Ceramic Artisans Case Study

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November 5, 2012 Ms. Kathleen Sylva Head Researcher Ceramic Artisans 27 Pottery Lane Springfield, VA 22150 Dear Ms. Sylva, I understand that our company has been contacted and hired to conduct experimental work. We have been involved in this type of work before, so there is nothing to be afraid of. We are experienced and always get positive feedback from the companies we have previously been hired by. Our company hopes that in the future, you will consider our work again when you realize that we are superior to the rest. In this situation, we were given the task of finding which compound fits the criteria addressed in order to determine the correct compound to use for a ceramic glaze. We understand that your ceramic company is on…show more content…
4) Ignoring step 3, after step 2, you can take the solution that you have created and pour it into a 100 mL beaker. Once the solution is in the beaker, turn on the conductivity tester and gently place it in the solution (try not to touch the bottom of the beaker). Record the results. 5) Now, take the beaker with the solution already inside and place it on a hot plate. Turn on the hot plate to a medium heat. Wait until all the liquid has evaporated from the substance and then record the color of the dried substance. 6) Repeat steps 1-5 using each of the three other substances. NOTE: Make sure to wipe down all the materials before they are reused. Compounds | Solubility in Water | Solubility in Alcohol | Color if Soluble in H₂O | Conductivity(Scale 1-4) | Color When Dry | Melting Point (°F) | Sucrose | Yes | No | Transparent | Medium (2) | Brown | 366.8 | Sodium Chloride | Yes | No | Transparent | High (3) | Crystallized, Clear | 1474 | Sodium Carbonate | Yes | No | Mostly Transparent | High (3) | White | 1564 | Salicylic Acid | No | Yes | N/A | High (3) | White | 318.2…show more content…
The substance dissolves in water but not in alcohol, is transparent when dissolved in water, is electrically conductive when dissolved in water, dries white, and has a high melting point. Out of the four compounds we received to test, according to the data we collected, sodium carbonate was the one that would work the best as a fixative for the glaze. In the experiment we conducted you will notice that the independent variables were the different compounds, while the dependent variables were the results to the criteria that had to be met. Also, during our research, we found that sodium chloride and sodium carbonate worked better than sucrose and salicylic acid because they have ionic bonds. These conditions are more suitable for ionic bonds. That is why the sucrose and salicylic acid did not have good results, because they have covalent bonds. There were a few sources of error that could be improved in the experiment. For example, when the substance was poured into the test tubes, some of the compound remained stuck to the weighing paper. If we used a stick resistant material for this step, the whole 1g would be accounted for. Also, when we poured the contents of the test tube into the 100mL beaker, not all of the solution exited. We should have tried harder to take out the entire content of the test

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