AP CHEM LAB: Formula of a Hydrate

Name: ____________________

Objective
The lab work has two objectives: first, confirm the formula of a hydrate with known formula and
second, find the formula of a hydrate in which the salt formula is known but not the molar amount of
water.
Overview
This lab activity combines in-class problem-solving with lab work. Students will be introduced to
the concept of hydrated salts, anhydrous salts, hydrate nomenclature, and the molar mass of
hydrates. The lab portion of this work conists in confirming the formula of a hydrate of known
formula (CuSO45H2O) and finding the formula of a hydrated salt of known formula but unknown
water content (MgSO4XH2O).
Background
Some chemical compounds, especially inorganic salts, incorporate water into their crystalline
structures. Water has a polar structure: it has positively and negatively charged parts within each
molecule. This gives it a strong attraction toward ions. The ions in some salts attract and form strong
bonds with water molecules. These salts, when they have absorbed water, are called hydrates.
Anhydrous salts are salts that can form hydrates but which have had all the water driven off,
usually by heat. Hydrated salts are characterized by the number of moles of water molecules per
mole of salt. The so-called water of hydration of nickel (II) chloride (NiCl2) is six moles H2O for
every one mole of NiCl2. The hydration reaction is shown below. The hydrate in this reaction is called
nickel (II) chloride hexahydrate.
NiCl2 + 6H2O NiCl26H2O
The formula of this hydrate shows the molar amount of water incorporated into the crystal
matrix. For most hydrates the amount of water included in the formula is only important when
trying to measure molar amounts of the salt. You need to know the true formula weight (molar mass)
in order to measure out the mass needed to give a certain number of moles. The chemical importance
of the water of hydration is minimal since it can be driven off by heat or simply dissolve away if the
salt is dissolved in water. From the reaction above, nickel (II) chloride hexahydrate (NiCl26H2O) the
molar mass is 237.69 g/mol not 129.60 g/mol. The figure 129.60 g/mol is the molar mass of the
anhydrous salt.
Formulas for hydrates are written using a dot convention: a dot is used to separate the formula
of the salt from the formula of the water of hydration. A numerical coefficient gives the molar
amount of water included in the hydrate. Hydrates are named using prefixes for the word hydrate (at
right). For example, CuCl22H2O is copper (II) chloride dihydrate and CuSO45H2O is copper (II)
sulfate pentahydrate. One key point: the dot is not a multiplication sign. When calculating the molar
mass you add the molar mass of water (multiplied by the coefficient).
An everyday example of hydration is concrete. Concrete is made by mixing Portland cement with
water and aggregate materials. The aggregate materials are the gravel and sand that add strength to
the final concrete. The Portland cement is a mixture of calcium silicates, calcium aluminate, calcium
aluminoferrite and gypsum. All of these chemicals absorb water by hydration. This means that
concrete does not dry in a conventional sense. Instead the water mixed with the concrete combines
chemically with the materials in the cement and the resulting hydrates form a strong matrix that
holds the concrete together and makes it strong.
Another interesting example of the value of hydration is the incorporation of hydrated building

materials (such as concrete, gypsum wall board and plaster). The building materials will not rise
above the 100C boiling point of water until all of the water of hydration has been driven off. This can
help keep damage to a minimum until the fire can be put out. In the construction business this is
known as passive fire protection.
Pre-lab Problems
The following problems will help you to be able to do the math required for the analysis of your
lab
results.
An
example
problem
with
an
animation
can
be
found
at
http://www.chem.iastate.edu/group/Greenbowe/sections/projectfolder/animationsindex.htm
under Stoichiometry. The relevant animation is called Percent Composition of a Hydrate Simulation.
1. Find the molar mass of the following hydrated and anhydrous salts.
FeCl22H2O ____________

FeCl2

____________

CaCl22H2O ____________

CaCl2

____________

CuSO45H2O ____________

CuSO4

____________

MnSO44H2O ____________

MnSO4

____________

Example:
Given 0.62 g CuSO45H2O find the mass of water that would be driven off by heating
1 mol
0.62 g = 2.48 10-3 mol
reaction: CuSO45H2O --> CuSO4 + 5H2O
249.69 g
5 mol H2O
-3
2.48 10 mol = 1.24 10-2 mol H2O = 0.22 g H2O(18.02 g/mol)
1 mol CuSO45H2O
So the anhydrous salt in the sample accounts for 0.40 g
and the mass of the water of hydration is 0.22 g

2. Find the mass of the anhydrous salt in a 142.3 g sample of MnSO44H2O. This might be found
in the lab by heating the sample until its mass does not decrease any further.

3. Find the mass of the anhydrous salt and the mass of water in a 10.9 g sample of FeCl22H2O.

Example:
A 140.5-g sample of NiSO4XH2O is heated until no further decrease in mass.
The mass of the anhydrous salt is 77.5 g. Find the number of water molecules
in the formula of this hydrate of nickel (II) sulfate.
1 mol
77.5 g = 0.50 mol NiSO4
reaction: NiSO4XH2O --> NiSO4 + XH2O
154.76 g
1 mol
140.5 g - 77.5 g = 63 g H2O = 3.5 mol H2O
18.02 g
3.5 mol H2O
= 7 mol H2O per mol anhydrous salt so formula is NiSO47H2O
0.5 mol
nickel (II) sulfate heptahydrate

4. Given that a 40.14-g sample of hydrated NiSO4 is reduced in mass to 22.14 g upon heating
show that the formula of the hydrate is NiSO47H2O.

5. Given that a 139.4-g sample of hydrated MnSO4 is reduced in mass to 94.38 g upon heating
find the empirical formula of the hydrate. Also, write the name of the hydrate of manganese
sulfate.

Materials
ring stand
crucible tongs
clay triangle
bunsen burner
lab balance
~1 g CuSO45H2O

ring
crucible
small dropper for water
matches
watch glass
2 - 3 g MgSO4XH2O

Safety
If you choose not to wear safety glasses you are choosing to sit out the lab
CuSO4 is extremely hazardous by ingestion or exposure of the skin: toxicity is an LD50 of 1088
mg/kg by ingestion
If you accidentally ingest CuSO4 notify your instructor immediately; wash off of your hands after
handling and before leaving the lab
Use all due caution with the bunsen burner
Hot things (like crucibles and metal rings) look like cold things; do not touch anything with bare
hands without checking the temperature
Procedure
Part I
1. Thoroughly heat your crucible and allow it to cool on the clay triangle. Then weigh your crucible.
This ensures that it is clean and dry.
2. Obtain about 1 g of CuSO45H2O in your crucible and weigh it, recording the mass to the
maximum available precision.
3. Make a prediction about the amount of mass that will be lost when you heat the sample of
copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate. Specifically, calculate the mass of the anhydrous salt and the
mass of water that will be driven off. Show this to your instructor before proceeding.
4. Once you have your instructors approval, place the crucible containing the CuSO45H2O on the
clay triangle.
5. Light the bunsen burner and adjust for a hot flame.
6. Heat the crucible as gently as possible with the burner by moving the burner under the crucible
for a few seconds at a time. Note the release of any steam from the crucible.
7. Remove the heat source and use a pair of lab spatulas to occasionally stir the copper sulfate.
Carefully scrape all of it back into the crucible. Be careful not to do this while heating!
8. Continue heating gently until the salt turns completely white. Be careful not to overheat!
The heat can become so intense that the sulfate in the salt begins to break down. If this
happens the salt will turn yellow and produce a sulfurous smell. It will also ruin your data
since it will reduce the mass more than expected due to the decomposition of the salt.
9. Stop heating when the salt has lost all traces of blue color. Allow the crucible and its contents to
cool completely.
10. Once the crucible is cool, find its mass. Then stir the copper(II) sulfate and heat the crucible
and its contents again for a short time. Then allow it to cool and weigh it. If the mass is the
same as the previous weighing, then the salt has been completely dehydrated. If not, repeat
the heating/cooling/weighing process until two successive weighings have the same mass.
11. Record the final mass of the anhydrous salt in you lab notebook and do the calculations to show
that the molar ratio of water to anhydrous salt really is 5:1.
12. Empty the anhydrous salt onto a large watch glass. Use the dropper to add a very little water to
the anhydrous copper (II) sulfate. Describe what happens in your lab notebook. For your
report think about what is happening at the molecular level when you add water. Draw a
model.
13. When you finished this part of the lab empty the re-hydrated CuSO45H2O into the beaker
provided by your instructor for this purpose. Then begin Part II.
Part II
In this part of the lab you will repeat the same procedure performed for the salt of known
formula with a salt for which you do not know the hydrate formula. The salt is magnesium sulfate
(MgSO4). Your correct identification of the hydrate formula is worth 5 points on your lab report. To
ensure better chances of getting the correct result you may want to consider doing at least two (and

perhaps three) trials. For each trial use a minimum of 2 g. The magnesium sulfate is not nearly so
hazardous as the copper (II) sulfate and a larger amount will help to reduce errors due to small lab
balance inaccuracies. An additional challenge is that both the hydrate and anhydrous salt are white.
By the way, magnesium sulfate is the chemical name for Epsom Salts. Epsom Salts were
discovered by a farmer in Epsom, England. Every day his cows waded through water containing
naturally high amounts of magnesium sulfate. He found that the cows showed evidence of diarrhea
but also that the incidence of small wounds near their hooves was reduced. Epsom Salts are used as a
laxative and in foot soaks and bath salts. It soothes tired muscles and can help to heal skin problems,
including acne.
The Report
Each individual student must write their own formal lab report. The report must include your
raw data, calculations and a detailed analysis. The procedure portion of your report must be given in
your own words and must describe what you actually did in the lab. Include descriptions of your
observations in the procedure section. Be sure to show your work for all important calculations:
partial credit toward the 5 points of accuracy of your hydrate formula cannot be awarded if you do
not show your work. Work must be included in the typed portion of the report. Data should be
presented in neat tables. Some questions to help focus your analysis:
1. What was the expected mass of anhydrous copper (II) sulfate? The expected mass of water to be
lost by heating?
2. How well did your prediction match up with your results for copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate?
3. If the mass-loss was greater than that expected due to the loss of the mass of water how can you
explain this? (See step 8 in Part I). What other explanations can you offer for unexpected
results?
4. What is the formula of the hydrate of magnesium sulfate? What is the name of this hydrate?
Common Student Mistakes:
* Some students failed to include their observations with the procedure. The procedure is meant to
relate to others how to do the experiment. Your observations will be very helpful in assuring
others that they really are replicating your work.
* When writing about your observations do not write that you carefully noted them without writing
down what they are!
* Sample calculations must be typed separately from the Analysis section. Do not describe
calculations! Just give your results and the interpretation of your results.
* In writing your report be sure to write about what you learned; do not simply state that you
learned about something!
* Remember that all instruments used for measurement have an inherent uncertainty.
Discrepancies in results of 1 g or less on the lab balances is probably within the expected
* When giving background information do not simply paraphrase (parrot-phrase) what I wrote or
what I said in class; figure it out for yourself and put it in your own words