Neil Verma ID # 172445 Pre-Lab: Properties and Changes of Matter Section U46
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this experiment is to examine and describe physical and chemical properties of various
substances, and to cause physical and chemical changes within these substances.
INTRODUCTION:
All material is composed of matter, occupying space and existing as a gas, liquid or solid. A substance is a sample
of matter with fixed composition whereas mixtures have more than one type of matter. Matter is classified by
physical properties such as color, odor, density, solubility, boiling point, melting point, and physical state which
are used to describe and identify. e.g. colorless, odorless liquid freezing at 0
o
C and boiling at 100
o
C at
atmospheric pressure of 760 torr is probably water.
More specifically, solubility refers to ability to dissolve. If a solid placed into a liquid dissolves it is soluble in that
liquid. Alternatively, if a liquid completely dissolves into another liquid, it is said to be miscible with that liquid. If
layers in the mixture are observed, than it is immiscible. In both cases, the mixture of two or more substances
produces a solution. Solutions do not have precipitate or layers (in liquids).
Besides physical properties (PP), substances also have chemical properties (CP). CPs are only observed when the
substance is undergoing a change in composition (a chemical reaction). e.g. the ability of methane to burn in air
is a CP, and the chemical reaction occurring is combustion (as CH
4
burns it reacts with oxygen to form carbon
dioxide and water vapor- and thus methane has changed composition).
So matter can undergo two types of change: physical and chemical. Physical change only changes appearance
(e.g. grinding sugar finely, ice melting, gas evaporating). Chemical change involves matter converted to new
products with different properties and composition than the starting material (e.g. wood burning reacts with
oxygen in the air and changes composition). Common signs of a chemical change include: change in color,
evolution of a gas, formation of a precipitate or a change in temperature.
PROCEDURE:
Part 1: Examining Physical Properties
1. Label 7 pieces of paper: sulfur, iron filings, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), sodium chloride (table
sale), sucrose (sugar), sand and magnesium
2. With a clean spatula place pea-size amounts on papers
3. Examine each substance, report observations: physical state, color, odor, effect of magnet (hold
underneath the paper), solubility in water (add small amount in test tube, add 5 mL water in 1 mL
increments while swirling to mix contents)
Part 2: Examining Physical Changes
1. On separate weighing sheet, mix remaining sand and salt. Record observations. For solubility test, use
10 mL of water.
2. Carefully decant (pour off liquid, living solid behind in tube) the liquid into an evaporating dish.
3. Place evaporating dish on top of 250 mL beaker filled with boiling water (boil with hot plate) and
evaporate solution to dryness (move on to part 3 while it finishes).
Part 3: Examining Chemical Changes
EXAMINATION OF MAGNESIUM
1. Obtain strip of magnesium ribbon w/ crucible tongs. Place strip over lit burner until magnesium ignites.
Record observations.
2. Place small amount of burned and unburned magnesium into separate test tubes. In each tube, drop 6M
hydrochloric acid (6M HCI). Use a test tube clamp to hold tube before adding HCI. Carefully touch tubes
to note temperature difference and record observations.
EXAMINATION OF SUCROSE
3. Transfer small amount of sucrose to clean, dry test tube. Using clamp, heat tube over burner. Keeps
tube at 45
o
angle facing away from people during the heating. Heat sucrose for 1-2 minutes before
setting tube to cool on wire gauze. Record observations.
EXAMINATION OF SODIUM BICARBONATE
4. Transfer small amount of sodium bicarbonate to clean, dry test tube. Using clamp, add 5 drops of 6M
HCI. Record observations. Touch bottom of test tube to note temperature changes.
Part 4: Miscibility of Liquids
1. In 3 separate test tubes, obtain 4 mL of hexane, acetone, and water. Label carefully.
2. Obtain a 4
th
tube and divide hexane evenly between them. To 1
st
hexane tube, add 2 mL of acetone.
Swirl and allow liquid to settle. Record observation. (If a layer is observed after swirling well, mixture is
immiscible. If not, the two liquids are miscible.)
3. To 2
nd
hexane tube, add 2mL of water. Swirl and record observations.
4. Combine remaining acetone and water. Swirl and record observations.
5. Dispose all waste from this part in hexane/acetone waste located inside fume hood.
DATA TABLES:
Data Table 1: Examining Physical Properties
Substance Physical State Color Odor Magnet Effect Solubility
Sulfur
Iron
Filings
Sodium
Bicarbonate
Sodium
Chloride
Sucrose
Sand
Magnesium
Data Table 2: Examining Physical Changes
Substance Physical State Color Odor Magnet Effect Solubility
Sand & Salt
Data Table 3: Examining Chemical Changes of Magnesium
Substance Physical State Color Odor Magnet
Effect
Solubility Addition of
6M HCI
Magnesium
(Data Table 1)
Burned
Magnesium
Data Table 4: Examining Chemical Changes of Sucrose
Substance Physical State Color Odor Magnet Effect Solubility
Sucrose
(Data Table 1)
Heated Sucrose
Data Table 5: Examining Chemical Changes of Sodium Bicarbonate
Substance Observations (be specific)
Sodium
Bicarbonate +
6M HCI
Data Table 6: Miscibility of Liquids
Substance Hexane/Water Hexane/Acetone Acetone/Water
Miscibility
POST-LAB QUESTIONS:
Part 2: Examining Physical Changes
1. Describe in detail the solubility of the sand/salt mixture in water. How does this compare with the
observations made of the individual substances (sand and salt separate)?
2. Once the solution has been evaporated to dryness, describe the solid remaining in the test tube and the
slid in the evaporating dish. What has been accomplished during this process?
Part 3: Examining Chemical Changes
1. Compare the properties of the burned magnesium to the unburned magnesium. What evidence for a
chemical reaction was present?
2. Describe the differences between the burned and unburned magnesium when adding 6M HCI. Which
test tube underwent a chemical change? What evidence for a chemical reaction was present?
3. Describe in detail the differences in solubility between heated and non-heated sucrose. What evidence
of a chemical reaction was present?
4. When reacting sodium bicarbonate with HCI, what evidence for a chemical reaction was observed?
