A Cycle of Copper Reactions

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A Cycle of Copper Reactions Observations: 1.) In the first step we put a piece of copper wire in a beaker and added 4.0 ml of (16M) HNO3 which was clear. When we first added the HNO3 the mixture began to fizz. After waiting a few seconds the mixture began to turn form clear to a green transparent liquid. And the last thing that happened was the mixture formed a brown transparent gas. 2.) In step 2 we added 30ml of (3M) NaOH, which was again clear, to the copper precipitate. When we added the NaOH the solution turned from a green transparent liquid to a turquoise foggy and gelatin like liquid. 3.) In step 3 we heated the solution over a Bunsen burner while stirring it. After we heated it for a couple of minutes the mixture turned to a dark green almost black looking precipitate. 4.) In step 4 there wasn’t any change because we just decanted it, which means we used water to rinse it. 5.) In step 5 we added 15ml of (6M) H2SO4. When we added the H2SO4 the solution turned back to a translucent blue liquid. 6.) In step 6 we added 4 grams of zinc to the solution. When we added the zinc it immediately began to fizz followed by the formation or red clay like solid that floated on the surface of the solution. Reaction 1: Copper metal To Copper Nitrate Cu(s) + 4HNO3(aq) Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2NO2(g) + 2H2O(l) Cu + 4H1+ + 4NO31- Cu2+ + 2NO31- + 2NO2 + 2H2O Cu + 4H1+ + 2NO31- Cu2+ + 2NO2 + 2H2O Reaction 2: Copper Nitrate to Copper Hydroxide Cu(NO3)2(aq) + 2NaOH(aq) 2NaNO3(aq) + Cu(OH)2(s) Cu2+ + 2(NO3)1- + 2Na1+ + 2OH1- 2Na1+ + 2NO31- + Cu(OH)2 Cu2+ + 2OH1- Cu(OH)2 Reaction 3: Copper hydroxide to copper oxide Cu(OH)2(s) + heat CuO(s) + H2O(g) Reaction 4: Copper oxide to copper sulfate CuO(s) + H2SO4(aq) CuSO4(aq) H2O(l) CuO + 2H1+ + SO42- Cu2+ +SO42- + H2O CuO + 2H1+ Cu2+ + H2O Reaction 5: Copper sulfate to copper metal

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