Lab Report 7

Empirical Formula of a Hydrate

Name: Sarah Farhana Binti Shahrom

Experiment Date: October 5th, 2015

Partners Name: Sofea Binti Shahrul Azman, Heng Yi Hua (Tayler)

Lab Section: 3
Results and Discussion:
Part A
1

Observation
Sodium
Sodium sulfatedecahydrate
sulfatedecahydrate crystals turn white around the
edges
Potassium acetate Water droplets are formed

Equation
Na2SO4.10H2O(s)
Na2SO4(s) +
10H2O(g)
CH3COOK(s) + H2O

Sodium sulfatedecahydrate is efflorescent and potassium acetate is deliquescent.

Sodium sulfatedecahydrate turns from colourless to white because it decomposes and then
releases hydrated water molecules as water vapour.
Potassium acetate is deliquescent because it absorbs water from the surroundings. Water can be
seen to be formed around the sides of the potassium acetate powder.

Part B
Observation:

When heating the copper (II) sulfatepentahydrate crystals, the cobalt chloride paper turns
from pink to blue. Furthermore, CuSO4.5H2O turns from blue to white. A type of gas is
released which it condenses at the mouth of the boiling tube forming colourless liquid
droplets.
When putting a few drops of water on the anhydrous copper (II) sulfatepentahydrate
crystals, the white copper (II) sulfate crystals turns back to blue. Gas is released when
copper (II) sulfate water was dropped on the copper (II) sulfate crystals and the bottom of
the watch glass feels hot.
When heating copper (II) sulfatepentahydrate crystals, it releases the water molecules that
are bound to the hydrated salt into the air as water vapour. The crystals then turn white
due to the absence of water molecules. The crystals are now identified as anhydrous
copper (II) sulfate crystals. Presence of water molecules are proven by the change in
colour of cobalt chloride paper from blue to pink.
Reaction of heating up copper (II) sulfatepentahydrate crystals:
Cu2SO4.5H2O + Heat Cu2SO4 + 5H2O

When dropping water on the anhydrous copper (II) sulfate crystals, it turns back to blue
again as water molecules are bound to them.The bottom of the watch glass feels hot as
the reaction is exothermic.
Reaction of rehydration of anhydrous copper (II) sulfate crystals:
Cu2SO4 + 5H2O Cu2SO4.5H2O + Heat

Part C
Unknown code: D
Crucible + cover weight
Crucible + cover + sample weight
Crucible + cover + sample weight after 1st heating
Crucible + cover + sample weight after 2nd heating
Weight of the sample = 40.18 37.02
= 3.16g
Weight loss during heating

= 40.18 - (38.81+ 38.82)

2
= 1.37g

Mass percent of water in hydrate

= 1.37 x 100 = 43.4%

3.16

Measured weight (g)

37.02
40.18
38.81
38.82

Discussion:
Part A
The sodium sulfatedecahydrate turns white because water molecules escape from the sodium
sulfatedecahydrate as water vapour. The bonds holding the water molecules to the sodium sulfate
are weak and they escape into the atmosphere. The unhydrated sodium sulfate is white. This
proves that sodium sulfatedecahydratedecomposes into sodium sulphate and releases water
vapour

Part B
Copper (II) sulfate salts are deliquescent because they absorb water vapour from the
surroundings in anhydrous state when there are no water molecules bound to them. Anhydrous
copper (II) sulfate salts turn blue when left in the surroundings for some time.However, copper
(II) sulfate salts are only deliquescent at low temperatures, when it reaches a high temperature,
the copper (II) sulfatedecahydrate salts will decompose into anhydrous copper (II) sulfate and
releases water vapour. Copper (II) sulfate is also efflorescent under a high temperature.
Part C
The experiment was conducted with the crucible lid slightly ajar. It is to let water vapour to
escape from the hydrate so that it does not condense inside the crucible. The hydrate was heated
two times in order to make sure that the water molecules bound to the hydrate has been
completely liberated leaving only the salt.
The mass percent of water in a hydrate was obtained by using the following formula:
Weight loss during heating
Weight of sample

X 100

Conclusion:
Sodium sulfatedecahydrate displays properties of efflorescence and potassium acetate salts
display properties of deliquescence at room temperature. Copper (II) sulfatepentahydrate is
deliquescent at room temperature but efflorescent at high temperature.