a drop of solution from the rod
to a piece of litmus paper places on a watch glass. Stop when the paper just changes the color

of the litmus paper.

(b) When you added sufficient NaOH solution, you will observe a acid and base reaction.

You can not add too much NaOH and begin producing CuO.

(c) You will determine whether or not you have added sufficient zinc in part V by adding 6 to

8 large pieces of zinc to the solution, this should form hydrogen gas and the disappearance of

the blue color, if the blue color is still there when the zinc is done reacting then you add more

zinc.

(d) It is important that you do not overheat the Cu when you dry it in part V because the

copper ion will have a higher mass of copper metal.

5. The percent Cu recovered by the student can be calculated by dividing the value of the

mass of Cu isolated by the initial value of the Cu wire dissolved and multiplying it by 100 to

get the percent.

(0.34g Cu)/(0.39 g of Cu wire in HNO​3​) x 100 = 87%