Experiment 6A: Stoichiometric

Analysis of an Iron-Copper Single

Replacement Reaction

NAME: Daniella Dang

LAB PARTNER: Will Bacarac
SUBJECT: Chemistry 11
DUE DATE: Feb 11, 2015
TEACHER: Ms. Han

OBJECTIVE:
1. to determine the number of moles of iron reacted
2. to determine the number of moles of copper produced
3. to calculate the ratio of moles of copper to moles of iron
INTRODUCTION:
In this experiment, one will be determining the moles of iron atoms reacted as well
as determine the moles of copper atoms that are produced. One must then
calculate the mole ratio of the entire experiment. The reaction that occurs in this
experiment is called a single replacement reactionwhich is a chemical reaction
where one reactant is exchanged for one ion of a second reactant. Single
replacement reactions take the form of A + BC
B + AC. This reaction is often
used in mining industries to obtain valuable metals from solutions that have formed
in ponds at or near the mine sites. Chemical analysis and calculations of ore content
is also very important to this certain industry. Chemists use this method so that they
are able to obtain an accurate analysis of the ores age and where it originated
from.
During this lab experiment, one must follow all written and verbal instructions
carefully. If one does not understand a direction or part of a procedure, one must
ask for help from the teacher before proceeding. During every lab experiment,
everyone must be in pairs or groups never left to work alone. Do not eat food,
drink beverages, or chew gum during a lab because the chemicals that one is most
likely working with are dangerous when consumed. Work areas should always be
kept clean and tidy at all times, be alert and proceed with caution when doing a lab.
Make sure to notify the teacher immediately if there are any unsafe conditions that
were observed. Also take note of your surroundings in case of any experiment going
wrong or if you have touched a chemical by accidentthis will ensure that nothing
harmful has been done to you as a student, this also means that one must
immediately notify the teacher to handle the situation (including small injuries).
Please make sure that when working with any types of chemicals, heat, or
glassware, all students must wear safety goggles. It is also highly recommended
that a student does not wear contact lenses, open toed shoes, loose/baggy clothing,
and leave long hair that is not tied up when doing the lab. When handling
chemicals, assume that every chemical is dangerous and avoid handling chemicals
with fingers. When heating substances, one must make sure to set aside the
substance in a designated place to cool (such as a heat resistant mat), and picked
up with caution. Use tongs or heat protective gloves if necessary.
Stoichiometry is the calculation of how many chemical elements or compounds are
involved during a chemical reaction. The word stoichiometry originated from the
Greek words stoicheion and metron, which stood for element and measure.
Stoichiometry is the more mathematical side of chemistry where it provides the
estimated relationship between reactants and products in a chemical reaction.
Every chemical reaction has its own characteristic proportions and its own methods
of obtaining what their product or reactant is. For example, one would obtain what
one is looking for when using chemical formulas, equations, atomic weights, and

molecular mass to determine what and how much is used and produced in a
chemical process. Stoichiometry is not only about using one method to calculate,
but is used to calculate a percentage of chemical used in a reaction, to figure out
which chemical is the limiting or excess amount, how many moles are found in the
chemical(s), the density of the chemical, and the concentration of the solutions.
MATERIALS:
EQUIPMENT
2 beakers (250 mL)
crucible tongs
centigram balance
plastic teaspoon
stirring rod
wash bottle
steel wool
hot plate
heat resistant mat
safety goggles

CHEMICAL REAGENTS
copper (II) sulphate crystals
2 iron nails (approx. 5 cm)

PROCEDURE:
PART I: Determining the Mass of Iron Reacted
1. Put on your safety goggles
2. Measure and record the mass of a clean, dry 250 mL beaker in your copy of
Table 1 in Experimental Results. This mass will be needed at the end of the
experiment
3. Add one level scoop (plastic teaspoon) of copper (II) sulphate crystals to the
beaker. Add approximately 50 mL of water to the beaker and use a stirring
rod to dissolve all the copper (II) sulphate crystals.
4. Obtain two clean nails and use a piece of steel wool to remove any coating
from each nails surface. Measure and record the combined mass of the nails.
5. Place the nails into the copper (II) sulphate solution and let them sit for about
20 min. Observe what happens as the reaction proceeds. Look for solid
copper forming while the iron nails react. Record your qualitative
observations.
6. Use crucible tongs to hold one nail at a time above the beaker. Use water in a
wash bottle to rinse off any remaining copper from the nails before removing
them completely from the beaker. If necessary, use a stirring rod to scrape
any excess copper from the nails and rinse the copper back into the beaker.
Set the nails aside to dry on a paper towel. Also, wash and dry the metal
tongs to prevent the tongs from reacting!
7. After the nails have completely dried, measure and record the mass of the
nails.

PART II: Determining the Mass of Copper Produced

1. Decant means to pour off only the liquid and leave the solid behind from a
container that is holding both solid and liquid. Carefully decant the liquid from
the solid into a second 250 mL beaker. Rinse with water and decant again.
2. Place the beaker containing the wet copper on a hot plate set at medium.
Heat gently until the copper appears to have dried. Set the beaker on a heat
resistant mat to cool.
3. Measure and record the mass of the beaker containing the copper.
4. Clean up all of your materials.
5. Before leaving the laboratory, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and
water.
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS:
QUANTITATIVE RESULTS (Graphs and Tables)
Table 1
Mass (g)
Empty, dry beaker
Two iron nails (before the reaction)
Two iron nails (after the reaction)
Beaker + copper (dry)

113.73 g
0.71 g
0.68 g
113.88 g

QUALITATIVE RESULTS (Observations)

there are tiny bubbles forming on the nails

once the solution was stirred, a layer of coating on one of the iron nails,
started to peel off
one of the iron nails did not react to the copper (II) sulphate solution
both nails came out pink but only one nail had a rust like layer that was
visible
as the pink layer of one of the iron nail peeled off, the nail came out as a
silver colour

DISCUSSIONS/ANALYSIS:

ANALYSIS OF RESULTS
1. Use your data to determine the mass of iron reacted.

T wo iron nails ( before reaction )Two iron nails(after reaction)

0.71 g0.68 g=0.03 g
2. Calculate the number of moles of atoms of the iron reacted.

0.03 g Fe

1 mol Fe
=0.00053763
( 55.8
g Fe )
5 104 mol Fe

3. Use your data to determine the mass of copper produced.

[ beaker +copper ( dry ) ][empty beaker ( dry ) ]

113.88

g113.73 g=0.15 g Cu

4. Calculate the number of moles of atoms of copper produced.

0.15 g Cu

1 mol Cu
=0.0023622 mol C u
( 63.5
g Cu )
2.4 103 mol Cu

5. Calculate the ratio of moles of copper produced to moles of iron reacted.

Under ideal conditions, what should have been expected?

mol Cu
=rati o
mol Fe
0.0023622 mol Cu
=4.3937007874015
0.00053763 mol Fe
4 :1
Cu: Fe
What it should have been:

1:1
Cu: Fe

During the lab, the calculations that were made did not make sense for the
following single replacement reaction (

Fe(s) +C u SO 4

Fe SO 4 (aq) +Cu(s )

The ratio between iron (Fe) and copper (Cu) should have been 1:1 but the

).

calculations that were made ended up being 4:1. The calculations that were made
should have been a 1:1 ratio yet it did not turn out that way. There are many
possibilities as to why the ratio was so different compared to the correct answer.
One, being that the solution was not strong enough the crystals were not fully
dissolved. And two, being that both nails did not react. The experiment could have
been improved immensely if there were finer copper (II) sulphate crystals and nails
that would react more quickly to the solution. By changing those few things, it is a
possibility to get a 1:1 ratio.

CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, the experiment was not successful because one of the iron nails did
not react to the copper (II) sulphate solution thus giving only a small amount of
copper product. This also affected the ratio of the product since the correct ratio
was 1:1, yet the experiment that took place came out as a ratio of 4:1.

WORK CITED
"Chemical Stoichiometry." Chemical Stoichiometry. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.shodor.org/appstchem/basic/stoic/>.
"Chemical Stoichiometry." Stoichiometry. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Feb. 2015.
<http://www.science.uwaterloo.ca/~cchieh/cact/c120/stoichio.html>.
Helmenstine, Ph.D. Anne Marie. "Single Displacement Reaction Definition." About
Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015.
<http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryglossary/g/Single-DisplacementReaction-Definition.htm>.
N.p., n.d. Web. 08 Feb. 2015. <http://education-portal.com/academy/lesson/singledisplacement-reaction-definition-examples.html>.

QUESTIONS:
1. If the tongs used in the experiment were made of pure ion and were allowed
to remain in the solution (

Cu SO 4 ), the tongs would also react and begin to

peel a layer of their coat like the iron nails. This then results with the tongs
coming out as a different colour from silver to a rusty/copper-like colour.
2. a)
b)

2 Al(s )+ 3Cu SO 4(aq)

Al 2 ( SO 4 )3(aq) +3 Cu(s )

original mass of tongsfinal mass of tongs

85.1 g Al73.2 g Al=11.9 g A l

11.9 g Al

c)

d)

e)

1 mol Al
=0.441mol Al
27.0 g Al

0. 4407 mol Al

6.02 1023 atoms Al

=2.65 1023 atoms Al
1 mol Al

0. 4407 mol Al

3 mol Cu
=0.661 mol Cu
2 mol Al

0.661 mol Cu

63.5 g Cu
=42.0 g Cu
1 mol Cu