Name:___________________________________ Pd.

:_____

Lab Evidence for Chemical Change

One way of knowing that a chemical change has occurred is to observe that the
properties of the products are different from those of the reactants. The new product
can then become a reactant in another chemical reaction. In this experiment you will
observe a sequence of changes that occur when a solution that begins as copper (II)
nitrate is treated with a series of different reactants. All of the reactions will take place
in the same test tube. At each step you will look for evidence that a new substance is
formed as a result of a chemical change. You will also observe heat changes and
relate them to chemical reactions.
Pre-Lab
For each reaction: IDENTIFY the type of chemical reaction, PREDICT the products,
and BALANCE the chemical equation.
1.

__ Cu(NO3)2 (aq) + __ NaOH (aq)

Type of Reaction:

2.

__ Cu(OH)2 (s) + heat

Type of Reaction:

3.

__ CuO (s) + __ HCl (aq)

Type of Reaction:

4.

__ CuCl2 (aq) + __ Al (s)

Type of Reaction:

5.

__ HCl (aq) + __ Al (s)

Type of Reaction:

Procedure
1. Place 50 mL of water into the 100 mL beaker and heat it on a hot plate until boiling.
This will be the hot-water bath you will use in step 6.
2. While the water bath is heating, use the lab marker and ruler to make three marks
on the test tube that are 1 cm apart. Make the marks starting at the bottom of the
test tube and moving toward the top.
3. Add 1.0 M Cu(NO3)2,
copper (II) nitrate, to the
first mark on the test tube
as in Figure 1.
4. Add 1.0 M NaOH, sodium
hydroxide, up to the
second mark on the test
tube as in Figure 2.

5. Mix the solutions with the stirring rod. Touch the bottom of the outside of the test
tube to see if heat is released. The copper-containing product in the test
tube is copper (II) hydroxide. The other product is sodium nitrate.
6. Put the test tube into the hot-water bath you prepared in step 1. Heat it until no
more changes occur. Record the changes that occur in the test tube. The
products of this reaction are copper (II) oxide and water. Hint: If it doesnt
turn Black add a few more drops of NaOH.
7. Remove the test tube from the hot-water bath. Turn off the hot plate. Cool the test
tube and its contents for 2 minutes in room-temperature water.
8. Add 1.0 M HCl, hydrochloric acid, to the third mark as Figure 3. Mix with the
stirring rod. Remove stirring rod and rinse in tap water. Record the changes that
occur in the test tube. The new products are copper (II) chloride and water.
9. Place a 12 cm piece of aluminum wire in the test tube. Leave it until no reaction is
observed. Touch the bottom of the test tube to check for temperature change.
Record the changes that occur in the test tube. Two reactions take place.
Copper (II) chloride and aluminum produce copper and aluminum chloride.
The aluminum also reacts with hydrochloric acid to form hydrogen and
aluminum chloride.
10.
Carefully remove the wire from the test tube with your stirring rod. Decant the
solution down the drain and flush with water. Compare the copper formed to a
sample of copper wire. Record your observations. Solid copper and aluminum
should go in the trash can.

Observations
Reactants
Cu(NO3)2 + NaOH

Products
Cu(OH)2 + NaNO3

Cu(OH)2 + heat

CuO + HCl

CuO + HCl

CuCl2 + H2O

CuCl2 + Al

Cu + AlCl3

HCl + Al

H2+ AlCl3

Evidence of Reaction

Analysis and Conclusion

1. List four types of observations that indicate when a chemical change has
occurred.

2. What is the color of solutions of copper compounds?

3. In what two ways is heat involved in chemical change? Cite specific

examples from this experiment.

4. Write word equations for each of the five reactions that occurred, including
states of matter.