What is Zinc?

• Zinc is a transition metal with atomic number 30 and represented in the Periodic
Table with the symbol ‘Zn’
• Zinc is one more of those advantageous metals that we make use of daily.
• It is part of those elements which humans have been expanding for thousands of
years.
• Zinc is an important trace element in the human body, where it is present as an
integral part of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase at a high concentration in the red
blood cells, causing several reactions related to carbon dioxide metabolism.
• The specific heat of zinc is 0.400 Jg−1oC−1 and that of water is 4.20 Jg−1oC−1.

Chemical Properties of Zinc

Physical Properties of Zinc

• Zinc is generally seen as part of larger compound minerals.
• When secluded, it is a very sparkly, whitish-blue metal.
• The metal is not as soft as copper and has lesser uses.
What is Zinc Sulfate (ZnSO4)?
ZnSO4 is an inorganic compound with the chemical name Zinc Sulfate.
Zinc Sulfate is a dietary supplement. It was historically called white vitriol. It is
also known as Zincate, Zinc sulfate (1:1). This compound is listed on the World
Health Organization’s List of Essential Medicines. You must avoid taking this
medication with foods that are high in phosphorus or calcium because it can
make it harder for your body to absorb.

Zinc Sulfate is odourless and has a white powder appearance. Zinc Sulfate is
non-combustible and soluble in water. It emits toxic fumes of zinc oxide and
sulphur oxides during decomposition. It is widely used in the prevention and
treatment of zinc deficiency.

Physical Properties of Zinc

• Zinc is generally seen as part of larger compound minerals.
• When secluded, it is a very sparkly, whitish-blue metal.
• The metal is not as soft as copper and has lesser uses.
 •

• Solid Phase Heat Capacity (Shomate Equation)

• Cp° = A + B*t + C*t2 + D*t3 + E/t2

H° − H°298.15= A*t + B*t2/2 + C*t3/3 + D*t4/4 − E/t + F − H
S° = A*ln(t) + B*t + C*t2/2 + D*t3/3 − E/(2*t2) + G
Cp = heat capacity (J/mol*K)
H° = standard enthalpy (kJ/mol)
S° = standard entropy (J/mol*K)
t = temperature (K) / 1000.

What is Copper Sulfate?

Copper sulfate is a term that can refer to either of the following chemical
compounds – cuprous sulfate (Cu2SO4), or cupric sulfate (CuSO4). However, the
latter is the preferred compound described by the term ‘copper sulfate’. The
systematic name for CuSO4 is copper(II) sulfate, but it is also referred to as blue
vitriol, Roman vitriol, the vitriol of copper, and bluestone.

The most common form of copper sulfate is its pentahydrate, given by the
chemical formula CuSO4.5H2O. This form is characterized by its bright blue
colour. However, it can be noted that the anhydrous form of this salt is a powder
that is white.
The CuSO4 molecule consists of an ionic bond between the copper cation
(Cu2+) and the sulfate anion (SO42-). An illustration describing the structure of a
copper sulfate molecule is provided below.

Copper sulfate can be prepared by treating metallic copper with heated and
concentrated sulphuric acid, or by treating the oxides of copper with dilute
sulphuric acid. It can be noted that the oxidation state exhibited by the copper
atom in a CuSO4 molecule is +2.

Properties of CuSO4
The physical and chemical properties of copper sulfate are discussed in this
subsection. It can be noted that the properties of anhydrous CuSO4 and
CuSO4.5H2O vary considerably, and have been highlighted separately.

Physical Properties

• The molar mass of the anhydrous and the pentahydrate forms of copper sulfate
are 159.609 grams/mole and 249.685 grams per mole respectively.
• Anhydrous CuSO4 has a grey-white, powdery appearance whereas the
pentahydrate has a bright blue colour.
• The densities of the anhydrous and pentahydrate forms are 3.6 grams per cubic
centimetre and 2.286 g.cm-3
 • Both hydrated and anhydrous copper sulfates tend to decompose on heating and
hence do not have exact boiling points.
• Anhydrous CuSO4 has an orthorhombic crystal structure whereas CuSO4.5H2O
crystals have triclinic structures.

Chemical Properties

• The copper ions present in copper sulfate react with the chloride ions belonging to
concentrated hydrochloric acid, leading to the formation of tetrachlorocuprate(II).
• The chemical equation for this reaction is given by Cu2+ + 4Cl– → CuCl42-
• When heated to 650oC, CuSO4 undergoes a decomposition reaction to yield cupric
oxide (CuO) and SO3 (sulfur trioxide).
• Copper sulfate is highly soluble in water, with solubility values of 1.055 molal and
1.502 molal ate 10oC and 30oC respectively.
A typical example of a single displacement reaction where one metal displaces
another is the reaction between iron and copper sulfate, given by the
reaction Fe + CuSO4 → FeSO4 + Cu

Solid Phase Heat Capacity (Shomate Equation)

Cp° = A + B*t + C*t2 + D*t3 + E/t2

H° − H°298.15= A*t + B*t2/2 + C*t3/3 + D*t4/4 − E/t + F − H
S° = A*ln(t) + B*t + C*t2/2 + D*t3/3 − E/(2*t2) + G
Cp = heat capacity (J/mol*K)
H° = standard enthalpy (kJ/mol)
S° = standard entropy (J/mol*K)
t = temperature (K) / 1000.