IB1 Chemistry Practical # 6

International School Manila

Name. Date:

Water of hydration (water of crystallization) Most solid compounds will contain some water if they have been exposed to the atmosphere for any length of time. In most cases the water is present in quite small quantities and is merely adsorbed on the surface of the crystals. This adsorbed water can usually be removed by gentle heating. Other solid compounds will contain larger amounts of water that are bound to the compound more strongly. These compounds are usually ionic salts. The water present in these salts, called water of hydration, is generally bound to the cations in the compound. A few hydrated compounds will lose water spontaneously to the atmosphere upon standing. Such compounds are called efflorescent. More generally, hydrated compounds may be dehydrated by heating. As the temperature is increased, the vapour pressure of water above the solid hydrate will increase until it exceeds the partial pressure of water in the atmosphere above it. At that temperature, dehydration occurs. As the water of hydration is lost from a hydrated compound, the compound may go through several colour changes which will correspond to the colours of the various hydrates formed by the salt. This suggests that water was present as part of the crystal structure. The number of moles of water present per mole of anhydrous (without water) salt is usually a simple whole number. One example is hydrated copper sulfate. CuSO45H2O hydrated copper(II) sulfate (blue) CuSO4 + 5H2O anhydrous copper(II) sulfate (white)

CuSO45H2O is blue and its crystals look and feel dry. Yet, each mole of the hydrate contains 5 moles of water. The dot between the CuSO4 and the 5H2O does not mean multiplication. It means that water molecules are rather loosely attached to the other atoms. As another example, CoCI26H2O is pink; CoCI22H2O is violet and CoCl2 (anhydrous) is blue. Some anhydrous ionic compounds will absorb water from the atmosphere so strongly that they can be used to dry small samples of solids, liquids or gases. These substances, called dessicants, are referred to as hygroscopic substances. A few ionic compounds will take up so much water from the atmosphere that they may eventually dissolve in their water of hydration; such substances are deliquescent. Stoichiometry is the study of the quantitative relationship between the reactants and products in a balanced chemical equation. In this experiment you will be given copper sulfate hydrate. You will determine the mass of water driven off by heating and determine the amount of anhydrous salt which remains. You will thus be able to prove that stoichiometry works and is not fictitious or a figment of some mad scientists wild imagination.

IB1 Chemistry Practical # 6

International School Manila

Name. Date:

Determining the number of moles of water of MgSO4.xH2O

crystallisation in a hydrated salt

In this practical you will determine the number of moles of water of crystallisation in hydrated magnesium sulphate crystals by heating to constant mass in a crucible. Practical Method 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) Weigh an empty crucible with its lid as precisely as possible. Approximately one-third fill the crucible with magnesium sulphate crystals, replace the lid and then reweigh. Heat the crucible strongly on a pipeclay triangle for about ten minutes and then leave it to cool. When it is cool enough to hold in your hand, reweigh it. Heat for a further five minutes, again leave to cool and reweigh. Repeat 5) until there is no further loss in weight.

Data Collection If you feel comfortable setting out your results appropriately, with the correct level of precision, and are able to include the uncertainties in your results do so on a separate sheet of file paper (in ink) or on your laptop. Refer to the IB lab rubrics! If you would like help ask Mr Goodman. Data Processing If you feel comfortable using your results to find the number of moles of water of crystallisation in the hydrated salt MgSO4.xH2O then do so. Refer to the IB lab rubrics! If you would like to be steered towards the final results ask Mr Goodman for a structured worksheet.

Conclusion & Evaluation If you feel able to write a conclusion and evaluation to this experiment then do so. Youll need to include weaknesses, possible limitations and suggestions for improvement. Refer to the IB lab rubrics! If youd like to be helped through these sections ask Mr Goodman for help. Hell provide you with some structured questions.