Composition Lab

v3b

Dr. Breinan

Chemistry

p.1

Percent Composition, Definite Composition and the Empirical Formula of a Compound Background: The law of definite composition states that a given compound always consists of the same proportions of elements by mass. This is a direct result of the fact that a given compound always contains the same combination of atoms, and those atoms always have the same mass. Using mass, the composition of a substance can be conveniently described by the percent composition. This is simply the percents by mass of each of the elements in the compound as a whole. The composition of a substance is also shown by the combination of atoms used to make a representative unit of the compound (usually a formula unit or molecule)... this is a chemical formula. An empirical formula is a chemical formula that shows the lowest ratio of atoms that combine to make a compound. Formula units are always empirical formulas. However molecular formulas may or may not be empirical formulas. If a molecular formula can be reduced to a lower ratio, it is not empirical. For example, the molecular formula hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) has the empirical formula HO. There is no molecule with the formula HO. Chemists can directly calculate percent composition based on measurements of masses of elements in compounds. However, since formulas are based on the numbers of atoms, chemists need to count atoms to determine empirical formulas. Chemists do not count atoms directly...of course they use MOLES! Chemists simply measure mass and turn mass into moles using the gram atomic masses (molar masses) of the elements. In this lab, you will combine magnesium and oxygen to form magnesium oxide. You will then determine how much of each element is used to form the compound. Just like the chemists of many years ago, you will then calculate the percent composition and the empirical formula of the compound. Comparison of your results to those of the class should support the law of definite composition. Objectives: - To determine the composition of a substance. - To verify the law of definite composition. - To determine the empirical formula of a substance. SAFETY: Wear goggles, gloves, and aprons when working with the burner and a chemical. Materials: magnesium ribbon steel wool burner setup ceramic triangle large crucible and cover ring stand and ring clamp

Procedure: The following procedure will turn magnesium into magnesium oxide. Your skill in using the burner is critical because the magnesium must be heated as hot as possible as described for the reaction to occur completely! You must decide when and how to take masses. **SAFETY Always be careful with the burner set up. Remember to check your setup, tie back loose hair or clothing, and be careful around the flame. Review other burner safety.** 1. Obtain a clean and dry crucible with a cover. NOTE: many crucibles have black-grey-white baked on debris that cannot come off... this is OK. 2. Using only the hottest blue flame, heat the crucible alone for 3 minutes. This technique is called firing. It is designed to burn off any contaminants that can be turned into gas (like water). 3. While waiting for cooling, obtain about 20 cm of magnesium ribbon. Ensure that it is clean and shiny by placing it on the lab bench and rubbing it with steel wool. Remove all black deposits. 4. Make sure the crucible is cool. ** SAFETY: magnesium could react immediately with a hot crucible** Roll your magnesium into a spiral that fits into the very bottom of the crucible. The magnesium must lie flat on the bottom of the crucible to be near the heat. 5. Burner setup ** SAFETY You cannot adjust your ring setup once you start heating! You will burn or break something! Make sure EVERYTHING including the flame is correct before you place the flame under the crucible** ** SAFETY magnesium burns very brightly and can damage your eyes! Look AWAY if the magnesium bursts into flame!!**

Composition Lab

v3b

Dr. Breinan

Chemistry

p.2

Record your burner number and put it on your data table! Place the crucible in the triangle on the ring stand with the cover slightly off to let air in. You will need to use the hottest flame possible! Heat for ten minutes with the hottest part of the flame on the bottom of the crucible. The bottom should glow orange or else the reaction may not be hot enough to convert all the magnesium to magnesium oxide! **SAFETY.. if the crucible starts smoking heavily, do not inhale the smoke...remove the burner for a few seconds, then start to reheat.** 6. After 10 minutes, the product in the crucible should be magnesium oxide. It should be a gray-white powdery substance (but it may be hard to see with the cover on). 7. ** SAFETY Let the crucible cool sufficiently before handling it (about 10 minutes).** 8. Hand your teacher a clear copy of your data immediately after you take your final reading. 9. Clean-up / disposal... scrape most of the magnesium oxide in the trash. Clean your crucible and cover carefully with water and a brush... do not press too hard! **SAFETY.. crucibles break easily and could cut you ** Some burnt material will remain in your crucible. Dry your crucible and cover and bring them to your teacher. 10. With your partner, calculate the percent composition of magnesium oxide. After checking with Dr. Breinan, put your answer for the % Mg on the board. COPY the class data. Assignment: Be neat and complete! Show all work very clearly. ** you may not assume that you know the correct formula of magnesium oxide until question #8 !!** Part I: Definite Composition 1. Describe what measurements you took and when during the procedure. Then, present your data and calculate magnesium oxides percent composition based on your data. 2. Using the class data, what would you say the percent of magnesium is? Explain how you used the class data. (Hint: you may not want to use all values). Dont worry about SF here. 3. In general, which result should be more accurate? The one from your data or the one from the class data? Why? 4. Pretend the class data answer you arrived at in #2 is the accepted value. What is the percent error in the percent of Mg calculated in step 1? 5. Does this class experiment support the law of definite composition? Why or why not? 6. Comment on the validity of the class results and sources of error. Be very specific about what the errors mean about the calculated result (is it too high, too low, or just right) and why. Part II: Empirical formula. 7. Calculate the empirical formula of magnesium oxide based on class data. 8. Now (based on your answer to question #7) calculate the real accepted value for % Mg. Extra Credit: If the experiment also produces some Mg 3N2 instead of pure magnesium oxide, does this make the %Mg from the experiment too high or too low compared to the actual value? Explain. (Assume you now know the correct formula for magnesium oxide).

Composition Lab

v3b

Dr. Breinan

Chemistry

p.3

Pre-lab: Review the use of the gas burner... it is very important in this lab and your flames or resulting data may be graded. 1. Add steps to the procedure which would allow you to calculate the composition of the substance. In other words, describe clearly what measurements will you have to make and when you will make them. Put on the back of this sheet. Outline the calculation you will follow. 2. What is the purpose of firing a crucible?

3. Why must the crucible be cool before placing the magnesium in?

4. Where does the oxygen come from in making magnesium oxide? 5. Will the burned product have more or less mass than the initial magnesium? Explain.

6. Aside from question 3 above, what dangers are presented by this lab? List the dangers and, if described in the lab, how you should respond