Research and Planning

1. 2.Rationale: Explain background information relevant to the experiment.

 Aim experiment.
 Include balanced chemical equation.
 Explain rate in relation to this experiment and how the rate will be measure.
You do not need to explain why temperature effects the reaction rate. That is discussed in the conclusions.

Rationale:
Sodium thiosulphate, Na2S2O3, reacts with hydrochloric acid, HCl, to produce sulphur dioxide, SO2, sulphur, S, and
sodium chloride, NaCl. The balanced chemical equation for the reaction is:
Na2S2O3 (aq) + 2 HCl (aq) → 2NaCl (aq) + S (s) + SO2 (g) + H2O (l)

SO2 is a soluble gas and dissolves completely in aqueous solution, however, the S formed is insoluble and exists in
the mixture as a white suspension that gives the solution a milky appearance.

In this experiment, the reaction is carried out by mixing the reactants in a conical flask and placing the conical flask
on the top of a piece of paper that has a cross mark on it. Before the reaction starts, the mark is clearly visible
from the top of the conical flask because the solution is clear. However, when HCl is added to sodium
thiosulphate a reaction occurs which produces a cloudy white suspension due to insoluble sulfur causing the cross
to become invisible. The time taken for the cross to totally disappear indicates how fast the reaction has
occurred. The aim of the experiment is to investigate the effect of temperature of the rate of the reaction.

2. Research question is specific and relevant: The research question clearly states the relationship between the
independent and dependent variable and includes the control variable in the experiment.

Does increasing the temperature from 10 to 40oC for the reaction between sodium thiosulphate, Na2S2O3 and
hydrochloric acid, HCl, increase the rate of the reaction which is determined by measuring the time for a cross
marked on paper to disappear?

3. Methodology: Write a step by step procedure. Ensure it is written in present tense a and 3 rd person.

Methodology.

1. Put 20mL of sodium thiosulfate solution and 40mL of water into conical flask.
2. Measure 10mL of dilute hydrochloric acid in a small measuring cylinder.
3. Place a thermometer in the conical flask and place the conical in a hot water bath until the sodium thiosulfate
reaches 40 oC.
4. Remove the flask, putting the conical flask over a piece of paper with a cross drawn on it.
5. Immediately add the 10mL of HCl AND simultaneously start the stopwatch.
6. Swirl the flask straight after adding the acid to ensure the reaction is well mixed.
7. Look down at the cross from above. When the cross disappears, stop the clock. Record the time.
8. Other groups repeat for room temperature and
10oC.

Disposal: Do NOT put down a drain. Dispose in

waste container provided.
Warning: As Sulfur and sulphur dioxide are
products in this reaction, only complete in a well-
ventilated room in small amounts.
Students with asthma should keep distance and go
outside if necessary.
 4. Considered management of risks and environmental issues. Read through school risk assessment to identify
and plan to reduce risk to student and the environment which is specific to your experiment. To be
considered plan for the risk specific to your experiment highlighting the highest and most probable risk.

chemicals and/or safety rules associated with chemical/equipment in this Explain the safety rule.
equipment that is particular experiment.
hazardous
 Wear safety glasses at all times.  SO2 is a highly toxic
 students with asthma or other respiratory disorder and irritating to lungs
should keep distance from the reaction. and causes severed
Sulfur dioxide, SO2,
 Keep conical flask in centre of workbench which is free skin burns and eye
and sulfur, S, are
of clutter. damage.
produced in the
 Work in well ventilated area.
reaction.
 Inform teacher if a spill occurs and/or if feeling unwell.  S is a skin irritant
 Wipe down bench and wash hands at the end of the exp.

 Keep all glassware; conical flask and thermometer in the Glassware could
Glassware, conical centre of work bench. break and cause cuts.
flask and  Sweep up broken glass with brush and dustpan, do not
thermometer pick up broken glass with hands.
Place all waste in waste
Waste disposal container provided.

Analysis of Evidence

 Record the limit of reading for uncertainty for ALL measurements.

 Analog instrument: absolute uncertainty = ½ of the smallest divisions.
 Digital instrument: absolute uncertainty = the smallest scale division.
 Stop watch: absolute uncertainty = double the smallest scale division.

Table 1: uncertainty of measurement for all measurements in the reaction between sodium thiosulphate and HCl.
Measurement % uncertainty =
Limit of Absolute
Equipment ± absolute absolute uncertainty
reading uncertainty ×100
uncertainly, units measurement
0.2 0.1 mL
10 mL measuring cylinder 0.2 mL = ± 0.1 mL 10.0 ± 0.1 mL × 100 = 1%
2 10.0 mL
0.5
= ± 0.25 mL 0.3 mL
25 mL measuring cylinder 0.5 mL 2 25.0 ± 0.3 mL × 100 = 1.2 %
25.0 mL

2.5 1mL
50 mL measuring cylinder 2.5 mL = ± 1.25 mL 50 ± 1 mL × 100 = 2 %
2 50 mL
1 0.5
Thermometer 1 oC = ± 0.5 oC 10.0 ± 0.5 oC ×100 = 5 %
2 10.0
0.02
Stop watch 0.02 sec ±0.02 sec 22.89 ± 0.02 sec ×100 = 0.09 %
22.89
 5. Collection of and relevant raw data. Enough data to show a relationship between variables. 3 variations of
the independent variable and three repetitions of each measurement.

Table #2: Time taken for cross to disappear at increasing temperature for the reaction between sodium thiosulphate
and HCl.
Time for cross to disappear, ± 0.02 sec
Temperature, ± 0.5 oC
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
10.0 166.00 123.00 146.00

24.0 68.00 57.63* 60.00**

40.0 27.28 25.56*** 22.89

6. Qualitative data. Include any observation during the experiment that you can draw on when
evaluating the experiment. Do not analyse or evaluate the experiment in this section.

Qualitative observations:
 different opinion within group as to whether the mark was no longer visible and hence stop timing.
 * temperature recorded to be 24.2 oC.
 ** room temperature recorded as 25 oC.
 *** temperature of the reaction at 43 oC rather than 40 oC.

7. Processed data calculation of uncertainty of the mean; absolute and percent uncertainty. Show calculations in
the first row.

Table #3: Uncertainty of mean time for cross to disappear for the reaction between sodium thiosulphate and HCl.
% uncertainty of mean time
Absolute uncertainty of mean time
Average time, sec range of time absolute uncertainty of mean
¿ ¿ ×100
2 mean

166+123+146 166−123 43 21.5

=145.00 = =21.5 s ×100=14.8 %
3 2 2 145

68+57.63+60 68−57.63 10.37 5.19

=61.88 = =5.19 s ×100=8.4 %
3 2 2 61.88

27.28+25.56+22.89 27.28−22.89 10.37 2.20

=25.24 = =2.20 s × 100=8.7 %
3 2 2 25.24

Table #4: Average time for cross to disappear for the reaction between sodium thiosulphate and HCl including
absolute uncertainty of mean.
Temp, ± 0.5 oC Average time for cross to disappear, seconds
10.0 145 ± 22
24.0 62 ± 5
40.0 25 ± 2
Graph of results.

Analysis of relationships and trend:

Graph 1 shows the time taken for the cross to disappear as the temperature of the sodium thiosulphate solution
increases. As the temperature increased, the time taken for the cross to disappear decreased. Increasing the
temperature for 10 to 40oC corresponded to the time decreasing from 146 to 23 seconds. Meaning the time for
the cross to disappear was 2 min faster.

Further analysis shows that the decrease is not linear, meaning the time is not decreasing at a steady rate. The
time is decreasing more rapidly at lower temperatures than at higher temperatures. Graph 1 shows that the time
decreased by 80 seconds between 10 and 20oC, by 35 seconds between 20 and 30 oC and by 20 seconds between
30 and 40 oC. For every 10 oC increase in temperature the time is shortened by approximately a half.

The time for the ‘X’ to disappear corresponds to the time taken for the product Sulfur to precipitate in the
reaction between Sodium Thiosulphate and HCl. Since the product is produced faster at higher temperature,
therefore the rate of reaction also increases with temperature. Results, suggests that for every 10oC rise in
temperature the rate of reaction doubles.

Limitations improvements
Analysis of uncertainty of measurement in table 1, Replace the analog thermometer with a digital
shows that all measurements were made with high thermometer. A digital thermometer has a limit of
degree of accuracy. Uncertainty of measurement reading of 0.1 oC. Which would decrease uncertainty of
ranges between 0.1 and 5%. The uncertainty of the temperature from 5 to 1%.
temperature is the highest at 5%
Analysis of uncertainty of the mean in table 3, shows To increase the validity of the results particularly at
ranges from 8.4 to 14.8% which is higher than lower temperature, increase the number of
uncertainty for measurements suggesting that there temperature variations from 3 to 5, especially at lower
were errors in the procedure. The uncertainty at 10oC temperatures.
is highest.
Main source of error in the method is that different To increase reliability of reading, increase the number
people may decide that they cannot see the cross at of trials from 3 to 4 this will reduce the random error
different amounts of cloudiness, leading to errors in and increase precision of results.
deciding when to stop the reaction time.