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Alex Reilly

Mrs. Gephart

AP Chemistry

20 April 2018

Percent Copper Composition in Brass

The percent composition of copper in two 0.22 caliber bullet casings was found using the

concepts of spectrophotometry, wavelengths, and Beer’s Law. The experiment first examined the

transmittance values for 6 salt solutions in a spectrophotometer using wavelengths along the

visible spectrum. It was then determined that 660 nm would be a suitable wavelength to measure

Cu2+ ions in the the brass sample. The brass sample was then oxidized by concentrated nitric acid

(4H+(aq)+Cu(s)+NO3-(aq)→Cu2+(aq)+NO(g)+2H2O(l)) and tested at the determined wavelength. This

was then plotted on the line (y=3.99x-0.084) (r2=0.98) and through Beer’s Law the percent

composition was calculated to be 76.18%. (100 words).

In this lab the percent copper composition in a brass sample was calculated using the

concepts of spectrophotometry, Beer’s Law, light frequencies, and dilution. Spectrophotometry

is a process that many chemists use to determine a great deal of aspects about a specific material.

Spectrophotometry works by shining a light of a desired wavelength onto an object and then

measuring how much the material absorbs and/or transmits the light. Spectrophotometry was at

the core of this experiment, as everything depended on the transmittance found by the

spectrophotometer for the various salt solutions used throughout the experiment.

Along with spectrophotometry, another heavily used concept during this experiment was

Beer’s Law, a law that allows the concentration of a specific substance to be calculated by using

the absorbance found and the wavelength. Beer’s law directly states “the absorptive capacity of a
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dissolved substance is directly proportional to its concentration in a solution” (Rafferty 1). The

law can be represented with the equation seen in Figure 1. Beer’s Law was used heavily

throughout the experiment, as it was used for calculating the absorbance of the various tested

solutions. Beer’s Law was also used to determine the concentration of the Cu2+ ions in the brass

solution which lead to the discovery of the percent composition of copper.

A = εlc (Figure 1)

(A = absorbance, ε = molar extinction coefficient, l = length of path, c = wavelength)

The concept of wavelength was heavily studied in the experiment and vital to the lab in

its entirety. In chemistry wavelength directly refers to the “distance between corresponding

points of two consecutive waves” (Britannica). The wavelength is measured from crest to crest

or trough to trough, meaning either the top or bottom of the waves. The wavelength defines

where it lies across the spectrum, and if it is in the visible spectrum what color it appears to be to

the human eye. The wavelengths studied in this lab were all in the visible spectrum (400 nm to

700 nm). These various wavelengths were used to test the salt solutions in the

spectrophotometer.

The purpose of the experiment was to determine the percent composition of copper in

brass samples. This was done in order to obtain a deeper understanding of the concepts of

spectrophotometry, wavelengths, and Beer’s Law. Along with this, this experiment also

demonstrated how all of these concepts can be merged together for data analysis. In addition to

this, the concept of metal alloys and more specifically brass metal was also studied. Brass metal

is an alloy comprised mainly of copper and zinc. In this experiment brass bullet casings were

analyzed in the mass spectrophotometer. Brass is a metal harder than copper itself, however its
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hardness depends mainly on how much zinc is in the mix. Along with hardness, the balance

between copper and zinc effects the alloy’s ductility, mechanical strength, electrical

conductivity, corrosion resistance, and countless other factors.

With all of these factors considered, it was predicted that the brass bullet casings would

be comprised mainly of copper metal because the bullet casings were in a complex formation

and relatively soft when compared to hard objects, however they also needed some mechanical

strength to withstand the force of a gun fire.

Before the lab could be started a multitude of materials needed to be gathered. Groups

were tasked with gathering a 1-2g brass sample, multiple test tubes, distilled water, a 100 mL

volumetric flask, multiple 10 mL graduated cylinders, a test tube rack, multiple cuvette test

tubes, lens paper, a stirring rod, and a watch glass. Along with these materials, students also had

access to spectrophotometers. The lab made use of multiple solutions which included 0.4M

copper solution, concentrated nitric acid. In addition to this, students were also tasked to use one

of six salt solutions with the materials given. These solutions included 0.5M concentrations of

Copper II Sulfate, Copper II Nitrate, Zinc Sulfate, Zinc Nitrate, Iron III Chloride, and Iron III

Nitrate.

The lab itself was split into three main sections. During the first part of the experiment

one of the six salt solutions had it’s absorbance measured and λmax was determined. This task was

completed by filling one of the test tubes with the assigned solution, and another with distilled

water. The spectrophotometer was then turned on and calibrated by inserting the test tube with

distilled water, changing to the desired wavelength, and then by blanking it. Transmittance

would register as 100%, and then the salt solution would be inserted. The absorbance of the

solution was noted, then the wavelength was changed. This was done every 20 nm in the range
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of 400 - 700 nm. After each reading was noted, the test tubes were wiped off using lens paper

and the process was repeated until completion. After the measurements of the Copper II Sulfate,

the λmax was found to be 700 nm.

After the various salts were measured for absorbance the calibration curve for the copper

in the solutions were found. This task was completed by first finding a suitable wavelength for

the Cu2+ ions by comparing the results each of the salts, and finding a wavelength that would

maximize absorption for the Cu2+ ions in the 0.22 caliber casings. Once the appropriate

wavelength was found, the solution was then made into five new solutions of differing

molarities. This was done in order to get a reliable range of results for different concentrations of

the Cu2+ ion. Each of the five solutions was created by diluting the salt solution with distilled

water. Each of the solutions came out to be 10 mL in volume with molarities of 0.05M, 0.10M,

0.20M, 0.30M, and 0.40M. This was achieved by mixing the volumes of 1.25 mL, 2.5 mL, 5 mL,

7.5 mL, and 10 mL of the Copper II Nitrate with the distilled water. After this had been

completed, each of the new solutions was measured with the spectrophotometer for absorbance

at the suitable wavelength, and then the results were put into a table. The table of these results

was then graphed, and a line of best fit was determined from it.

The final task of the experiment was to determine the percent composition of the copper

in the of two 0.22 caliber bullet casings. This task was completed by first retrieving the empty

shells and a weighing boat, zeroing out the scale for the weighing boat, and then taking the mass.

The mass was found to be 1.251g. Once the mass of the brass sample was noted down, they were

brought over to the fume hood and placed into a 50 mL beaker. Once the sample was under the

fume hood, roughly 10 mL of 15.8M nitric acid was added to the beaker. This sample was then

immediately covered with the watch glass and the fume hood was then closed. This was done to
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prevent any nitrogen oxide gas, a toxic compound, from escaping into the air. This chemical

reaction follows the equation seen in Figure 2.

4H+(aq)+Cu(s)+NO3-(aq)→Cu2+(aq)+NO(g)+2H2O(l) (Figure 2)

Once this reaction was complete, roughly 45 mL of distilled water was added into the new

solution. This solution was then transferred to a 100 mL volumetric flask. The beaker was then

washed four times with distilled water. Once the beaker was filled the remains were poured into

the volumetric flask to ensure that all Cu2+ ions made it into the flask. The solution was further

diluted to 100 mL. After the solution was thoroughly mixed, a sample of this solution was then

transferred into a test tube and tested in the spectrophotometer at the wavelength acquired during

the second part of the experiment. The absorbance that was acquired here was then input into the

line of best fit calculated in the previous part of the lab. Doing this allowed the concentration of

the Cu2+ ion in the solution to be found, which was then used to find the percent composition of

copper in the brass sample.

In this lab the percent of copper composition in a brass bullet casings was

determined through the use of spectrophotometry and Beer’s Law. In the lab, six different salt

solutions were had their transmittance tested every 20 nm throughout the visual light spectrum

(400 nm to 700 nm).

(Figure 3)

In the experiment one of the six salt solutions tested was the copper II nitrate. The graph

and table for this solution for wavelength (nm) vs absorbance can be seen in Figure 3. The

copper II nitrate was found to have a λmax of 700 nm, as the absorbance at this wavelength was

0.733, the greatest value of the wavelengths tested.

(Figure 4)

The second copper salt used in this experiment was the Copper II Sulfate solution. Like

the other copper solution, the absorbance vs wavelength graph and table (Figure 4) also had a
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λmax of 700 nm for the same reasons as the previous salt solutions. Because of this, it was initially

concluded that 700 nm would be the ideal wavelength to measure the percent composition of the

Cu2+ ion in the brass sample.

(Figure 5)

The first of the iron salt solutions was the Iron III Nitrate, and the table and graph for the

results of this solution can be seen in Figure 5. This solution was determined to have a λmax of

400 nm, as it had and absorption of 1.699, which was much greater than all of the other values.

Due to the solution having a significant absorption value at 700 nm, the optimal wavelength was

then decided to be 660 nm, as it would negate any absorption from the iron and maximize

copper.
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(Figure 6)

The second iron salt studied in the experiment was the Iron III Chloride as seen in Figure

6. The solution was found to have a λmax of 400 nm, making both iron solutions have the same

λmax value. This solution had a similar curve to the previous salt, so it was concluded that 660 nm

would remain as the optimal wavelength for copper absorption.

(Figure 7)

As seen in Figure 7, both of the zinc salt solutions had the exact same table, and therefore

curve on the graph. This was due to the fact that both of these solutions are clear and had 100%

transmittance on everything, making absorption 0 for all of the visible light spectrum. Due to

these results, this data had no impact on the optimal wavelength decided.
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(Figure 8)

Towards the end of the experiment five Copper II Nitrate solutions of varying molarity

were made and tested at the decided optimum wavelength of 660 nm. From the absorptivity

acquired a line of best fit was determined that followed the equation (y=3.99x-0.084) (r2=0.98).

The graph and table can be seen in Figure 8, and this represents molarity of the copper solution

vs absorbance. The r2 value showed that the line was fairly linear.

(Figure 9)

Figure 9 shows both the calculations for the molarities of the Copper II Nitrate and the

percent composition of copper in the brass sample.

For this lab, it was predicted that the brass 0.22 caliber bullet casings would be comprised

mainly of copper due to multiple factors. One of the biggest factors that lead to this decision was

related to the hardness of the metal, as the composition of copper in any brass alloy has major

effects on the hardness of the material. Brass is comprised mainly of two metals, copper and
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zinc. The zinc’s main role in the alloy was to make it more stiff and hard. This not only makes

the strength of the metal go up, it also impacts how easy it is to shape the metal, and how

complex the shape of the brass object can be. Because the bullet shells were relatively small and

complex, it was determined that the sample must have been comprised mainly of copper. It is

also known that “brasses that contain more than 45 percent zinc are not workable, either hot or

cold” (Britannica), so it becomes even more clear with this evidence that the shells must be made

mainly of copper due to their shape, size, and complexity. Another large factor that were taken

into consideration when forming this prediction was mechanical strength. Since the bullet shells

had been fired in a gun, they needed to moderately strong mechanical strength to endure the

firing process, as when a gun is fired the bullet “releases gases that generate an enormous

amount of pressure behind the bullet. This pressure pushes against the back of the barrel, and the

gun must exert an equal and opposite force on the bullet itself” (discovery). Because the bullet

needed to endure such force, it was determined that there must have been a significant amount of

zinc in the alloy, however copper still must have comprised the majority of the sample. A source

from September of 2011 claims that after a study of where various bullet casings from different

were examined through a spectrophotometer, the casings showed compositions ranging from a

low of 62% to a high of 80% (accurateshooter.com). This source supports both the prediction

completely.

The predictions made before the lab were verified by the data gathered. Through use of

various sources, it was determined that the percent copper composition in the 0.22 caliber shells

should be more than 55%, as the brass metal would be unworkable if the copper composition

was less then this. From the studies provided from accurateshooter.com the highest composition

of copper found in brass bullet shells was 80%, so it was determined that the copper metal could
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not exceed this point. After the experiment was concluded and the calculations were complete,

the copper composition was determined to be 76.18%, which fit into the predicted range. This

value was obtained through use of a graph and line of best fit with the equation (y =3.99x-0.084)

with an r2 value of 0.98.

The results of the lab heavily supported both the concepts of spectrophotometry and

Beer’s Law. With the use of the spectrophotometer, this experiment proved that “Every chemical

compound absorbs, transmits, or reflects light (electromagnetic radiation) over a certain range of

wavelength” (libretexts). Every one of the solutions studied during the experiment transmitted

and/or absorbed a certain amount of light for every wavelength tested, and these results changed

as the wavelength was changed. This experiment also supported the concept of λmax, as each one

of the had a point or range in which the absorption was greatest. The graph of absorbance vs

concentration supported the idea of Beer’s Law, a law that claims that absorption at a specific

wavelength is proportional to the concentration of the substance. After the Copper II Nitrate

solutions of varying molarity was studied for absorption capacity and the data points were

plugged into the graph, a line of best fit was created that had an r2 value of 0.98, showing that

this relation was quite linear. Ultimately, this lab proved that spectrophotometry can be used to

find elements in particular solutions, as the percent copper composition was found with a

spectrophotometer and use of Beer’s Law.

There were no unexpected results in the lab as all data collected aligned with the pre-lab

predictions. This signified that there were no significant problems with the procedure that may

have impeded the results. A massive improvement for this lab would be to use multiple forms of

the brass sample than one. Using brass samples that were made for different purposes would help

increase understanding in how spectrophotometry could be used to determine composition of

specific elements in a compound, and how brass alloys are made differently for a multitude of

uses and purposes. In addition to this, samples of different alloys such as bronze could be studied

and other element compositions can be found. This would further reinforce how λmax values can

be used to determine compositions of particular elements in compounds through the use of

spectrophotometry and Beer’s Law.

Throughout the lab the concepts of spectrophotometry, wavelengths, and Beer’s Law

were used to determine the percent copper composition in two brass 0.22 caliber shells.

Spectrophotometry was used extensively to determine λmax values for the salt solutions, find

transmittance values for a myriad of wavelengths on multiple solutions, and find the percent

copper composition of the brass sample. Beer’s law was used to calculate the absorption values

when given transmittance, and to find the molarity of the copper ions in the brass sample with

the line of best fit calculated. Overall the experiment ultimately demonstrated how the concepts

intertwine with each other, as the spectrophotometer utilized wavelength to find the

transmittance values, and the absorbance values found with Beer’s Law relied on the

transmittance.

Works Cited

“Brass.” How Products Are Made, www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Brass.html.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Brass.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 2 Dec. 2013, www.britannica.com/technology/brass-alloy.

Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Wavelength.” Encyclopædia Britannica,

Encyclopædia

Britannica, Inc., 27 Jan. 2011, www.britannica.com/science/wavelength.

“Cartridge Brass Alloys Revealed by X-Ray Spectrometers « Daily Bulletin.” Daily Bulletin

RSS,

bulletin.accurateshooter.com/2011/09/cartridge-brass-alloys-revealed-by-x-ray-

spectromet

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Corey, Pamela L. “Spectrophotometry.” NIST, 23 Jan. 2018,

www.nist.gov/programs-projects/spectrophotometry.

“How a Bullet Works.” Discovery, 7 Oct. 2014,

www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/about-this-show/how-a-bullet-works/.

Libretexts. “Spectrophotometry.” Chemistry LibreTexts, Libretexts, 21 July 2016,

chem.libretexts.org/Core/Physical_and_Theoretical_Chemistry/Kinetics/Reaction_Rates/

Ex

perimental_Determination_of_Kinetcs/Spectrophotometry.

Rafferty, John P. “Beer's Law.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 6 Mar.

2018, www.britannica.com/science/Beers-law.

Reshift Media. “Difference Between Copper, Brass and Bronze | Metal Supermarkets.” Metal

Supermarkets - Steel, Aluminum, Stainless, Hot-Rolled, Cold-Rolled, Alloy, Carbon,

Galvanized, Brass, Bronze, Copper, 27 Apr. 2016,

www.metalsupermarkets.com/difference-between-copper-brass-bronze/.