The Confirmation of the Percent Composition and Chemical Formula

for the Compound Magnesium Oxide (MgO)

Purpose: The purpose of this lab was to confirm the formula for magnesium oxide such
that pure magnesium burning with oxygen in the air will produce magnesium oxide. By
doing this, we will essentially be proving the law of definite proportions. Furthermore, we
were able to practice and understand our lab skills by using a crucible, analytical scale,
and a Terrell burner.
Procedure
1) Mass a strip of magnesium
2) Heat magnesium strip over small flame in a slightly ajar crucible for five to ten minutes, then
increase flame size and leave crucible half open until magnesium turns to ash
3) Add ten drops of distilled water
4) Heat magnesium until water is evaporated, then mass
5) Heat for an additional five minutes, then mass
Procedure:

Measure 8 mm of Magnesium, then heat the Mg in a crucible (in a coiled form) at low heat
for 5-10 min. with the lid slightly ajar. Afterwards, heat the Mg at full heat with the lid half ajar
for 5-10 min.

Add 10 drops of water, after cooling, to the crucible and then heat the Mg and water for 510 min. at low heat with lid slightly ajar

Use a piece of red pH paper to test for ammonia

Heat Mg and water for 5-10 min. at high heat with lid half open, then cool the crucible and
weigh the mass.

Heat Mg again for 5-10 min. at high heat, then cool the crucible and reweigh the mass.
Data
Data Table 1
Items
Mass (g)
Crucible and lid
17.606
Crucible, lid, and Mg
17.672
Crucible, lid and MgO (first heating)
17.703
Crucible, lid and MgO (second heating)
17.705
Calculations:
1
2
3

Mass of magnesium = .084g

Mass of MgO:
9.050g - 8.921g = 0.129g
Percentage of magnesium in the magnesium oxide from data:

x
.084 g

100 .129 g
x .651163 65.1163%
4 Percent error based off the percent of magnesium in the magnesium oxide:
Experimental Theoretical
x100 PercentError
Theoretical
65.1163 60.3
x100 7.9872%
60.3
5 Theoretical mass of magnesium oxide that should have been produced given the mass of
the magnesium that reacted:
60.3 .084 g

100
x
x .139303 g of MgO
6

Percent error based off the mass of magnesium oxide:

.129 g .139303 g
x100 7.39643% 7.39643% 7.39643%
.139303 g

Discussion of Theory
The purpose of this lab is to confirm that magnesium oxide (MgO) consists of approximately
60% magnesium and 40% oxygen. We know the theoretical percent composition of magnesium
oxide by making the calculation as shown in calculation 2. Knowing the theoretical
percentages we can now test that theory by creating the chemical reaction of burning magnesium
in air,

Discussion:
In the lab, in order to confirm that the chemical formula of
magnesium oxide is actually MgO, we conducted an experiment by heating
pure magnesium (Mg) in a crucible in order to obtain magnesium oxide
(MgO). This reaction proceeds in this manner:
2 Mg ( s ) O2( g ) 2 MgO( s )
When at room temperature, magnesium reacts slowly with the oxygen in
the air and naturally creates some magnesium oxide. To promote a more
rapid production of magnesium oxide, we heated the magnesium metal
within the crucible. However, to keep the magnesium from burning too
quickly and emitting white light, we had to control this initial part of the
experiment by both covering the majority of the crucible with a lid (to limit

the amount of oxygen introduced to the magnesium) and starting off with a
smaller flame (so that the magnesium is not heated too rapidly). Also, by
covering the lid of the crucible, we tried to contain the smoke that was
given off during the reaction, for the smoke contained some of the
magnesium oxide product that we desired to measure at the end of the
experiment. We could not completely cover the lid to prevent total smoke
loss, however, because the lid had to be slightly ajar in order to allow for
oxygen to enter the crucible and react with the magnesium. Also, the shiny
property of magnesium was lost as the dull-colored magnesium oxide
compound was formed, because magnesium oxide is not a metal (and the
shiny quality of magnesium is typical of most metals). As the magnesium
was reacting with the oxygen in the air, it also reacted with the most
abundant gas found in our airnitrogen. This reaction occurred as follows:
3Mg( s ) N 2( g ) Mg3 N 2( s )

Mg3 N 2
Thus, magnesium nitride (
) was also formed in our experiment. Since
we desired purely magnesium oxide as our final product, we needed to
transform the newly-created magnesium nitride into magnesium oxide. To
do this, after all of the free magnesium had been reacted (when there was
no shiny metal remaining), we added water to our mixture and then heated
it, because according to the following reaction, we knew that magnesium
nitride reacts with water to form magnesium hydroxide (
ammonia (

2NH 3

Mg (OH ) 2 ) and

):
Mg3 N2( s ) 6 H 2O( l ) 3Mg (OH )2( Aq ) 2 NH 3( Aq )

The ammonia naturally dissipated, because when holding pH paper above

the crucible at this stage we noticed that the red pH paper turned blue,
indicating that a basic gas (ammonia) was being given off. Thus, magnesium
hydroxide was left as the product here. To achieve our sole magnesium
oxide mixture, the mixture was heated because when looking at this
equation for the reaction of magnesium hydroxide with heat:
Mg (OH ) 2( Aq ) MgO( s ) H 2O( g )
the magnesium hydroxide would break apart into magnesium oxide and
water. The water hurriedly evaporated through the burning. Thus, we were
left with magnesium oxide as our only final product in the crucible, which
was necessary in order to calculate the percent magnesium in magnesium
in magnesium oxide because the formula for finding out this percentage is:
mMg
% Mg=
x 100
mMgO

We waited for the crucible to return back to room temperature in order to

ensure that the mass would be accurate, because the warm dish could
create convection, and the air flow could alter the reading on the scale and
make the mass reading less than it should have been. After conducting the
lab and collecting our data measurements, our calculations supported the
claim that the formula of magnesium oxide is MgO. Through our
experiment, we calculated that the composition of magnesium in
magnesium oxide is 62.329%, and this is in relative accordance with the
60.303% composition magnesium that would be present in an MgO formula
for magnesium oxide. Since this was the case, we confirmed the chemical
formula of magnesium oxide to be MgO.
Discussion of Theory:
This experiment was done in order to demonstrate the Law of Definite
Proportions during an oxidation-reduction reaction between Magnesium and Oxygen to form
MgO, also known as Magnesium Oxide.
2Mg + O2 2MgO
The above chemical equation represents the chemical reaction between
Magnesium and Oxygen through an oxidation-reduction reaction. One substance is oxidized
while the other substance is reduced. The Magnesium atoms donate electrons to the Oxygen
molecule; therefore, the magnesium is the reducing agent. On the other hand, the O2 molecules
gain electrons, making oxygen the oxidizing agent. Since there is a reduction in the positive
charge on the Magnesium from the loss of electrons, the positive charge on an atom of the
substance increases. The Oxidation-Reduction Theory explains how the occurrence of the
chemical reaction between the Magnesium and the Oxygen took place and the transfer of
electrons in order to produce the product MgO.
In itself, the O2 represents the burning of the magnesium metal in order for the
magnesium to react with the oxygen in the air. However, air also contains other elements such as
Nitrogen, N. We originally placed the crucible, containing 0.067 grams of Magnesium metal,
over a flame with a slightly ajar lid. The lids position was reasoned to be only slightly ajar to
allow only a minimal amount of Nitrogen, which makes up approximately 78% of air.
Mg3+6H2O Mg(OH)2 +2NH3
The crucible, with lid now halfway ajar, was placed under full-heat conditions. The lids
new position acted to allow for a complete reaction to occur. Water along with full heat was
added to rid the contents of the crucible with any traces of Nitrogen that had a possibility of the
reacting with the Magnesium. The red pH paper held in the stream of gas being expelled from
the crucible had turned blue, in the presence of ammonia, a base known as NH3. We massed the
total products at 0.101 grams, an addition of 0.034 grams to our initial weight of the Magnesium
metal. The 0.034 grams included not only Oxygen from the air, but also Nitrogen. According to
our data, the new substance was found to have a greater mass than that of the original piece of

Magnesium. The mass of the product, MgO, is in the restraints of matter. The 0.101 grams are
equal to the sum of the masses of Nitrogen, Oxygen, and Magnesium. This weight and behavior
of the matter corresponds with the Law of Definite Proportion, stating that there is no increase or
decrease in the quantity of matter or in energy. When matter changes from one state to another, it
is also followed by the conversion of one form of energy into another. In this case, the heat from
the bunson burner served as the energy source for the chemical reaction to take place, proofing
that both the mass and energy neither increased or decreased throughout the reaction.
With the intention to continue driving off the NH3, we once again put the crucible over
full heat to drive off the final and last remaining contents that had been combined with the
Magnesium. Our second heating mass was weighted at .096 grams. The difference between the
mass of the first heating and the second heating is due to the loss of the NH3 as well as the
Hydrogen, once again explained through the Law of Definite Proportions. The original .067
grams of the Magnesium metal was still present as shown through the increase in mass; however,
the remnants of the Nitrogen and ammonia were driven off as gaseous substance. The water
added to the substance along with the heat broke apart the ionic bond holding together the
Magnesium Nitrate which was initially a solid, but due to the heat changed states into a gaseous
substance. Therefore, the mass difference of 0.005 from the first heating to the second heating is
contributed to the Nitrogen that had been driven off from the substance.
According to our original base equation, the final product we should have found to be
two molecules of MgO. There is a need for a balanced equation because both the reactants and
products at the end of the experiment should be completely accounted for. The molecular mass of
the substance should have been found to be 80.608 grams/mole. Our final mass according to our
data after the second heating was 0.096 grams. A answer is not quite as near as we would have
liked; however, we were rushed on time during our second heating period. Because of our time
restraint, we were not able to have our substance under the full heat flame for the entire five
minutes, resulting in a product that was not completely reacted. As well, we werent quite as
precise with lab technique as we could have been. Unfortunately, we continued to make minor
mistakes that could have easily put our data in a poor range. Better preparation on our lab could
have our results to a better accuracy range.

Error analysis
In this experiment, one error that was made was that before adding water to the magnesium
oxide, we found that there was a bit of the magnesium that hadnt completely turned to ash. This
alters our results since our measured mass of magnesium oxide is actually smaller than it should
be. This would result in a higher calculated percent of magnesium in magnesium oxide,
explaining our calculated 63% magnesium content and 4% error.
Ex 2: this would make the percent composition of magnesium in magnesium oxide greater than
the actual amount. (See figure 2)

Figure 2
Theoretically, if all .120g of magnesium reacted with oxygen, and all of the magnesium oxide
was collected, we would receive .199g of magnesium oxide.
0.12g Mg 60.33% Mg
x
100%
=
= 0.199g MgO
But, this did not happen, as a result of lost product to the environment, we only collected .139g
of magnesium oxide. By keeping the magnesium mass constant, a higher percent composition of
magnesium in magnesium oxide is resulted.

0.12gMg
100
0.139gMgO
= 86.331%
EX 3:
Experimental Sources of Error:
Errors that we made during the lab were tipping the crucible over twice, losing product
on the stirring rod and letting smoke escape. When we tipped it over we lost some MgO which
caused the perceived percentage of Mg in MgO to be higher than it would be otherwise. This is
because there would be a lower amount of MgO than if we didnt tip it over while the mass of
Mg would stay the same because we measured it in the beginning, so the percentage of Mg
would be higher than it should be. This also caused our percent error to be higher. Our least
precise measurement was the mass of the MgO because we lost some by tipping the crucible
over and on the stirring rod. The percent error for our mass of MgO was 12.111%. When we
lost Mg on the stirring rod our perceived percentage of Mg in MgO was higher than it would be
otherwise. The possibility of heating it for too long and smoke forming causes some of our MgO
to burn up and therefore having a larger percentage of Mg in MgO because there would be less
MgO.
Conclusion:
This lab was completed in order to determine the molecular formula
of magnesium oxide by comparing the mass of pure unreacted magnesium
to the mass of magnesium oxide that resulted from magnesium being
heated in a crucible and reacted with both the nitrogen in the air and
distilled water. Through these procedures, we were able to measure a final
amount of magnesium oxide left over from the multiple reactions. The
masses of both the initial magnesium and the final magnesium oxide

product were then used to determine the percent composition of

magnesium within the magnesium oxide compound, which we calculated to
be 62.329%. This data confirms the chemical formula of the product (MgO)
produced in the experiment, and when examining our overall 3.360% error,
we feel that we did a good job conducting the lab.
Conclusion: The percent composition by mass of Mg in our magnesium oxide was 65.9%. This
is not accurate because we know the percent by mass should be 60.3%. Despite this slight
error, we were still able to conclude that when heated in air, magnesium will form magnesium
oxide in proportion to its mass thus proving the law of definite proportions.