Lab: Law of Conservation of Mass and Reaction Aim

Lab: Law of Conservation of Mass and Reaction
Aim:
To prove the Law of Conservation of Mass by the help of Copper Recovery Cycle.
Law of Conservation of Mass:

Law of Conservation of Mass states that “In an isolated system Matter can neither be created nor
destroyed in a physical or chemical reaction”
Objective:
 To verify Law of conservation of Mass.
 To perform Copper Recovery Cycle.
 To calculate amount of Copper recovered during recovery cycle.
Introduction.
In this experiment, I performed and observed several reactions of copper. This
is a cycle of reactions, because the substance which was used as reactant was recovered, copper metal.
In the first reaction, copper metal is oxidized by nitric acid to form copper (II) nitrate,
Cu(NO3)2. It is then converted to copper (II) hydroxide, Cu(OH)2, by reaction with base.
When this compound is heated, it is transformed to copper (II) oxide, CuO. Copper (II)
oxide is then reacted with acid to form copper (II) sulphate, CuSO4. Finally, the copper
ions in the copper sulphate are reduced to copper metal by magnesium. We can
recover all of the copper that we started with. (The number of atoms of
copper is the same throughout all of the reactions.) However, small amounts of copper
can be lost during transfers of copper compounds from one container to another.
Similarly, small amounts of copper usually get washed away during purification steps.
Your goal will be to recover as much copper as possible at the end of the experiment by being very careful
in all of the transfers and purification steps that you do.
Chemical Equations
1. Cu (s) + HNO3 (aq) → Cu(NO3)2 (aq) + NO2 (g) + H2O (l)
2. Cu(NO3)2 (aq) + NaOH (aq) → Cu(OH)2 (s) + NaNO3 (aq)
3. Cu(OH)2 (s) → CuO (s) + H2O (l)
4. CuO (s) + H2SO4 (aq) → CuSO4 (aq) + H2O (l)
5. CuSO4 (aq) + Mg (s) → Cu (s) + MgSO4 (aq)
Procedure:
Reaction 1
1. Weighed an empty pointed centrifuge tube on a digital balance, placed approximately
0.1 g of copper metal in it, and weigh it again. Recorded the data.
2. In the hood, add 2 mL of 6 M nitric acid. Heated the contents in a hot water bath,
if necessary. Heated until the copper has dissolved completely and no more brown
fumes (toxic nitrogen dioxide, NO2) are evolving.
3. Allowed the resulting solution to cool to room temperature. Added 2 mL of deionized water
to the solution.
4. Recorded the observations of the reaction, and write the balanced net ionic
equation.
Reaction 2
5. Added 6 M NaOH drop-by-drop until the solution is basic. Stirred well with a stirring
rod after the addition of each drop. To tell whether or not it is basic, touched the
stirring rod to a piece of red litmus paper. If it turns blue, the solution is basic.
6. Recorded the observations of the reaction, and written the balanced net ionic
equation.
Reaction 3
7. Gently heated the tube in a beaker of boiling water until a chemical transformation
occurs. Continued heating until the reaction was complete. Allowed the solution to cool to
room temperature on its own.
8. When the solution was cool, centrifuged the tube to collect the solid. Decanted (pour off) the
solution from the tube into a small beaker, leaving the solid behind.
9. Washed the solid twice: each time, added 2 mL of deionized water, swirl the
centrifuge tube vigorously, centrifuge the tube, and decanted the wash water into
your waste beaker, leaving the solid behind.
equation.
Reaction 4
11. Weighed a small beaker that is clean and dry. In this small beaker, placed 6 mL of 3
M H2SO4 (aq). Using a spatula transfered the centrifuged solid
from step 9 into the acid solution. Rinsed the centrifuge tube out with a small
amount (1-2 mL) of purified water, and combine all of the rinses in the small
beaker.
equation.
Reaction 5
13. Cut a 30-cm length of magnesium ribbon from the roll of magnesium. Polished the
ribbon with fine steel wool until it was shiny. Cut the ribbon into 1-cm lengths.
14. Added about 5 mL of deionized water to the solution in the beaker, and swirled gently.
One at a time, added the magnesium strips to the beaker and observed the chemical
change that occurs. I kept adding magnesium strips until the solution is colourless.
Recorded the observations of the reaction, and written the balanced net ionic
equation.
15. Removed a small drop of the solution and added it to some concentrated ammonia in
a beaker or test tube.
16. Weighed a clean, dry centrifuge tube and record the mass.
17. With a stirring rod, break up the red-brown coating of copper on the magnesium
ribbon. Decanted off the liquid into a waste beaker without losing any of the solid.
18. Added 6 M H2SO4 drop by drop to react with the excess magnesium. In between
adding the drops of acid, break up the solid pieces to expose any unreacted
magnesium ribbon. I kept doing this until you see no more evidence of reaction.
Record your observations of the reaction, and write the balanced net ionic
equation.
19. I held the centrifuge tube with a test tube clamp, and heated it gently over a cool
flame, while constantly moving it around. Allowed it to cool to room temperature,
and then weighed it and recorded the mass. Again, heated the tube gently for a while,
allowed it to cool, and weigh it. I kept doing this until the mass became constant.
Determined the mass of copper recovered in the experiment.
21. Calculated the percent recovery of the copper.
Summary
Almost all amount of the copper was recovered except that which was lost during transfer of reactants
from one container to the other. It proved that matter is neither created nor destroyed during a
chemical reaction.

Lab: Law of Conservation of Mass and Reaction Aim

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