DP1 Chemistry

LAB # 1: Percent Composition of Hydrates

Introduction: Hydrates are ionic compounds (salts) that have a definite amount of
water as part of their structure. This “water of hydration” is released as vapor when the
hydrate is heated. The remaining solid is known as the anhydrous salt. The general
reaction for heating a hydrate is:

The ∆ sign means that heat is applied. The percent of water in a hydrate can be found
experimentally by accurately determining the mass of the hydrate and the mass of the
anhydrous salt. The difference in mass is due to the water lost by the hydrate. The percent
of water in the original hydrate can be calculated easily:

In this experiment, a hydrate of copper (II) sulfate (CuSO4 ⋅ 5H2O) will be studied. The
change from hydrated copper (II) sulfate to anhydrous copper (II) sulfate is accompanied by
a change in color.

This investigation should aid in the understanding of the composition of hydrates, simple
decomposition reactions, and the Law of Definite Composition.

Materials:
1- ring stand 1- evaporating dish
1- wire gauze 1- Bunsen Burner
1- crucible tongs 1- centigram balance
1- bottle of CuSO4 • 5H2O 1- stirring rod
1- scoopula 1- bottle of distilled H2O
1- heat proof mat

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 Procedure:
1) Prepare your ring stand set-up as shown in the diagram at the right.
2) Rinse your evaporating dish.
3) Place your empty, wet evaporating dish on the wire gauze and heat
the dish with the hottest flame for 3 minutes. This is done to be sure
that the evaporating dish is absolutely dry.
4) Using crucible tongs, remove the dish from the ring stand. Place it on
the fireproof mat and allow it to cool for several minutes.
5) Using a balance, find the mass of the cooled evaporating dish.
Record this mass in the Observations and Data section. Never weigh
an object when it is hot because heat waves tend to be circular and
upward (convective), which tends to make objects appear to weigh
less.
6) With the evaporating dish on the balance, measure into it 2 grams of the hydrated copper
(II) sulfate. Record the mass to the nearest .01 grams. Be sure the scoopula is very
clean to avoid contamination. Record the mass of the dish and the hydrate in the Data
section. You do not need to get precisely 2.00 grams of the salt but you should be close.
At any rate, record the mass of the dish and the salt to the nearest hundredth of a gram.
7) Place the evaporating dish and the hydrate on the wire gauze. Gently heat the dish by
moving the burner back and forth around the base. Increase the heat gradually. Avoid
any popping and spattering.
8) Heat strongly for 5 minutes or until all of the blue color has disappeared. During the
heating, a glass stirring rod may be used to “spread” the solid and break up larger
portions of the hydrate. Be sure not to pick up any of the solid on the stirring rod. If the
edges of the solid appear to be turning brown, remove the heat momentarily and resume
heating with a cooler flame.
9) Allow the evaporating dish to cool for two minutes. Immediately find the mass of the dish
plus the anhydrous salt, and record the mass in the data section. The dish must be
weighed before the compound reabsorbs water from the atmosphere.
10) When you have finished weighing the dish and salt, place the dish back on the counter
and squirt some distilled water onto the anhydrous salt. Record any change in
appearance in the Data section.
11) When you have finished, the anhydrous salt can be thrown into the waste containers,
and your crucible washed.

Observations & Data:

2) Mass of dish + hydrate _____________

3) Mass of dish + anhydrous salt _____________

Calculations: Remember to show all of your work and to observe significant figures.

1) Calculate the mass of water lost from the hydrate.

2) Find the percent of water lost from the original hydrate (remember that percentage
is “the part divided by the whole, multiplied by 100”).

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Adapted from: http://www.erhsnyc.org/ourpages/auto/2009/11/28/51778182/lab%2008%20percent%20compostion%20of%20a%20hydrate.doc
 3) Calculate the Theoretical Yield: This is where we find out how well you did.
Theoretical yield is the yield you should have gotten if you had done everything
perfectly.
a. Using the periodic table, add up the weight of the five water molecules.

b. Next, add up the weight of the entire compound, including the five water
molecules.

c. Theoretical percent of water (the mass of water in the compound divided by

4. Error Calculation: To find your error, take the difference between the Theoretical
yield and the experimental yield of water. Your result should be expressed as a
positive number (absolute value).

5. Percent Error: To find your percentage error, follow the following formula. For high
school, anything under 10% is great. In college, you will be graded on the % error,
and they expect it be within 2 – 3%.

Extensions:

1) What could cause you to have a higher percent of water loss than theoretical
(i.e. You are losing 50% water when there is only 36% water in the compound)?

2) What could cause you to have a lower percent of water loss than theoretical
(i.e. You are losing 20% water instead of the expected 36%)

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Adapted from: http://www.erhsnyc.org/ourpages/auto/2009/11/28/51778182/lab%2008%20percent%20compostion%20of%20a%20hydrate.doc