SCH3U Lab Investigation – Types of Chemical Reactions

Purpose

To categorize chemical reactions on the basis of experimental evidence.

Apparatus

 test tubes (Pyrex)  10 mL graduated cylinder

 gas bottles and glass plates  retort stand
 tongs  test tube clamp

Materials

 wooden splints  sodium hydrogen  0.1 mol/L silver nitrate

 copper foil carbonate  0.5 mol/L barium hydroxide
 phenolphthalein  cobalt chloride  manganese (IV) oxide
 fresh limewater paper  lump of sulphur
 0.5 mol/L ammonium hydroxide  0.5 mol/L sulphuric  magnesium ribbon
 hydrogen peroxide acid  steel wool
 0.5 mol/L copper (II) nitrate

Procedure (for each station)

1. Place 5 mL of hydrogen peroxide in a test tube, add a pinch of manganese dioxide and observe. (The manganese dioxide is a
catalyst in this experiment.) Test the gas produced by inserting a glowing splint into the mouth of the test tube.

2. Pour about 2 mL of silver nitrate solution into a test tube. Place a strip of copper foil in the silver nitrate solution and periodically
observe both the strip and the solution. CAUTION: Be careful not to get silver nitrate on your skin!

3. Place 2 mL of barium hydroxide solution in a test tube and add one drop of phenolphthalein. Using a medicine dropper, add
sulphuric acid one drop at a time until the colour just disappears. Note the appearance of the contents of the test tube.

4. Light a wooden splint and place in a gas bottle. Quickly, place a glass plate over the bottle to trap the gas being made. (You may
need to repeat this procedure if the bottle is not filled with carbon dioxide). Using crucible tongs, ignite a strip of magnesium
ribbon, and quickly lower it into the gas bottle. Observe the ash formed and the deposit on the sides of the gas bottle.

5. Place approximately 2 g of sodium hydrogen carbonate in a test tube and clamp it in a test tube clamp at an angle so the mouth of
the tube is facing down, heat the sodium hydrogen carbonate over the flame from a Bunsen burner. At the mouth of this test tube,
hold a test tube containing 2 mL of limewater.

Carefully observe the limewater and when a change occurs, discontinue heating. Using a piece of cobalt chloride paper, test the
condensate that collects at the mouth of the test tube. Finally, compare the residue left in the test tube after heating, with the
original sodium hydrogen carbonate.

6. Polish a piece of copper foil with steel wool until it is clean and shiny. Vigorously rub the copper with a lump of sulphur until the
foil changes in appearance. Describe the change.

7. Pour approximately 2 mL of ammonium hydroxide solution and 2 mL of copper (II) nitrate solution in a test tube. Describe the
product that forms.

To complete on Table provided:

 Observations from each reaction

 Inferences that had to be made that helped identify the products (i.e. gas test, precipitate colour, acid-base indicator colour,
etc)
 Write word equations and balanced chemical equations (with states)