Making salts and stuff

As part of our last experiment for our acids and bases unit, we are learning how to make salts.

Making salts

Aim: Produce copper sulfate salts by reacting copper oxide with an acid. 

Equipment:

• Copper oxide powder, dilute sulfuric acid
• 50ml measuring cylinder 
• Two 100 mL beakers, 
• Bunsen Burner
• Tripod
• Gauze mat
• Funnel
• Filter paper
• Thermometer 
• Spatula
• Evaporating basin 
• Stirring rod 

Method

1. Add 20mL of sulfuric acid to a 100 mL beaker. Heat this until, it reaches 70 degrees (this is in Celsius) then turn off your bunsen burner
2. Use a spatula to add pea-sized portions of copper oxide to the beaker. Stir for 30 seconds. Repeat until no more will dissolve. Allow beaker to cool.
3. Fold the filter paper and place it in the funnel. PLace the filter funnel into the second beaker.
4. Make sure the beaker is cool enough to hold at the top. The contents should still be hot. Ask Teacher for help if needed.
5. Gently swirl the contents of the beaker to mix, then pour into the filter paper in funnel. Allow to filter through.
6. Rinse the beaker you used to heat the mixture previously and place back onto tripod once filled with 50-60mL of water. 
7. Place evaporating basin on top of the beaker and carefully pour some of the solution from the beaker into evaporating basin. 
8.   Gently heat the beaker until the solution in the basin has reduced by half.
9. Leave the basin to cool. Once cool, move the basin to a warm place where it will not be disturbed and observe over the next few days. Hopefully, if done correctly, crystals will start to appear.

                    

Discussion

Everything went smoothly and we managed to finish everything with time to spare which is good. This was pretty straight forward so there isn't much to talk about. UH YEAH NEVER MIND APPARENTLY ONE OF THE GROUPS IN A DIFFERENT CLASS KNOCKED OURS OVER AND TRIED TO RE MAKE IT AND THEN MR STOCK BURNT IT AND THEY DIDN'T TELL US. Any way this is what a burnt version of the experiment looks like.
 

It ends up like this because the water evaporates which leaves the copper sulfate left. The white stuff is because Mr Stock decided to boil it until there was no water left in the beaker. This burnt the liquid and left little to no solution left to crystallize. 

Conclusion

When we re-made the experiment we had to wait until Tuesday (because Queen's birthday). I'll update when we do see it (if it hasn't been destroyed).