C2, Topic 5.

8 How Science Works

Name Class Date .

Wouldnt give a nickel for the whole process

Electroplating is a common industrial process. By applying an electric current, a layer of a metal such as nickel can be deposited onto any object that will conduct electricity. Metallic objects are usually coated with a layer that protects the metal underneath. Other metals used to electroplate objects include chromium, zinc and gold. Electroplating can be an expensive process because of the cost of the substances involved and the amount of electricity used.

Aims
In this practical activity you are going to study how the amount of nickel deposited on a copper strip varies due to the time over which electroplating is carried out. In general, with electroplating, better results are obtained if a small current is passed for a long time. In this activity you will keep the current the same and carry out the electroplating over two different time intervals.

Safety
Wear eye protection at all times. Nickel sulfate is harmful. If you spill any of the solution onto your hands, wash it off immediately. Propanone is highly flammable and an irritant so make sure there are no naked flames.

Equipment and materials

eye protection 10 cm strips of both copper and nickel Harmful nickel sulfate solution Harmful 30 cm3 of propanone Highly flammable / Irritant emery paper glass rod 100 cm3 beaker polystyrene to fit on top of the beaker with two holes for the electrodes to fit through connecting leads and crocodile clips ammeter 12 V dc power supply access to an electrical balance reading to 0.01 g stop clock

New AQA GCSE Science Nelson Thornes Ltd 2011

C2, Topic 5.8 How Science Works

Name Class Date .

Method

1 Thoroughly clean a 10 cm strip of copper with emery paper and then wash it with propanone. 2 When completely dry, weigh the copper strip to the nearest 0.01 g. 3 Support the copper in the nickel sulfate solution by hooking it around a small glass rod. 4 Use the card/polystyrene to hold the metal strips a fixed distance apart. 5 Set up the rest of electrical circuit as shown in the diagram. The copper strip should be connected directly to the negative (black) terminal of the power supply. The nickel strip should be connected through the ammeter to the positive (red) terminal of the power supply. 6 Try to make sure that most of the nickel and copper strips are below the surface of the solution. 7 Set the power supply to 9 V and then turn it on. 8 By adjusting the voltage from time to time, make sure that the same current flows through the solution for 10 minutes. Record the value of the current you have used. 9 After 10 minutes, turn off the power supply and remove the copper strip. 10 Carefully wash the strip with propanone and, when completely dry, reweigh it to the nearest 0.01 g. 11 Calculate the increase in mass of the copper. 12 Repeat the whole electroplating process for 20 minutes rather than 10 minutes using a new piece of copper. Use the same current as before, remembering to adjust the voltage from time to time to keep the same current flowing. This will enable the increase in mass to be compared with that in the first experiment.

New AQA GCSE Science Nelson Thornes Ltd 2011

C2, Topic 5.8 How Science Works

Name Class Date .

Results
Experiment Initial mass of copper (g) Final mass of copper (g) Increase in mass of copper (g) Electroplating time (minutes) 10 20

1 2

Questions
1 What was the independent variable in this experiment? 2 State one variable that it was important to control in this experiment. 3 Why was the copper strip washed with propanone before it was weighed again? 4 Suggest two reasons why the mass increase you recorded in each experiment may not have been accurate. 5 What did you notice happening at the electrodes during the experiment? 6 Why would it be useful to carry out your experiment more than once and take an average result?

Stretch and challenge

7 Why would it not be possible to plot a graph from the results of your experiment? 8 Which would have helped to reduce errors in your experiment: using a more precise stop clock or a more precise balance? Justify your answer.

Discussion
The results obtained in the experiment should suggest that there is only a small increase in the mass of the copper electrode even when the current is passed for a longer time. This helps to produce an even coating of nickel. What do the results suggest about the relationship between the mass of nickel deposited and the time the experiment was carried out for?

New AQA GCSE Science Nelson Thornes Ltd 2011