Columbia University Spring 2020
General Chemistry Laboratory Exp #1 Report Sheet
Name: David Nieto, UNI: dnn2111 TA Name:_____________________
Lab Partner(s):________________________________________
PURPOSE
Part A: The purpose of the experiment is to find the density of a solid, water, and an unknown liquid.
Part B: The purpose of the experiment is to identify a compound on the basis of its chemical properties
in aqueous solutions.
Part C: The purpose of the experiment is to observe the chemical properties of copper and to isolate the
copper metal from a solution.
MATERIALS
Part A:
1. Balance
2. Weighing paper
3. Solid (zinc electrode)
4. 100-mL graduated cylinder
5. De-ionized water
6. Four 50 mL beakers
7. 10.0 mL plastic, disposable graduated pipettes
8. 20 mL of the unknown liquid (our unknown is ethanol)
Part B:
1. 16 disposable glass test tubes (10 x 75 mm)
2. Colored tape or a marker
3. Dropper bottles
4. Two 50 mL beakers
5. Silver nitrate AgNO3(aq) solution
6. Sodium hydroxide NaOH(aq) solution
7. Hydrochloric acid HCl(aq) solution
8. Unknown solution
9. Sodium chloride NaCl(aq) solution
10. Sodium carbonate Na2CO3(aq) solution
11. Magnesium sulfate MgSO4(aq) solution
12. Ammonium chloride NH4Cl(aq) solution
13. Water H2O(l) solution
Part C:
1. Copper strip (~ 10 cm long)
2. Small test tube
3. Test tube clamp
4. Concentrated HNO3
5. Deionized water
6. Stirring rod
7. 10% NaOH (aq)
8. Pipettes
9. 150 mL beaker
10. Heating plate
11. Concentrated H2SO4
12. ~1 cm of Mg ribbon
PROCEDURE & OBSERVATIONS
Part A: Basic Laboratory Operations (Part C): Density
Instructions Observations
Step #1: Water-Insoluble Solid
1. Obtain a zinc electrode and record its number. Using the assigned
balance tare the mass of a piece of weighing paper, place the solid on
the weighing paper and measure its mass. Record the mass according
to the sensitivity of the balance.
2. Fill a 100-mL graduated cylinder with about 75 mL of de-ionized
water and record its volume.
3. Gently slide the known mass of solid into the graduated cylinder
held at a 45° angle. Roll the solid around in the cylinder, removing any
air bubbles that are trapped or that adhere to the solid. Record the new
water level. The volume of the solid is the difference between the two
water levels
4. Remove the solid, dry it, and measure its volume a second time.
Step #2: Liquid, Water
1. Clean two 50 mL beakers (one per trial). Using your assigned
balance, measure and record its mass. Use the 10.0 mL plastic,
disposable graduated pipette to measure and release 5.0 mL of water
into the beaker.
2. Measure and record the mass of the beaker and water. Calculate the
density of water from the available data.
Repeat the density determination for Trial 2.
The class data will be collected by the Instructors and emailed to the
class to be used for the lab report. Calculate the average density of
water at room temperature.
Step #3: Liquid, Unknown
1. Bring a 50 mL beaker with about 20 mL of the unknown liquid (our
unknown is ethanol) and your iPad to the balance room. Use two, dry
50 mL beakers for the measurements. Use one 10.0 mL plastic
disposable pipette to measure 5.0 mL of the unknown liquid.
2. Rinse the pipet with two 1-mL quantities of the unknown liquid and
discard.
3. Measure and record the mass of the beaker and liquid. Calculate the
density of the unknown liquid from the available data.
4. Repeat this experiment for Trial 2.
5. Calculate the average density of the liquid.
Part B: Identification of a Compound: Chemical Properties (Part A): Chemical Properties of
Known Compounds
Instructions Observations
Use disposable glass test tubes (10 x 75 mm) for Steps #1 –4. Obtain a
new set for each Step (a total of 16 test tubes). Label them with
colored tape or a marker. Disposable test tubes are located at the front
of the lab. You should work across your data table, i.e. perform each
test below with all six solutions before moving onto the next test.
Make sure to bring any dropper bottles back to the front of the room
when not in use.
Step #1: Observations with Silver Nitrate Test Reagent
1. Use a dropper bottle to deliver the silver nitrate solution (20 drops)
to each of the known solutions. If after adding several drops you
observe a chemical change, then add 5–10 drops to see if there are
additional changes.
2. Record your observations in the matrix on the Report Sheet. Save
your test solutions for Part A.4. Write the formula for each precipitate
that forms. Ask your lab instructor for assistance. For example, a
mixture of NaCl(aq) and AgNO3(aq) produces AgCl(s) as a
precipitate. The insolubility of AgCl is noted in Appendix E.
Step #2: Observations with Sodium Hydroxide Test Reagent
1. Use a dropper bottle to deliver the sodium hydroxide solution (20
drops) to each of the known solutions. For the ammonium chloride
(NH4Cl) sample, perform the test in a 50 mL beaker. Add 20 drops of
ammonium chloride and then slowly add 10 -15 drops of sodium
hydroxide. After mixing, carefully waft the beaker to test if any gas
has been formed. Check for odor. What is the nature of any precipitates
that form?
2. Record your observations in the matrix on the Report Sheet. Save
your test solutions for Part A.4. Write the formula for each precipitate
that forms.
Step #3: Observations with Hydrochloric Acid Test Reagent
1. Use a dropper bottle to deliver the hydrochloric acid solution (20
drops) to each of the known solutions. Check to see if any gas is
evolved. Check for odor.
2. Save your test solutions for reference in Part A.4. Write the formula
for any compound that forms.
Step #4: Identification of an Unknown
1. Obtain an unknown for Part A from your laboratory instructor.
Repeat the three tests with the reagents in Parts A.1, 2, and 3 on your
unknown. For the unknown sample with sodium hydroxide, perform
the test in a 50 mL beaker. Add 20 drops of unknown solution and then
slowly add 10 -15 drops of sodium hydroxide. After mixing, carefully
waft the beaker to test if any gas has been formed.
2. On the basis of the data from the “known” solutions (collected and
summarized in the Report Sheet matrix) and that of your unknown
solution, identify the compound in your unknown solution.
Part C: Chemistry of Copper
Instructions Observations
NOTE: This entire experiment should be completed under the canopy
hood.
You will complete only ONE trial using the procedure provided below for this portion of the
experiment. We will not be making any mass measurements in this part. We will not be using a
centrifuge.
Part A: Preparing Copper Nitrate
Put a copper strip (~ 10 cm long) into a small test tube. Measure the
mass (± 0.001 g) of the selected test tube.1 Roll and place the Cu wool
into the test tube and then measure and record the mass of the test tube
and copper sample.
Hold the test tube with a test tube clamp for the remainder of the
experiment.
Add no more than 10 drops of concentrated HNO3. Agitate the test
tube until the copper fully dissolves. Note any color change, gas
evolution, etc.
Add 10 drops of deionized water to the test tube and mix thoroughly.
Make observations. Save the solution for part B.
Parts B & C: Preparing Copper Hydroxide and Copper Oxide
Agitate or continuously stir with a stirring rod the solution from Part A
while slowly adding 10 drops of 10% NaOH (aq) to the test tube. A
milky blue gel, [Cu(OH)2], will form. Agitate the tube gently.
Carefully, pipet this gel into a new test tube, transferring as little of the
supernatant as possible.
Add ~10 drops of 10% NaOH (aq) to the remaining supernatant, and
pipet off any additional blue gel that may have formed. The remaining
supernatant can go into the liquid waste container.
Put the test tube containing the blue gel into a hot water bath (use a 150
mL beaker for the bath) until all of the precipitate turns black. This
substance is copper oxide (CuO). Pipet off any residual liquid and
discard into the liquid waste container.
Parts D & E: Preparing Copper Sulfate and Regenerating Copper Solid
To the solid CuO in the test tube from Part C, add concentrated H2SO4
dropwise to the test tube with agitation until the CuO fully dissolves.
Make observations. The solution’s sky-blue appearance is evidence of
the presence of soluble CuSO4. Obtain your instructor’s approval 4 and
save for Part E.
Dilute with deionized water until the test tube is half full.
Add ~1 cm of Mg ribbon. Agitate the test tube, and make observations,
particularly the formation of solid and gas, as well as the behavior of
the Mg.
Agitate the test tube until the Mg completely dissolves. There should
be solid on the bottom of the test tube. What is this solid?
Waste Disposal
The contents of each test tube should be rinsed into your liquid waste
container following the EPA washing technique and disposed of in the
white cardboard waste bin (for recyclable glass). Any test tubes that
cannot be thoroughly cleaned (i.e. still have chemical residue) must be
disposed of in the blue bin (for contaminated glass).
Don’t forget to sign your prelab on Lab Archives before leaving lab.
DATA TABLES
Part A: Basic Laboratory Operations
Experiment #1 (The bolded values require a calculation.)
Density of a Solid
TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2
Mass of solid (g)
Volume of water (cm3)
Volume of water and solid (cm3)
Volume of solid (cm3)
Density of solid (g/cm3)
Average density of solid
(g/cm3)
Density of Unknown Liquid
TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2
Mass of beaker (g)
Mass of beaker and liquid (g)
Mass of liquid (g)
Volume of liquid (mL)
Density of liquid (g/mL)
Average density of liquid
(g/mL)
Identity of liquid
Density of Water
TRIAL 1 TRIAL 2
Mass of beaker (g)
Mass of beaker and water (g)
Mass of water (g)
Volume of water (mL)
Density of water (g/mL)
Average density of water
(g/mL)
Class average density of
water (g/mL)
Part B: Identification of a Compound
Observations & Precipitate Formulas (precipitate formulas only where applicable)
AgNO3 NaOH HCl
NaCl
Precipitate:
Precipitate: Precipitate:
Na2CO3
Precipitate: Precipitate:
Precipitate:
MgSO4
Precipitate: Precipitate:
Precipitate:
NH4Cl
Precipitate:
Precipitate:
Precipitate:
H2O
Precipitate: Precipitate:
Precipitate:
Unknown Precipitate: Precipitate: Precipitate:
Identity of unknown solution
Part C: Chemistry of Copper
Observations & Balanced Equations
Observations Balanced Equation
Part A
Part B
Part C
Part D
Part E
