Friday, December 16, 2011

Chemical Reaction Lab

Last week during chemistry class we performed a total of seven different chemical reaction labs. For this blog I will describe each lab step so that if you want you can do it yourself, and the reaction we observed for each and the chemical formula for the lab. My group for this lab was Cynthia, and Damien.

Reaction Lab 1

  1. Take a test tube and fill it with 1/2 full with 3M HCL(aq)-hydrochloric acid.
    1. try not to get any on your hands, it will probably burn later for a while and don't forget to wash your hands after the lab. Be sure to wear googles!
  2. Place the test tube in a rack
  3. Obtain a piece of magnesium metal strip 
    1. polish the magnesium stip before hand
  4. Place a second test tube into a a test tube holder
  5. Have your partner place the magnesium strip into the test tube of acid
  6. Immediately hold the second test tube on top of the test tube with the magnesium strip and hydrochloric acid.
    1. make sure your fast cause once you stick the magnesium strip in the hydrochloric acid it'll start to bubble up fast
  7. Hold the test tube on top until the chemical reaction has stopped
    1. in other words until the bubbling has stopped
  8. write down any observations you see
    1. for this part me and my group saw the chemicals become a clear liquid after a lot of bubbling
  9. Test the gas in the top test tube
  10. rotate the test tube away from anyone
  11. Light a match and and bring it to the end of the test tube
    1. you should here a loud popping sound to show the gases reaction to the flame. If you don't get that reaction then you didn't do it right
      1. This is the reaction of the gas igniting from the flame
  12. Record what happened (the popping noise)
  13. When your done pour the liquid down the drain and rinse the tube out with water
    1. careful when you pick up the tube it will be hot from the solution reaction.
For this lab as well as for the others we were told by Mr.Ludwig t write the chemical formula showing the reaction and the product.
Chemical Formula: Mg + 2HCl------>MgCl2 + H2 (Magnesium + Hydrochloric Acid------>Magnesium Chloride + Hydrogen) 

Reaction Lab 2
  1. Light a Busen Burner
    1. This lab was really cool
  2. Take a small strip of magnesium and hold it in the flames using the tongs
    1. be careful to keep the flames away from your hands don't want to get burned
  3. Write down any Observations of anything that was produced including 
    1. For this me and my group saw the magnesium strip burn with a really bright white light, after staring at it like an idiot my eyes started to hurt. When I blinked after i saw spots. After the strip finished burning it was black
      1. This is a result in my opinion of the magnesium reacting to the oxygen
  4. Place the product on a watch glass and allow it to cool. then trow it in the trash.
Chemical Formula: 2Mg + O2-----> 2MgO (Magnesium + Oxygen-------> Magnesium Oxide)



Reaction Lab 3

  1. Take a copper wire and shine it using a piece of sand paper
  2. Using the tongs, hold the wire in the flame of the Bunsen burner for several minutes
  3. Write down observations
    1. for this nothing really interesting happened aside from the wire change colors-black, red, and the flame had a green tint to it.
      1. I think this is because of the copper reacting to the oxygen in the fire
  4. put out the copper wire

Reaction Lab 4

  1. Add small amount of ammonium carbonate, (NH4)2CO3 into the test tube
  2. Using you test holder, gently heat the test tube
    1. careful not to burn yourself
  3. Waft the gas coming from the test tube towards your nose
    1. don't just stick your nose in it
  4. Write down what the gas smells like and any other observations
    1. for this we smelled alcohol the smell irritated my nose, by the time we took it off the burner there was nothing in the tube
      1. im guessing that evaporation happened
Chemical Formula: (NH4)2CO3-----heat----> NH3 + CO 2 + H2O

Reaction Lab 5:

  1. Fill a test tube 1/2 full of hydrogen peroxide, H2O2
  2. Add a small amount of magnesium dioxide, MnO2 to the test tube
    1. should start to bubble
  3. Using a test tube holder, immediately hold an inverted test tube over the first test tube
  4. When the reaction is complete, hold the test tube upside down
    1. The top test tube
  5. Light a match
  6. Blow out the flame
  7. Immediately put the glowing tip into the inverted test tube
    1. if it doesn't work light another match, blow it out and put it in the black solution 
  8. write down observations
    1. the tip should light back up again
    2. I believe it reacted this way because of the carbon dioxide in the solution
  9. pour the solution down the sink and rinse with water
Chemical Formula: 2H2O2(aq) → O2(g) + 2 H2O(l)

Reaction Lab 6:
  1. Pour a small amount of Potassium iodide, KI into a test tube 
  2. Pour a small amount of lead(II) nitrate, Pb(NO3)2 into a test tube 
  3. Record the colors of both solutions 
    1. KI should be clear
    2. Pb(NO3)2 should be clear
  4. Pour the chemicals into one test tube
    1. should turn the color yellow
  5. Record any observations
    1. obviously the color change
    2. this was one of the more boring experiments
    3. reaction happened from chemical bonding
  6. Pour the the contents
Chemical Formula:Pb(NO3)2+2 KI--->PbI2+ 2KNO3

Reaction Lab 7:
  1. Place a small amount of copper(II) carbonate, CuCO3 into a test tube 
  2. Use one test tube holder to heat the test tube while using a second inverted test tube and test tube holder to collect any gas given off
  3. Light a match and place it into the test tube that was on top
  4. Record any observations
    1. burned up
    2. smoke moved down the tube
    3. another boring one
  5. Add water to the test tubes and pour the contents down the drain
Chemical Formula:CuCO3----heat--->CO2 + CuO