Inquiry Into Bonding Lab

Bekah Kuster
Inquiry into Bonding Lab

Introduction:
The purpose of this lab was to identify whether six unknown solid substances were
covalently bonded or ionically bonded. Testing melting point and conductivity allowed us
to analyze bonding structures of the unknown substances. Covalent and ionic bonds have
different properties including those listed above, therefore testing the properties of the
unknown substances gave us a better understanding of how they were bonded. Covalent
bonds have low melting points (<300C), are easy to break, are soluble in water, and are
nonconductive when dissolved. Polymers are made of covalent bonds because they also
have a low melting point and low strength. Covalent bonds form when two or more
nonmetals share electrons while keeping their own. Ionic bonds have a high melting point
(>300C), are harder to break (have a strong attraction between ions) and are conductive
when dissolved. Because Ionic bonds have strong bonds and are in a rigid crystal shape,
they have high melting points. Ceramics and glass are made of ionic bonds because they
also have high melting points and are hard/rigid. Ionic bonds form when a metal gives
electrons to a nonmetal in order for both to become stable. In an ionic bond an atom is
stable when its outer shell is full.
Methods and Materials:

To identify whether unknown substances A, B, C, D, E, & F were covalently or ionically
bonded we determined whether they were conductive or not. This was done by filling a
beaker with distilled water and putting in roughly 6.4 grams of substance A into the
water. We then placed a conductivity probe into the water. If the red light lit up, the
substance in the distilled water was conductive, if the probe did not light up, it was not
conductive. We then rinsed the beaker out and repeated the process again with unknown
substances B, C, D, E, & F. When each substance was poured into the beaker of water,
we were also able to identity whether it was soluble or not. The next test we did was
measuring melting point. We put each substance in individual test tubes and used the
Bunsen burner to heat up the substance. When it began to melt, we placed a
thermocouple on the glass test tube to find the temperature at which each substance
melted.
Results:
Table 1
Unknown
Unknown
Substance
A
Conductivity Nonconductive
NonSolubility
soluble
41C
Melting
Point
Covalent
Bonding
Unknown
B
Conductive
Unknown E Unknown
F
Conductive Conductive
Soluble
Unknown C Unknown
D
Conductive
Nonconductive
Soluble
Soluble
Soluble
Soluble
39C
300C+
71C
300C+
90C
Ionic
Covalent
Ionic
Bekah Kuster
Unknown A:
I believe Unknown A was covalently bonded because it had several properties of
covalent bonds. One of these properties included not being conductive when put in water.
Also, the unknown substance was not soluble which can often be a property of covalent
bonds. Another property of the substance was a low melting point of 41C (melting at a
quick rate).
Unknown B:
I am uncertain whether Unknown B was covalently or ionically bonded because it was
relatively conductive (bright red, dull green light) which is a property of ionic bonds, but
also had a low melting point (39C), which is a property of covalent bonds. We did
however notice that the substance had a uniform crystal structure, which is a property of
ionic bonds as well. We still may have made an error that could have resulted in the water
being conductive like contaminating the water with another substance. We also may have
measured the temperature incorrectly. However, because it did have a crystal structure
and was conductive, I predict it was ionically bonded. Even so, I still cannot definitively
determine how Unknown B was bonded.
Unknown C:
From testing conductivity, solubility and melting point, I believe Unknown C was
ionically bonded. I believe this because it was conductive (bright red, dull green light),
soluble in water, and had a very high melting point based on the fact that after about two
minutes the substance still had not melted (predicting a melting point of 300C+). These
three properties are all properties seen in ionic bonds; therefore I believe Unknown C was
ionically bonded.
Unknown D:
Unknown D was non-conductive and soluble in water. It also had a relatively low melting
point of 71C (melting at a relatively quick rate). These properties are also properties seen
in covalent bonds; therefore I believe it was covalently bonded.
Unknown E:
I believe Unknown E was ionically bonded because it had the same properties of ionic
bonds. These properties include high conductivity (bright red and green light), solubility
in water and a high melting point based on the fact that after about two minutes the
substance had still not melted (predicting a melting point of 300C+).
Unknown F:
As like Unknown B, I am uncertain whether Unknown F was covalently or ionically
bonded because it was very conductive (bright red, bright green light) which is a property
of ionic bonds, but also had a relatively low melting point (90C), which is a property of
covalent bonds. It is possible we made an error in our testing similar to those predicted
for Unknown B. I also didnt collect data on the unknown substances structure.
Therefore, I cannot determine how Unknown F was bonded.

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Bekah Kuster

Inquiry into Bonding Lab

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