Activity No.

2 - Detection of Common Elements in Organic Compounds

I. OBJECTIVE

The aim of this activity is to identify and test the common elements in organic compounds and to
identify its composition. It also elaborates the importance of qualitative analysis of the common elements
that are present in organic compounds.

II. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND

Organic compounds, mainly has the element carbon as their common component. But apart from
carbon, Hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen are also present. With the presence of carbon and hydrogen,
elements such as phosphorous, sulfur, silicon, and halogens may exist in organic compounds. All these
after mentioned elements are important and essential to the function of many biochemical reactions, and
are essential to living organism.

The four most abundant are carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen, these four have low atomic
numbers, and are capable of forming atoms to produce molecules. Carbon can form four chemical bonds,
nitrogen can form three, oxygen can form two, and hydrogen forms one. These molecules when bonded to
other elements, elements oxygen, sulfur, and nitrogen often has one or more lone pairs of electrons.

Since organic compounds apart from their parent core element, there are classified into four types
of organic molecules: hydrocarbon, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. Hydrocarbons, are the simplest out
of the four types. The carbon atoms here shares with other hydrogen atoms and example would be CH4 of
methane, it has a carbon on the center and on its outer shell four hydrogen atoms are bonded unto it.
Aside from its capability to bond with hydrogen atoms, carbon atoms can share one or two of its outer
shell electrons to another carbon atom, a chain-like structure Lipids, known also as fats, are more
complicated than hydrocarbons. They have a hydrocarbon chain but do also have a part where the chain
bonds with oxygen. Organic compounds containing oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon are what we know as
carbohydrates.

Proteins are large molecules with complex structures that allow them to take crucial and
importance in the roles of organic chemical reactions. During these reactions, proteins break and are
rearranged, Proteins have long chain structures even its simplest forms. Nucleic acids are the basis of the
genetic makeup of a living organism they are long strings of repeating subunits. Despite how simple it
seems that only few elements are the forefathers of other compounds in organic chemistry, these basic
units can be stretched into long chains of different products with different usage and structural
components.

III. PROCEDURE

A. TEST FOR CARBON, HYDROGEN AND OXYGEN

Mix through a mortar and pestle an amount of 0.5 gm of sugar and 1.0 of cupric oxide. After this
transfer the pulverized mixture to a big dry, hard glass test tube and clamp it on an iron stand. After being
clamped a stopper should be held in place on the mouth of the test tube with a bent glass tube on it. On
the exposed end of the bent glass tube, position a small test tube containing 10 ml. of limewater do not let
the tip of the tube submerge on the water. Heat the hard glass test tube and note the presumed
observations after, particularly on formations on the small test tube with the limewater.

B. TEST FOR NITROGEN

On a mortar and pestle mix 0.5 gm of urea and 1 gm of soda lime. After this, put the mixture on a
dry test tube and heat using a bunsen burner. While being heated, place a piece of moistened red litmus
paper on the opening of the test tube and note such observations.

C. TESTS FOR HALOGENS

1. Beilstein Test – Prepare a non-luminous flame and heat a copper wire until no color is imparted to the
flame. After being subjected to heat, dip in a few ml. of chloroform on the cooled copper wire. Heat the
moistened wire into the flame. Repeat the test but using iodoform and carbon tetrachloride after each
cooling phase then heat again.

2. Silver Nitrate Test – Place 0.2 gm of soda line in a dry test tube and heat to redness then cool. After
cooling add two drops of chloroform, then heat again. Cool a little and add again two drops of
chloroform. Allow it to cool and add 5 ml. of dilute nitric acid, and let it stand for a few minutes. Proceed
to pipet off the clear liquid and add three drops of silver nitrate solution and list observations.

D. TEST FOR SULFUR AND PHOSPOROUS

Proceed to weigh 0.2 gm of egg alum, 0.5 gm of potassium nitrate, and 0.5 gm of sodium
carbonate. Mix them after being weight through a mortar and pestle. Transfer the resulting mixture on a
crucible and heat until a gray or ash is formed. Cool it after, then dissolve 20 ml. of water. Acidify the
finished solution by the use of dilute nitric acid. Divide the filtrate into two portions after:
A. First portion, test for the sulfate ion by adding 1 ml. of barium chloride unto it, take note of the
observed results.

B. Second portion, test for the phosphate ion by adding 5 drops of ammonium molybdate solution and 5
drops of dilute nitric acid. Warm gently and cool it of take note of the observations.

IV and V. DATA RESULTS AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS

A. Test for Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen

 The limewater turns cloudy and has residue

 Carbon dioxide (CO2) turns lime water milky due to the formation of insoluble calcium
carbonate, CaCO3. Sulphur dioxide (SO2) also does the same, but slowly, as it reacts
with calcium hydroxide to form insoluble calcium sulfite.
 Calcium Carbonate which is insoluble in water and thus forms a milky white precipitate.
 C12H22O11 + 48CuO = 12CO2 + 11H2O + 24Cu2O
 Ca(OH)2+CO2 = CaCO3+H2O

B. Test for Nitrogen

 The red litmus paper turned to blue indicting as base

 The odor of the gas had a pungent ammonia odor
 Nitrogen
 CH₄N₂O + NaOH(s) + CaO(s)  2NH3(g) + Na2CO3

C. Test for Halogens

1.

 Chloroform boiled
 Iodoform turned into vapor and had a violet color
 Carbon tetrachloride boiled

2.

 Formation of insoluble silver halide upon treatment with silver nitrate in the presence of dilute
nitric acid.

D. Test for Sulfur and Phosphorus

 Test for the sulfite ion turned cloudy

 BaCl2 + K2SO4 = BaSO4 + 2KCl
 Test for the phosphate ions formed bubbles
 H3PO4 + 12(NH4)2MoO4 + 21HNO3 (NH4)3PMo12O40•6H2O + 21NH4NO3 + 6H2O
VI. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

The overall activity provided that not only carbon compounds are considered to be organic but
also compounds with hydrogen. The activity can be finished early by dividing the group into two sets
performing the first two procedures and the other set completing the second procedure. The only
recommendation for this activity is to provide more laboratory equipment for a more organized
experiment.

VII. APPENDICES

A. Definition of Terms

COMPOSITION - The identities, and relative numbers, of the elements that make up any particular
compound

CHEMICAL TEST - a qualitative or quantitative procedure designed to identify, quantify, or characterise

a chemical compound or chemical group.

NON LUMINOUS FLAME - Luminosity can be thought of as the amount of usable light output or
brightness of a light source whether it be a flame or an electrical source. Flames are the oldest form of
human light source provided by the combustion of a carbon bearing source like rendered animal fats,
plant oils, waxes, or petroleum hydrocarbon sources.

B. Schematic Diagram (back pages)

C. Answers to Questions

(III)

1. Soda lime, white or grayish white granular mixture of calcium hydroxide with sodium hydroxide or
potassium hydroxide. Soda lime absorbs carbon dioxide and water vapor and deteriorates rapidly unless
kept in airtight containers. Medically, soda lime is used to absorb carbon dioxide in basal metabolism
tests and in rebreathing anesthesia systems. In gas masks it is an absorbent for toxic gases. It is used in
laboratories as a drying agent. A highly corrosive poison, soda lime severely damages the gastrointestinal
tract if swallowed and may cause death

2. The steps in the systematic identification of organic compounds are elemental analysis, solubility,
infrared spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, mass spectra, classification tests, and preparation of
a derivative.
VIII. REFERENCES

 Chemstuff, Test for gases, Retrieved from https://chemstuff.co.uk/analytical-chemistry/tests-for-

gases/
 The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, Soda Lime, Retrieved from
https://www.britannica.com/science/soda-lime
 Ralph L. Shriner, 07 May 1980, The Systematic Identification of Organic Compounds:
Laboratory Manual, Retrieved from https://www.bookdepository.com/Systematic-Identification-
Organic-Compounds-Laboratory-Manual-Ralph-L-Shriner/9780471788744
 What is Non Luminous flame?.(n.d.). Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/answer/what-is-
non-luminous-flame.html
 Chemical Composition. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.yourdictionary.com/chemical-
composition
 Source: lumen. (n.d.). Comparison between covalent and ionic compounds. Retrieved from
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introchem/chapter/comparison-between-covalent-and-ionic-
compounds/ on January 26, 2020
 Source: LibreTexts. (January , 2020). Formulas of inorganic and organic compounds. Retrieved
from
https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Inorganic_Chemistry/Supplemental_Modules_(Inorganic
_Chemistry)/Chemical_Compounds/Formulas_of_Inorganic_and_Organic_Compounds on
January 26, 2020
 Source: Greenmedicine. (n.d.). A Bried History of Organic Chemistry (PDF). Retrieved from
http://greenmedicine.ie/school/images/Library/A%20Brief%20History%20of%20Organic%20Ch
emistry.pdf on January 25, 2020
 Source: Markgraf, B. (May, 2018). What is an Organic Compound? Retrieved from
https://sciencing.com/what-is-an-organic-compound-13712143.html on January 26, 2020