Forplanningsection:

1.Whenaskedtodrawadiagram,ALWAYSmentionthevolumeoftheapparatusbeingused.Theonemostoftenusedis
gassyringe.Ithinkitisbettertolimitthevolumeofsyringetolessthan500cm3.Also,thevolumeofacommonlyused
smalltesttubeisaround16cm3andthatofaboilingtubeisabout25cm3.Wealwayshavetokeepthevolumeofthe
apparatusweareusingwhilechoosingthevolumeofthesolutionfortheplanning.Sayingthatwearegoingtoplace
50cm3ofaqueousHClinatesttubeisofcoursenotgoingtopleasetheexaminers.IthinkIendedupdoingthesamein
oneofthepaperswherewehadtopreparedifferentconcentrationsofagivensolution.Ichosevolumeofwatertobe
addedtoabeakertobe250cm3.However,theERstatedthatthevolumeshouldbelessthan200cm3,thatsobeing
sincethevolumeofacommonlyusedglassbeakerisaround250cm3.Someonecarryingoutmyexpmwouldhaveafully
filledbeaker.However,wecanusegreatervolumeifwestatethatthevolumeofthebeakeris400cm3or500cm3orso
on.So,statingthevolumeoftheapparatusisveryveryimportant
2.Alwayswhilemeasuringvolumeofsolutions,useburetteorpipettebecausetheyhavelowPERCENTAGEerror.The
questionofpercentageerrorsareusuallyaskedinP5.Thepercentageerrorbecomesveryunacceptableifweare
measuringSMALLvolumesofsolutionorsmallmasses.So,a3dpbalanceismuchbetterformeasuringmassesthana
2dpbalanceasitwouldhavemuchless%errorwhensmallmassesarebeingmeasured
3.Whileheatingcrystalsstrongly,donotuseasimpletesttubeoranyapparatuswithsharpedgesastheyareliableto
crackatthesharpedges.Forverystrongheatingtoaconstantmass,acrucibleplacedonapipeclaytriangleis
appropriate.Andofcoursetomeasurethemassofthecrucible+solid,youwouldhavetoplaceitonabalance.Butwe
wouldntwanttofryourpoorbalancebyplacingaveryhotcrucibleontopofit.So,allowthecrucibletocoolforafew
minutesbyplacingitonaheatmat.
Whenusingamagnesiumribbonoranydirtysurface,cleanitwithSANDPAPER
Howtopreparecrystals(whichisalsolinkedwithsolubility)
ManymethodsarementionedinMSbutIfoundthistobethesimplest:
CIEusuallydemandsustopreparecrystalafterpreparingasaturatedsolutionofthecrystal.
So,wehavetoprepareasaturatedsolutionfirst:
1.Takeafixedvolumeofwaterinabeakerofappropriatevolume
2.Addthecrystaltothewaterandstircontinuously.Youhavetoallowsometimeforthecrystaltodissolveasitisan
equilibriumprocess
3.After5minofstirring,ifnosolidcrystalsappear,addfurthermassofcrystal
4.Andrepeattheprocessuntilsolidappearsinthebeaker
5.Filterthesolutionusingafilterpaperandfunnelsothatthesaturatedsolutioniscollectedinabeaker(whosemasshas
beenmeasuredpreviously)beneaththefunnel
Nowwehaveasaturatedsolutioninabeaker.
Howtogetthecrystals:
1.Wehavetoplacethebeakerinawarmwaterbath.Wecoulduseaburneraswellbutthereisariskofoverheatingthe
solutionwhichcoulddecomposethecrystal.Iftheheatisappropriate,thewaterofthesolutionshouldevaporateandwe
shouldhavedrycrystalsready.
Howtomeasuresolubility:
6.Measurethemassofbeaker+solutionfromstep5
7.Subtractthemassofbeakerfromthemassin6togetthemassofsaturatedsolution
8.Andevaporateasshownabovetogetthemassofcrystals.
8.Measurethemassofcrystal+beaker
9.Subtractmassofbeakerfrommassin8togetthemassofcrystals
10.Subtractthemassofcrystalsfromthemassofsaturatedsolutiontogetthemassofwaterinthesolution
11.Ihaveassumedthatallthemassesareingrams.So,togetthesolubility:Massofcrystalx100/Massofwater
Whenyouhavetoremovemoisturefrom:
1.Surface:
Washthesurfacewithastreamofpropanone.Thewatergetsdissolvedinthepropanoneandrepeatitmultipletimes.
Thengentlyheatthesurfacetoevaporatethepropanonefromthesurface
2.Vapour:
Usedessicantssuchas:
1.ANHYDROUSsulphuricacid
2.ANHYDROUScalciumchloride
3.Silicagel

Youhavetopassthevapourfromthebeakercontainingthedessicant
Also,ausefulpropertyofsodalimeisthatitabsorbsBOTHwatervapourandcarbondioxide
Wearealsoregularlyaskedtomeasureenthalpychanges
Mostofusalreadyknowthatweuseaplasticcupandthermometerforthispurpose
Howeverthishasmanydisadvantages(askedregularly)andherearesomeofthemwiththerequiredmeasures:
1.Heatlosstothesurroundingsfromthebeaker:
Toavoidthis:
a.Covertheplasticcupwithalid
b.Placethecupinabeaker.Theairinthebeakeractsagoodinsulator.
c.Usemultiplecupssoastothickenthelaterallayerofplastic
2.Instabilityofthecup
a.Placethecupinaglassbeaker
3.Forexothermicreactions,sprayofthesolutionverylikely
a.Usealargebeakertocarryouttheexperimentratherthanthesmallplasticcup(whichhasasmallvolume)
b.Putalidonthetopofthebeaker(thisonlyMINIMISESthespray,doesntpreventittotally)
4.Whenweareheatingavolumeofwateringlassbeaker,therearetwocasesofheatlosstoconsider:
a.Heatlossfromthebeakerofwater
b.Heatlossfromtheburnerheatingthevolumeofwater
Whenpreparingasolutionofafixedconcentrationfromagivenparentsolutionofconcentration,say,2.0mol/dm3
A.Wearerequiredtoprepareasolutionofconcentrationof1.0mol/dm3withvolume250cm3(theconcncannotbe
greaterthan2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
a.Add100cm3oftheparentsolutiontoavolumetricflaskofmarkingat250cm3
b.Topoffwithwatertothemarkof250cm3.Useawashbottleforthispurposetohavegreatercontrolovertheaddition
process
Whenrequiredtoprepare250cm3of0.5mol/dm3solutionofacrystalofMr50g
Firstrealizethatweneedonly250cm3,not1dm3
Nowin250cm3therewillbe:50/4=12.5gofthesolid
So,firstadd12.5gofsolidto50cm3ofwaterinaBEAKER(notthevolumetricflaskyet).Alsonotethatthevolumeof
waterislessthan250cm3.
Stirproperlyandifthesoliddoesntdissolveaddmorewateruntilitfullydissolves
Thentransferthesolutionfromthebeakertoavolumetricflask.Remembertorinsethebeakerwithwaterandtransferthe
solutiontothevolumetricflask
Stoppertheflaskandshakeproperly
Finally,addtherequiredvolumeofwatertomakethesolutionupto250cm3USEAFUNNELORYOURISK
OVERSHOOTINGTHEMARK
Titrationisaccuratebecause:
1.Standardsolutionofacid/baseisused
2.weobtainconcordanttitres
3.%errorinpipetteandburetteisverysmall
4.Theendpointofatitrationissharp