Copper Reactions

Abstract

An approximately 0.5g of copper wire was utilized in the experiment that have
undergone various chemical reactions and was intended to produce the same amount of
the recovered solid. Only 92.45% of the initial quantity yielded at the end of the
experiment. This result would have been caused by some processes improperly
performed which directed to the increase or decrease of the percentage computed using
the formula provided by the instructor. The more accurate the procedures were
accomplished, the higher the probability to have recovered the exact amount of the
starting material.

Introduction

In the real world, the chemical reactions does not always happen exactly the way it
was written on a piece of paper. There are many things that will contribute to the
formation of less product than what is expected. Aside from spills and other experimental
errors, there are usually losses due to an incomplete reaction, undesirable side reactions,
etc. It is necessary for chemists to have a measurement that indicates how successful a
reaction has been which is called the percent yield. To compute, it is first necessary to
determine how much of the product should be formed based on stoichiometry. This is
called the theoretical yield, the maximum amount of product that could be formed from
the given amounts of reactants. The actual yield is the amount of product that is actually
formed when the reaction is carried out in the laboratory. The percent yield is the ratio of
the actual yield to the theoretical yield, expressed as a percentage.

*insert formula of percentage yield

In this laboratory activity, the Law of Conservation of Mass was also tested. As the
law states that scientific law that all matter is conserved; no matter can be created or
destroyed. Rather, matter is shifted and converted into different states. The initially
weighed copper wire will undergo various reaction then at the end of experiment, the
percentage yield would be calculated.

Moreover, according to the law of conservation of mass, when a chemical reaction

occurs, the mass of the products should be equal to the mass of the reactants. Therefore,
the amount of the atoms in each element does not change in the chemical reaction. As a
result, the chemical equation that shows the chemical reaction needs to be balanced. A
balanced chemical equation occurs when the number of the atoms involved in the
reactants side is equal to the number of atoms in the products side.

This experiment aims to practice common quantitative laboratory techniques such

as the methods of separation involving filtration, sedimentation, and decantation and
extraction. As well as to understand stoichiometric calculations in determining the
percentage recovery of copper.

Methodology

The experiment started as a 0.53g of copper wire was weighed using an analytical
balance and was placed in a 250mL beaker. Then, while under the fume food, 4.0mL of
16M HNO3 was added into the beaker containing the copper wires. It was swirled
occasionally until the solid wire was fully dissolved in the acid which produced a blue-
green liquid. Once there were no visible particles in the solution, the beaker was removed
under the fume hood. Distilled water was then poured into the beaker containing the
solution until it was half full. Then, 30.0mL of 6M NaOH was added to the reaction mixture
and turned royal blue in color.

Before heat was applied on to the solution, 2-3 pieces of boiling chips were added
and it was allowed to boil while stirring it. When the solution turns into a black precipitate
and a colorless liquid as it boils, it signified that it was ready for filtration. It was then
poured into a glass funnel with a prepared filter paper and a 600mL beaker at the bottom
that captured the filtrate. The remaining black precipitate inside the 250mL beaker was
washed with 100.0mL hot distilled water. After letting the filtrate separate from the
residue, it was transferred into a smaller beaker using ceramic spatula. Then, it was
dissolved using 15.0mL of 6M H2SO4. The beaker containing the reaction mixture was
again placed under the fume hood before zinc metals were added. It was stirred
occasionally until the reaction stopped as the blue color of the solution disappears and the
bubbling also stopped. The supernatant liquid was then removed by means of decantation
as well as some remaining zinc metals was spooned out. Only red precipitates were left
inside the beaker then it was washed with methanol and decanted afterwards. Next, a
sufficient amount of acetone was also poured into to wash the precipitate and was
decanted later on. The two alcohols were utilized to help dry the solid immediately.

As soon as the red precipitate, which was the recovered copper, was completely
dried, it was weighed again using an analytical balance while still contained in the beaker.
in order to identify the final mass or the actual yield of the copper, the mass of the beaker
alone was subtracted from the mass of the beaker containing the recovered copper. With
the data gathered in the experiment, the percent yield was then computed using the
formula.

Results and Discussion

1. Initial mass of copper wire = 0.53g

2. Mass of recovered copper and beaker = 110.43g
3. Mass of beaker = 109.94g
4. Mass of recovered copper = 0.49g
5. Percentage yield = 92.45%

Mass of recovered copper (actual yield )

Percentage yield = mass of copper wire(theoretical yield) x 100
0.49 g
= 0.53 g x 100
= 92.45%

6. Describe the reaction of copper with nitric acid

When the nitric acid was poured into the copper wire in the beaker, it formed
bubbles and produced a blue-green solution as it dissolves the copper.
7. Describe the reaction of aqueous copper nitrate with sodium hydroxide
The mixtures turns royal blue in color as the sodium hydroxide was poured
into the aqueous copper nitrate.
8. Describe what happens when an aqueous solution of copper (II) hydroxide is heated
Particles accumulate within the solution and it produces a black precipitate.
9. Describe what happens when copper (II) oxide is dissolved in 6M sulfuric acid
When copper (II) oxide was dissolved in a 6M sulfuric acid, the solution
turned blue-green.
10. Describe what happens when zinc metal is added to an aqueous solution of copper
(II) sulfate.
Bubbles form as zinc metal was placed in the copper (II) sulfate then it leaves
a red precipitate which is copper and the blue color of the solution disappears.

In the aforementioned statements, the descriptions of various double replacement

reactions was led by the formation of water, gas or a solid while for single replacement
reactions, an activity series was used to predict if they would occur. For a reaction to
proceed to completion, all of the reactants must mix which means, they were to be stirred
or heated to assist in the process of them reacting.
 Based from theory, at the end of the experiment, there should be the exact same
amount of copper that would be recovered. Thus, yielding a perfect 100% recovery, but
that is typically not the incident in lab situations. In this activity, the group had only regain
92.45% of the original amount of copper and had a 7.55% error due to some possible
reasons.

First, errors could have inaccurately raise the mass of the recovered matter. Some
cases would probably be when the copper was inadequately washed with distilled water
after reacting with the metal zinc and it was not removed thoroughly that contributes to a
higher mass. Also, when the recovered copper was weighed but not yet fully dried, it
would include some water.

Second, errors could have occurred that caused the copper to be lost throughout the
course of the experiment. This would had most likely occurred during decanting when the
copper have settled at the bottom and the liquid was slowly poured out. The liquid that
was removed most probably contained some of the recovered copper. Decanting process
had occurred several times, hence losing a small amount of copper every time could have
an great effect on the recovered solid at the end.

Summary and Conclusion

Human error would be the possible main reason behind the percentage error during
the experiment. A small mistake with the procedures indicated for the activity could have
a large impact on having a decrease in the yield of the copper wire. Unnecessary product
must be properly removed in order to not affect the succeeding steps for this activity was
composed of a series of reactions. There were various techniques in the laboratory that
was applied such as sedimentation, extraction, filtration, where the solution pass through
a filter to separate the filtrate and residue and decantation wherein the solvent was
poured out leaving behind the precipitate. A formula was also provided to compute the
percentage yield of the copper. However, proper weighing of the samples is a must in
order to have a precise and accurate results.

References

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*one from the previous experiment