Chem 1A Cycle of Copper

A Cycle of Copper Reactions

Objectives:

1. To observe a sequence of reactions of copper that form a cycle.

2. To gain skill in recording observations and interpreting them in terms of chemical
equations.
3. To practice quantitative laboratory techniques by determining the percentage recovery of
the initial sample of copper.

Introduction:

To a beginning student of chemistry one of the most fascinating aspects of the laboratory is the
dazzling array of sights, sounds, odors, and textures that are encountered there. Among other
things, this experiment will provide an interesting aesthetic experience. You will be asked to
carry out a series of reactions involving the element copper and to carefully observe and record
your observations. The sequence begins and ends with copper metal, so it is called a cycle of
copper reactions. Because no copper is added or removed between the initial and final steps, and
because each reaction goes to completion, you should be able to quantitatively recover all of the
copper you started with if you are careful and skillful. This diagram shows in an abbreviated
form the reactions of the cycle of copper:

Cu (s) ⎯⎯(1)⎯⎯→ Cu(NO3)2 (aq) ⎯⎯(2)⎯⎯→ Cu(OH)2 (s)

(5) (3)
CuSO4 (aq) ⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯(4)⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯ CuO (s)

Like any good chemist, you will probably be curious to know the identity of each reaction
product and the stoichiometry of the chemical reactions for each step of the cycle. Here they are
numbered so that each step of the cycle corresponds to the chemical equation with the same
number.

8HNO3(aq) + 3Cu(s) + O2(g) ⎯⎯→ 3Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 4H2O(l) + 2NO2(g) rxn. 1

Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) ⎯⎯→ Cu(OH)2(s) + 2NaNO3(aq) rxn. 2

Cu(OH)2(s) ⎯⎯→ CuO(s) + H2O(l) rxn. 3

CuO(s) + H2SO4(aq) ⎯⎯→ CuSO4(aq) + H2O(l) rxn. 4

CuSO4(aq) + Zn(s) ⎯⎯→ ZnSO4(aq) + Cu(s) rxn. 5

Chem 1A Cycle of Copper

Safety Precautions:
Concentrated nitric acid, HNO3, is hazardous. It produces severe burns on the skin and the vapor
is a lung irritant. When you handle it you should use a fume hood while wearing safety goggles
(as always) and rubber or polyvinyl chloride gloves. A polyethylene squeeze pipet can be useful
for transferring the HNO3 from a small beaker to your 10 mL graduated cylinder. Rinse your
hands with tap water after handling HNO3.

The dissolution of the copper wire with concentrated HNO3 must be carried out in a fume hood.
The brown NO2 gas that is evolved is toxic and must be avoided.

NaOH solutions are corrosive to the skin and especially dangerous if splashed into the eyes ⎯
wear your safely goggles!

Methanol and acetone are flammable and their vapors are toxic. Use them in the hood to avoid
breathing the vapor and keep them away from all open flames.

Procedure:
1. Weigh about 0.5 g of copper turnings to the nearest milligram, recording the weight.
Compact the turnings into the bottom of a 250 mL beaker, and ⎯ in the fume hood ⎯
add 4.0 mL of concentrated (16M) nitric acid, HNO3.

2. Steps 2 through 4 can be conducted at your lab bench. After the copper has dissolved, add
deionized water until the beaker is about half full.

3. While stirring the solution with a glass rod, add 30 mL of 3.0 M NaOH to precipitate
Cu(OH)2.

4. Set up a ring stand and Bunsen burner. Stirring gently with a glass rod to prevent
“bumping” (a phenomenon caused by the formation of a large steam bubble in a locally
overheated area), heat the solution just barely to the boiling point over the burner. If the
solution bumps you may lose some CuO, so don’t neglect the stirring.

5. When the transformation is complete (as detected by color change), remove the burner,
continue stirring for a minute or so, then allow the CuO to settle. Then decant (pour off)
the supernatant liquid, being careful not to lose any CuO. Add about 200 mL of hot
deionized water, allow it to settle again and decant once more.

6. Add 15 mL of 6.0 M H2SO4, while stirring.

7. In the fume hood, add all at once 2.0 g of 30-mesh zinc metal, stirring until the
supernatant liquid is colorless.
Chem 1A Cycle of Copper

8. When the evolution of gas has become very slow, decant the supernatant liquid and pour
it into the waste container provided. If you can see any silvery grains of unreacted zinc,
add 10 mL of 6 M HCl and warm, but do not boil, the solution. When no hydrogen
evolution can be detected by eye, decant the supernatant liquid and transfer the copper to
a preweighed porcelain dish. A spatula or rubber policeman is helpful for making the
transfer.

9. Wash the product with about 5 mL of deionized water, allow it to settle, and decant the
wash water. Dispose of the solution in the proper waste containers.

10. Repeat the washing and decantation at least two more times.

11. Wash with about 5 mL of methanol (in the hood), dispose of the methanol in the proper
receptacle, and decant.

12. Place the porcelain dish on a hot plate and dry the copper metal. Let it cool to room
temperature.

13. Calculate the mass of copper you recovered by subtracting the weight of the empty
porcelain dish from the weight of the porcelain dish plus copper metal.
Chem 1A Cycle of Copper

Name: _____________________
Data Table:

Mass of Initial Copper: _______________

Observations after addition of concentrated HNO3:

Observations after addition of 3.0 M NaOH:

Observations after heating solution:

Observations after adding 6.0 M H2SO4:

Observations after adding Zinc:

Final Mass of Copper _______________

Chem 1A Cycle of Copper

Post Lab Assignment

1. Calculate the percent yield for the recovery of copper assuming that copper was always
the limiting reacant.

2. If you got a percent yield greater than 100%, what might be the reason for this? What
might be a reason for getting a percent yield less than 100%?

3. The first reaction that takes place in the cycle of copper has a balanced chemical equation
as follows

8 HNO3(aq) + 3 Cu(s) + O2(g) ⎯⎯→ 3 Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 4 H2O(l) + 2 NO2(g)

If 0.500g of solid copper reacted with 2.0 mL of 16.0M HNO3, how many moles of
Cu(NO3)2 would you produce?
Chem 1A Cycle of Copper

Advanced Study Assignment (ASA)

Please Read the Safety Precautions section of the Lab as well as the Procedure before
Attempting this ASA.

1. What safety precautions need to be taken when handling concentrated nitric acid in this
lab?

2. What toxic gas is formed during the first reaction in this lab?

3. What do you need to add to your CuO(s) in this reaction to convert it into CuSO4? What
safety precautions should be taken at this step?