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6.05
30.71
15.85
19.21
7.85
GALLIUMSOURCE.com
020
050
Potassium, 10g
Strontium, 100g
85.00
45.00
Notes:
1. Magnesium and calcium turnings are easily dispensed, although the
calcium must be protected from excessive oxidation. Strontium granules
(as supplied from Aldrich) are too big and very time intensive to cut. We
are currently looking for a source of strontium ribbon.
2. Calcium and strontium both react with water almost instantaneously with
water, so the added vinegar makes a slight difference in reactivity.
3. Although students can safely work with lithium under no circumstances
should they work with sodium or potassium.
4. Sodium and potassium should always be purchased in very small
quantities. Flinn Scientific sells precut demonstration sized pieces of
sodium and potassium. Sodium and potassium demonstration pieces
should be about the size of a lentil.
5. This demonstration should be practiced several times before being done
in front of the class. If the metal sample is to big it will pop/explode out of
the beaker sending molten metal a few feet in all directions. The molten
metal is severely caustic. Many instructors place a safety shield around
the demonstration to keep the metal fragments away from students.
6. If a piece the size of a walnut is used the metal will violently explode
sending molten metal and glass (from the beaker) ten to twenty feet in all
directions. The demonstration is safe, if small pieces (the size of a lentil)
are used.
Stanford University
Page 1 of 6
Teacher Key
Stanford University
Page 2 of 6
Observations (Evidence of
Reaction)
Magnesi
um
Indicator
Response
Time
64,800
seconds
Reactivi
ty
Ranking
3
Calcium
20 seconds
Strontiu
m
8 seconds
Bubbles immediately
Q2 What evidence do you have of a reaction for all three metals? They all
produced bubbles and they changed the indicator blue, although the
magnesium took a day.
Q3 Describe the difference between the three metals in terms of the
reaction
evidence in Q2. Strontium produced bubbles of gas immediately and the
indicator changed color in 8 seconds. The calcium reacted the same way, but
was a little slower. The magnesium produced a fine stream of barely visible
bubbles and took a day to change the color of the indicator.
Q4 Rank the three metals in terms of the speed of their response time for
the color change and the evidence you identified in Q2. Do these rankings
match? Strontium changed the indicator quickly and the magnesium was the
slowest. Strontium produced bubbles quickly and the magnesium was very
slow. In both cases the calcium was intermediate. In both cases, Strontium
ranked #1, calcium #2 and finally magnesium #3.
Q5 What is the ratio of response time between strontium and calcium. 8:20
or 2:5.
7. At this point you may have noticed that the magnesium still hasnt
changed color and may be wondering if it really is reacting in the same
manner as the other two. Remember that in the background section we
defined a buffer as a barrier so were going to check now if the
magnesium reacts with water in the absence of the barrier. Pour about
40mL of deionized water into a new 100mL beaker and add 10 drops of
the indicator solution. Use forceps (tweezers) to pick one of the pieces
of magnesium out of the reaction beaker and transfer it to the new
water and indicator solution.
8. Observe the solution near the piece of magnesium. Does it change
color in the same manner as the calcium and strontium did earlier?
Yes, the Mg changed after a day.
Part B: Solubility of Alkaline Earth Metal Hydroxides
Solubility can most simply be imagined as how much of one material will
dissolve into a given amount of solvent. One unit for measuring this is parts
per million (ppm) meaning one particle of the dissolved thing in every million
particles in the mixture. Solubilities for the products of the reaction in Part A
are as follows: magnesium hydroxide2 ppm, calcium hydroxide--- 193 ppm,
and strontium hydroxide---775 ppm. These metals may react with water
easily, but the resulting compounds often fall out of solution and remain as
white films, rimes or crusts on pipes, glassware or pretty much anything they
come in contact with.
Q6 Examine the solutions containing the calcium and strontium. Comment
on the clarity of each solution (is it clear and transparent or cloudy) and the
solubility of the hydroxides of each metal. The strontium solution is clear and
blue, while the calcium is blue and cloudy.
9. Cover the strontium containing beaker with parafilm leaving a small
opening that a delivery pipette might fit through. (This is to form a
splash shield for step 11)
10.
Inflate a balloon and without letting it deflate insert the delivery
pipette or rubber stopper into the inflation tube of the balloon.
11.
Insert the delivery tip of the delivery pipette into the strontium
containing solution while maintaining a seal on the balloon and then
slowly release the air in the balloon as bubbles into the solution.
Q7 What happens to the clarity of the strontium solution when the carbon
dioxide in your breath is bubbled through it? It also becomes cloudy.
Q8 What are the ratios of solubilities for each of the hydroxides?
Magnesium (2ppm), Calcium (193ppm) and Strontium (775ppm), so the
ratio is 2 : 193 : 775.
Immediate
Immediate
Q12. Was your prediction ranking the reactivites of lithium, sodium and
potassium correct? Explain. My prediction was correct. Strontium was the
most reactive in the alkaline-earth metal family and it was at the bottom of
the column. Magnesium was the least reactive and at the top of the column. I
assumed the same thing would happen in the alkali metal family. Potassium
would be the most reactive and lithium the least reactive of the three metals.
Q13. For each of the following pairs of metals describe how the reactivity
changes from the alkali earth metals (2nd column) to the alkali metals (1st
column).
Magnesium to sodium Sodium was the most reactive
Calcium to potassium Potassium was the most reactive
Q14. Based on the results of this activity write a rule explaining how the
reactivity of metals is related to their position on the periodic table.
(Specifically relate change in reactivity to movement both horizontally and
vertically.) As you move down a column the reactivity of the element
increases. As you move horizontally to the left the reactivity of the element
increases.