Copper Lab Essay

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Dr. Jefferson Andrews Chemical Principalities - CHEM 1101 1 October 2008 Copper, the Funnest Lab Ever. Abstract: This experiment served as a test of our individual laboratory skills in carrying out several Abstract: chemical transformations involving copper. The experiment was successful in that the Abstract: percent yield was reasonable, and we were able to recover our copper sample with Abstract: maximum efficiency ( we were able to recover all of the copper with which we began ). Introduction: This experiment involved the separation and purification of our desired product ( copper ) from any unwanted side products. This was accomplished using several different methods including filtration, sedimentation, decantation, extraction, and sublimation. In addition to carrying out some of these operations, we familiarized ourselves with both redox and metathesis reactions, two fundamental types of chemical reactions. Through these reactions, we performed several chemical transformations involving copper, and were able to recover our copper sample with maximum efficiency, thus accomplishing the objective of the experiment—to recover all of the copper with which we began. We performed the following chemical reactions: Cu ( s ) + 4 HNO3 ( aq ) → Cu( NO3 )2 ( aq ) + 2 NO2 ( g ) + 2 H2O ( l ) Redox [ i ] Cu( NO3 )2 ( aq ) + 2 NaOH ( aq ) → Cu( OH )2 ( s ) + 2 NaNO3 ( aq ) Metathesis [ ii ] Cu( OH )2 ( s ) → CuO ( s ) + H2O ( g ) Dehydration [ iii ] CuO ( s ) + H2SO4 ( aq ) → CuSO4 ( aq ) + H2O ( l ) Metathesis [ iv ] CuSO4 ( aq ) + Zn ( s ) → ZnSO4 ( aq ) + Cu ( s ) Redox [ v ] 3 CuSO4 ( aq ) + 2 Al ( s ) → Al2( SO4 )3 ( aq ) + 3 Cu ( s ) Redox [ vi ] While metathesis reactions proceed to completion whenever one of the components is removed from the solution (

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