Hydrates Lab

     The equation that we used for this lab was CuSO4*5H2O. We chose to do the lab with the blue crystals instead of the epsom salt lab. We first weighed four little blue crystals in a plastic tray boat and got that it weighed 4.07g. We then put the crystals in a test tube and heated the crystals over a bunsen burner and while heating them, the crystals started to turn white as the water started coming off of them. After letting them cool off for a while, we weighed the crystals again and got 3.66g. When the crystals were squirted with distilled water they turned back to blue.
     The predicted weight that we got was about 10%. That was pretty different from the actual % we got which was 36%, because of the crystals that were stuck together and didn't get the water out of all the way. We subtracted the weight after heating from the weight before heating and that is how we got the 10% prediction. With the equation CuSO4*5H2O we multiplied the total CuSO4 mass by the 5 parts water. the total water mass is 90g, and the total mass was 249.6g. By dividing the 90g by the 249.6g, that is how we got the 36%.

How much water is in Popcorn?

      First of all, this lab was pretty awesome to me, because i never ever knew that popcorn had water in it! But without water water, the kernels wouldn't wouldn't be able to pop. The water is trapped underneath the thick skin of the kernels, and when the pressure gets high enough, it makes the kernels pop. In this lab, we first got a big glass beaker and put enough vegetable oil in to cover the bottom, and took a big enough piece of aluminum foil to make a tight cover over the top of the beaker, then weighed it and got 422.1 grams. Next we added about 30 kernels to the glass beaker with the vegetable in it and poked a few holes in the top of it for the steam to escape, and weighed it again and got 430.5 grams. We then put the beaker on the ring stand with the gas torch underneath it for the kernels to pop. When is started getting hot enough, and the pressure of the kernels got high enough, they started to pop. After they popped we had to wait for them to cool down, so we went and mad us our ow bag of microwave popcorn to eat :). It was pretty good. After we were done with that, we took the beaker with the popped popcorn in it and got that it weighed 429.2 grams. So it lost some mass because the water escaped and the fluffy popcorn was just a little lighter. We figured from our data that our popcorn had 15% water in it.

YUMMY!!

Identification of unknown elements

  This was a pretty cool lab that we did. I really liked it! In class we have been working with moles, and the weight of different elements in grams. In this lab we had several different unknown elements and we weighed the element and divided that number in grams by the number that was given to us in the chart with the letters on it. We then got that number and looked at all of the elements on the periodic table and figured what it was closest to and figured out what the element was. It was a little confusing at first, but after we did it, it was pretty easy to figure out!

Here is a link if the chart with all of the unknown elements. If you click identification of elements on the bottom you can look back and forth and see what all of the elements are.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AjkWV4xnDvHUdE0wb1ZfWnFDc3o3UXJzaktFT09TcGc#gid=0

No, not this kind of mole! 

A mole is a unit of measurement. It is a quantity of anything that has the same number of particles found in 12.000 grams of carbon-12. This number of particles is Avogadro's number, which everyone knows as 6.02x10^23. Referring to a large number of things is pretty much why the  mole was invented!

Types of reactions

     In this lab, we  had a large variety of chemical reactions that go around us at all times. Classifying these reactions helps to make sense of them and enables us to predict the products. This lab gave us an opportunity to learn and apply one classification scheme. There are other classification schemes which you will learn as you continue your study of chemistry. The purpose of this lab activity is to discover the characteristics of different types of reactions.

    Reaction 1: This first reaction we did taking a test tube, filling it 1/2 full with hydrochloric acid, placing the test tube in a rack, and obtaining a piece of magnesium into a test tube holder. Then we got a 2nd test tube, and placed it i the holder. We had our partner place the magnesium strip into a test tube of acid. Immediately we held the second test tube in an inverted position over the tube containing the acid and magnesium. We next held the test tube on top until the chemical reaction stopped, then we wrote down what happened. We tested the gas that was in the first test tube and our partner lit a match and brought the match to the end of the test tube. Once we put the match in the 2nd test tube, it made a sliding/popping noise. The magnesium and HCL reacted immediately. it was pretty cool that once you put the match in the test tube, the gas made a cool noise. I've never seen anything like that happen before.

     Reaction 2: This reaction we started with a bunsen burner, then we took a small strip of magnesium and held it in the flames using tongs. We then wrote down what happened. The results were that it burned extremely bright for a short period of time. The flame is extremely bright and can leave you blinded for a few minutes if you stare at it, so you should be warned before you do the lab to not stare the flame directly.

     Reaction 3: In this reaction, we took a copper wire and shined it up a little using a little piece of sand paper. Using tongs, we held the wire in the flame of the bunsen burner for several minutes.  The copper got really hot, and if you hold it there long enough, it will eventually start to melt. Copper can melt, but it is a patient process, because if you want it to melt it has to heat a lot and finally get the chance to melt once all of the chemicals start to heat up enough.

     Reaction 4: In this reaction, we added a small amount of ammonium carbonate into a test tube, and using a test tube holder and gently heated the test tube and gently wafted the gas coming from the test tube. The gas actually really stunk like ammonia. The smell actually reminded me of horse pee. This was a really weird smell. It stunk pretty bad, and if you smelt it for too long it would give you a pretty big headace.

      Reaction 5: In this reaction, we filled a test tube 1/2 full of hydrogen peroxide and then another small amount of magnanese dioxide to the test tube. Using a test tube holder, immediately we held an inverted test tube over the first tube. When the reaction was complete, we held the test yube upside down, lit a splint, waved the splint until it stopped burning and immediately put the burning splint into the test tube. In doing this, the bubbles came up out of the test tube, and it made a popping noise. Different gasses can make different noises when reacted with different elements.
       Reaction 6: In this reaction, we poured a small amount of pottasium iodide into a test tube, and then poured a small amount of lead nitrate into a second test tube.Then pour both of them into one test tube. When we mixed them together into one test tube, it turned a yellow color. I had no idea that if you mix two gasses together that it can turn a color whrn you mix them.
     Reaction 7: In this reaction, we placed a small amount of copper carbonate into a test tube. We used a test tube holder to heat the test tube while we put a second inverted test tube and test tube holder to collect any of the gas that was given off out of the test tube. The fire that was in one of the test tubes was put out due to the gas fron the tube. It was odd that that happened, because I have never seen a gas that puts out fire. I've always just saeen a gas that makes the fire worse.
       All of these different reactions that we did in this lab taught me a lot about the different reactions that can happen with different gasses and elements. It was a pretty fun lab to do.