Experiment 4: Determination of the Formula of a Hydrate Estrada, Jonas Emmanuel; Rodriguez, Cy Chemistry 14.1, HAB 3, Ms.

Jenica Marie Madridejos January 22, 2014 ABSTRACT A hydrate is a compound that is formed from the combination of a definite amount of water with a specific quantity of salt. Salt, however, could combine with water in different amounts and thus could form different hydrates. The experiment aims to determine the formula of a hydrate of copper(II) sulfate which could be evaluated from the ratio of the number of moles of water to the number of moles of salt left after a simple decomposition reaction. The experiment involved the heating of 1 g of copper(II) sulfate crystals until decomposed into gray powder. The gray powder weighed 0.66 g and the loss of weight was 0.36 g which was also the weight of water. The formula weight of water is approximately 18 g/mole and the formula weight of copper(II) sulfate is approximately 160 g/mole. Based on this, the moles of copper(II) sulfate was found to be approximately 0.004 moles and the moles of water was found to be approximately 0.02 moles and the simplest ratio of the number of moles of water to the number of moles of Copper(II) sulfate is 5:1. Therefore, the formula of the hydrate was CuSO4(5H2O) which is also known as copper(II) sulphate pentahydrate. KEYWORDS: hydrate, anhydrous, waters of hydration, copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate, moles, formula weight, percent of hydration INTRODUCTION Formulas for hydrates are written using a dot convention: a dot is used to separate the formula of the A hydrate salt is composed of anions and cations which salt from the formula of the water of hydration. A are surrounded by and weakly bonded water molecules, numerical coefficient gives the molar amount of water which are integral parts of their crystalline structure. included in the hydrate. Hydrates are named using Each hydrate salt has a fixed number of water molecules prefixes for the word hydrate (at right). For example associated with it, called waters of hydration or waters of CuSO45H2O is copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate. One crystallization. When a salt holds waters of hydration, key point: the dot is not a multiplication sign. When we call it a hydrated salt or a hydrate (from hydor, the calculating the molar mass you add the molar mass of Greek word for water). Salt which does not contain water water (multiplied by the coefficient). is called anhydrous. The anhydrous salt has different colour and crystalline structure from the hydrate. Hydrates are classified as hygroscopic, deliquescent, and effluorescent. The type of hydrate The water is present as individual water most suitable for a quantitative hydrate formula molecules and usually no chemical bonds are involved in determination is the hygroscopic hydrate, which absorbs holding the ions of the compound and the water a definite number of water molecules. The useful molecules together. The forces of attraction are absorption qualities associated with this class of electrostatic forces resulting from the charged nature of hydrates makes it extremely useful as a drying agent. the anhydrous ionic compound and the polar water The compound is heated to drive off the water and then molecules. The bond is so weak that simply heating the used to keep other materials dry by absorbing water hydrated salt to liberate the water molecules as vapor before the other material. They are sometimes packed can normally break it. with food, film, or shoes to prevent moisture damage. Particle size and space limitations dictate the number of water molecules an ionic compound will accommodate and well as the conditions under which the hydrate is formed. Many ionic compounds form multiple hydrates. The number of water molecules bound per metal ion is often characteristic of that particular metal ion. The bonds of the hydrate salt with water molecules may easily by separated by means of a decomposition reaction. Experiment 4: Determination of the Formula of a Hydrate Chem 14.1 The deliquescent compounds, such as calcium chloride and sodium hydroxide, absorbs water until it dissolves forming a concentrated solution. The efflorescent hydrate, such as sodium sulfate decahydrate (Na2SO410 H2O), spontaneously loses some or all of its water of hydration when exposed to dry atmosphere. Many hydrates can be transformed to the anhydrous compound when heated strongly. The
PAGE | 1

hydrate in focus of this experiment is copper(II) sulfate (later known to be copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate, which contains 5 moles of water per 1 mole of copper(II) sulfate written as CuSO4 5H2O). It is used as a catalytic precursor, fungicide, and as a source of copper in chemical manufacturing processes. The experiment aims to calculate the number of moles of the components in the compound and to determine the formula of the hydrate. The reaction involved is: CuSO4 5 H2O CuSO4 + 5 H2O blue gray Or generally: hydrated salt anhydrous salt + water vapor

The loss of mass represents the mass of water in the original sample. To find the formula of the original hydrate, we determined from the succeeding data the ratio of the number moles of water to the number of moles of copper(II) sulfate. Form this we calculated the moles of anhydrous compound in the original sample. RESULT Gray powder that is less in weight was obtained after the heating and cooling process. The image below shows the solid obtained.

Copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate can be converted into anhydrous copper sulphate when heated. This change can be followed visually. The blue crystalline copper sulfate pentahydrate is converted when heated to a white, powdery, anhydrous salt. As the water is lost there is a color change, which is characteristic of the particular anhydrous compound. Since heat must be added to the hydrate to drive off the water this is an endothermic change. It is also possible to reverse the above process (though not shown in our experiment), as shown in the equation below: CuSO4 + 5 H2O CuSO4 5 H2O gray blue If water is added to the white anhydrous copper sulfate, a blue color is obtained indicating that the blue pentahydrate is regenerated. The property of reversibility can be used to distinguish true hydrates from other compounds that produce water when heated. EXPERIMENTAL A test tube with a cork stopper was placed in a 100 mL beaker and weighed. Approximately 1 g of Copper(II) sulfate crystals were placed in the test tube and then stoppered again using a cork stopper and was placed in the beaker and was weighed again. The copper(II) sulfate crystals were heated over a blue flame from an alcohol lamp until the crystals disintegrated into a gray powder until all of the water is driven off. The process lasted from five to ten minutes. After heating, the upper portion of the test tube was heated so as to completely evaporate the moisture and was again stoppered using the cork and cooled to room temperature. After cooling, the test tube was again placed on the 100 mL beaker and was weighed again. Experiment 4: Determination of the Formula of a Hydrate Chem 14.1
Figure 1: CuSO4 before heating and after cooling

Table 1. Experimental data collected. Weight of beaker + test tube + 66.73 g stopper Weight of beaker + test tube + 67.75 g stopper + crystals before heating Weight of beaker + test tube + 67.39 g stopper + crystals after heating Weight of residue 0.66 g Lose in weight upon heating 0.36 g Formula weight of CuSO4 159.6076 g/mole Formula weight of H2O 18.01520 g/mole Moles of CuSO4 0.004135 moles Moles of H2O 0.019980 moles Simplest ratio of moles of H2O to 4.83100 : 1 or moles of CuSO4 5:1 Formula of Hydrate CuSO4 5 H2O Calculations W residue = W after heating W beaker + test tube + stopper = 67.39 g - 66.73 g = 0.66 g (CuSO4 ) W lose upon heating = W before heating - W after heating = 67.75 g - 67.39 g = 0.36 g (H2O)

PAGE | 2

Moles of CuSO4 = = = Moles of H2O = = = Simplest ratio of moles of H2O to moles of CuSO4 = = 4.831 : 1 ~5:1 The calculated formula of the hydrate is: CuSO4 5 H2O The formula of this hydrate shows the molar amount of water incorporated into the crystal matrix. DISCUSSION The moles of water in a hydrate can be determined quantitatively by heating a known mass of the hydrate for a sufficient length of time to establish constant mass, and then determining the mass of the anhydrous material or residue. The difference between the mass before and after heating the hydrate is the mass of water driven off. This mass of water divided by the molar mass of water gives the number of moles of water initially present. The number of moles of anhydrous compound can be determined by using the mass of the anhydrous compound (residue) and dividing it by the molar mass of the anhydrous compound. The number of moles of water divided by the number of moles of anhydrous compound gives you the coefficient X (which is also the waters of hydration/crystallization) of in the accepted form for the chemical formula of a hydrate: anhydrous compound X H2O The Greek prefixes are used to specify the number of moles of water present in the name of the hydrate. (mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, etc.) Now that we know the numerical value of X, we can now calculate the theoretical mass percent of water in the hydrate. Since X will be the moles of water released upon dehydration of one mole of hydrate, X multiplied by the molar mass of water gives you the mass of water present in the hydrate. Dividing the mass of water by the molar mass of the anhydrous compound and multiplying by 100 gives the percent water. Experiment 4: Determination of the Formula of a Hydrate Chem 14.1

Theoretical .%H2O

x Molar.Mass. H2O
Molar. Mass.Anhydrous .Compound

x100

The theoretical percent water of hydration of copper(II) sulphate pentahydrate is 36.06%

The experimental percent water in the hydrate

can be calculated from the mass data generated in the experiment with the formula:
Experiment al.% H 2 O

x .Mass.H 2 O
Mass.Hydrate

x100

Given the data we collected in our experiment, our experimental percent of hydration is 35.29% The percent error in the percent water may be calculated using the relationship:

% Error

Experimental.Value Theoretical.Value x100 Theoretical.Value

Therefore, our percent error is -2.19%. All pure sample of this hydrate should show the same percentage of water by analysis. Thus, this hydrated compound obeys the law of constant composition For most hydrates, the amount of water included in the formula is only important when trying to measure molar amounts of the salt. You need to know the true formula weight (molar mass) in order to measure out the mass needed to give a certain number of moles. The chemical importance of the water of hydration is minimal since it can be driven off by heat or simply dissolve away if the salt is dissolved in water CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS We have determined that copper(II) sulphate pentahydrate, with one mole of copper(II) sulphate and 5 moles of water, is the hydrate of copper sulphate given to us. We have also determined the theoretical percent of hydration of copper(II) sulphate pentahydrate, which is 36.08% with the data that we have gathered. We were then able to use the theoretical percent of hydration to determine the percent error, which is -2.19%, of our experimental percent of hydration of 35.29% The values obtained are not very precise. This could be due to the samples not being heated long enough so that all the water of hydration was not driven off. This could be checked by repeating the experiment and heating the samples for a longer time.
PAGE | 3

I hereby certify that I have given substantial contribution to this report. REFERENCES:

___________________________ Jonas Emmanuel Estrada

Chang, R., & Overby, J. (2011). General Chemistry Eleventh Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Copper(II) Sulfate. (n.d.). Retrieved from Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper(II)_sulfate Experiment 10: Hydrates. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://spot.pcc.edu/~gbackes/CH222/Labs222.W 05/Exp.10.Hydrates.htm Experiment 18: Formula of Hydrates. (n.d.). 1-9. Hydrate Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved from Chemistry Online Resource Essentials: http://www.dlt.ncssm.edu/core/c5.htm Hydrates: Experiment 1. (n.d.). 1-13. Lumsden, C. (n.d.). Calculations from Empirical Data. 25. Water of Hydration: Experiment 7. (n.d.). 57-64.

___________________________ Cy Rodriguez

Experiment 4: Determination of the Formula of a Hydrate Chem 14.1

PAGE | 4

GUIDE QUESTIONS 1. A piece of iron weighing 0.920 grams was heated until all iron was converted to an oxide. If the weight of the oxide obtained is 1.315 grams, what is the formula of the oxide? Fe + O2 FeO 0.920 g 1.315 g Molar mass_____ Formula mass Fe O Therefore, __0.920 g__ 55.847 g/mole 1.315 g___ 71.8464 g/mole 2Fe + O2 2FeO 0.16473579 moles 0.018302975 moles Ratio 1 1

2. A 1.000-gram sample of that contains 0.0128 moles of a hydrocarbon was burned in excess air to convert all the components to carbon dioxide and water. if 3.385 grams of carbon dioxide and 0.692 grams of water are produced, what is the empirical formula of the hydrocarbon? What is its molecular formula? 1 mol CO2 44.0g CO2 1 mol H2O 18.0g H2O 1 mol C 1 mol CO2 2 mol H 1 mol H2O

3.385 g of CO2 x

=0.07693mol CO2 x

=0.07693 mol C

0.692 g H2O Ratio = 1 : 1

=0.03844mol H2O

= 0.07688 mol H

Empirical formula = CH Empirical formula units = 13 Formula mass of hydrocarbon = 1g / 0.0128 moles = 78.125 g/mole Number of atoms = Formula mass / Empirical formula = 78.125 / 13 = 6.00 Therefore, Molecular formula = C6H6 Experiment 4: Determination of the Formula of a Hydrate Chem 14.1
PAGE | 5