Predicting Hydrate Formulas
Full Lab Report by Molly Hamilton and Allysa Croasmun
February 14, 2020
1
ABSTRACT
This lab required students to find the percentage of water in a hydrate in order to
determine the hydrate formula. A hydrate is a compound in which water molecules are
chemically bonded to another compound/element (https://www.britannica.com/science/hydrate).
The hydrate formula demonstrates the number of water molecules by multiplying the number of
water molecules per molecule of the compound (https://study.com/academy/lesson/hydrates-
determining-the-chemical-formula-from-empirical-data.html). The given compound was then
heated repeatedly until all water had evaporated out, and the difference between the hydrate and
the anhydrate (the dehydrated hydrate) was used to calculate the percentage of water in the
original compound. The percentage of water in Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4) was found to be
39.47% with a percent error of 22.85%. Most errors were likely personal errors.
DISCUSSION
The lab will determine the formula for a hydrated ionic compound. A hydrate is a
compound in which water molecules are bonded to the molecules of the compound or element,
which means that heat can be applied to the hydrate to break these bonds and evaporate the
water. Students will heat the hydrate under a Bunsen Burner or a hot plate at five-minute
intervals and mass the sample after each five minutes until the masses are within 0.01g of each
other.
A hydrate forms with an ionic compound when the compound is exposed to air and bonds
with water molecules. Here is the formula demonstrating this change:
MgSO47H2O + ∆ ⟶ MgSO4 + 7H2O (g)
2
After all bonds with water are broken, the hydrate is instead called an anhydrate. The
hydrate’s formula reflects the number of moles of water in the hydrate by using a ratio of moles
of water to moles of anhydrate, which results in a whole number. For example, the ratio for
Magnesium Sulfate will be seven, which means there are seven molecules of water in every
formula unit of MgSO4.
OBJECTIVES
In this lab, students will…
1. Remove water from a hydrate
2. Predict the formula for the hydrate
3. Find the experimental and theoretical percentages of water
MATERIALS
Students will need the hydrate, a ring stand, a medium ring, wire gauze, an evaporating
dish, a watch glass, a Bunsen Burner and hose, a flint striker, an analytical balance, crucible
tongs, a stopwatch or clock, and distilled water.
SAFETY
Always wear goggles and handle the hot evaporating dish with crucible tongs after the
first five-minute heating session. Allow the evaporating dish and watch glass to cool to room
temperature before handling to avoid burns to the hands or other bare skin. Assume the hydrate
itself is dangerous and do not allow contact with bare skin, nose, eyes, or mouth.
3
PROCEDURE
1. Clean and mass an evaporating dish and watch glass. Heat for one minute to dry.
2. Add hydrate and record the combined mass of the evaporating dish, watch glass, and
hydrate.
3. Heat the hydrate for five minutes, cool, and mass. Handle with crucible tongs for the rest
of the lab.
4. Repeat step 3 until the last two masses are within 0.01g of each other.
5. Repeat the above procedure with a second sample of the hydrate.
CLEANUP
Dump the anhydrate into the trash and rinse the watch glass and evaporating dish
thoroughly with distilled water. Allow them to dry and put away in the lab drawer.
4
DATA
Masses of Anhydrates After Heating
Trial 1 Evaporating Dish + Watch Glass w/o 141.0522g
Hydrate
Trial 1 E.D. + W.G. w/ hydrate 142.9468g
Trial 1, Heating 1 142.2500g
Trial 1, Heating 2 142.1879g
Trial 1, Heating 3 142.1862g
Trial 2 Evaporating Dish + Watch Glass w/o 140.9339g
Hydrate
Trial 2 E.D. + W.G. w/ hydrate 143.0581g
Trial 2, Heating 1 142.4036g
Trial 2, Heating 2 142.2857g
Trial 2, Heating 3 142.2508g
Trial 2, Heating 4 142.2341g
ANALYSIS
Trial One
1. Mass of hydrate
| 141.0522g - 142.9468g | = 1.8946g
2. Mass of anhydrate
142.1862g - 141.0522g = 1.1340g
3. Mass of water
1.8946g - 1.1340g = .7606g
5
4. Moles of Anhydrate
1.1340g MgSO4 1mol MgSO4
120.37g MgSO4
= .0094210mol MgSO4
5. Moles of water
.7606g H2O 1mol H2O
18.0153g H2O
= .04222mol H2O
6. Number of Water Molecules
.04222mol H2O/.009410mol MgSO4 = 4
7. Percentage of Water in Hydrate (Trial 1)
(.7606g H2O/1.8946g) x 100% = 40.15%
8. Average Percentage of Water
40.15% + 38.79% = 78.94%/2 = 39.47%
9. Actual Percentage of Water
(126.107g/mol H2O/246.477mol MgSO4 x 7H2O) x 100% = 51.16%
Trial Two
1. Mass of hydrate
| 140.9339g - 143.0581g | = 2.1242g
2. Mass of anhydrate
142.2341g - 140.9339g = 1.3002g
3. Mass of water
2.1242g - 1.3002g = .82400g
6
4. Moles of Anhydrate
1.3002g MgSO4 1mol MgSO4
120.37 MgSO4
= .010802mol MgSO4
5. Moles of water
.8200g H2O 1mol H2O
18.0153g H2O
= .045739mol H2O
6. Number of Water Molecules
.045739mol H2O/.010802mol MgSO4 = 4
7. Percentage of Water in Hydrate (Trial 2)
(.82400g/2.1242g) x 100% = 38.79%
See above calculations for full experimental value/percentage as well as the actual
percentage of water in the hydrate.
Error Calculations
Ea = | X e - X t |
Ea = |39.47 - 51.16 | = 11.69
E% = Ea/Xt x 100
E% = (11.69/51.16) x 100% = 22.85%
7
CONCLUSIONS
The experiment wielded an absolute error of 39.47 and a 22.85% percent error, likely
personal, with an experimental percentage of water in Magnesium Sulfate (MgSO4) of 39.47%.
The errors were personal because we touched the evaporating dish often to see if it had
cooled enough to mass the hydrate, and the oils on our fingers increased the mass. The increased
mass caused our results to be lower by lessening the gap between the weight of the hydrate and
the weight of the anhydrate, which impacted the experimental value of moles of water.
After the amount of time devoted to this lab, we were happy with the results. Of course,
our results could have been better with more time to do more trials or if we had not touched the
evaporating dish as frequently as we had over the course of the lab, but overall, a ~20% error is
not terrible. We learned how to develop and determine a hydrate formula, what a hydrate is, and
how to turn one into an anhydrate. This will apply to the real world by helping to further our
problem-solving skills and our ability to think beyond what we think we already know.
