UDEC1134 Chemistry

Laboratory I
Bachelor Of Science
(HONS) Chemistry

Name Pek Chen Yee

Student ID 1704650
Members name Toh Ka Yie
Thong Siew Hui
Practical Group P2
Practical Subgroup Group 1
No. of experiment Experiment 8
Title of experiment Preparation and Studies of Potassium Tris(Oxalato)Aluminate(III)
Trihydrate {K3[AL(C2O4)3].3H2O}
Date of experiment 28/1/2019
Date of submission 11/2/2019

Name of lecturer Ms. Chang Chew Cheen

Title
Preparation and studies of potassium tris(oxalato)aluminate(III) trihydrate
{K3[Al(C2O4)3].3H2O}
Objective
To prepare Potassium tris(Oxalato)aluminate(III)trihydrate {K3 [Al(C2O4 ) 3 ].3H2O} and
study its reactions.
Apparatus
Beaker
Measuring cylinder
Büchner funnel
Büchner flask
Hot plate
Glass rod
Filter paper
Ice
Platinum wire
Bunsen burner
Weighting boat
Dropper
Materials
0.005 mole Al2(SO4)3.18H2O
5M NaOH
0.008 mole oxalic acid dihydrate
0.008 mole potassium oxalate monohydrate
Ethanol
Dilute sodium hydroxide solution
Dilute HCl
Dilute H2SO4
Dilute solution of KMnO4
Results
Mass of Al2(SO4)3.18H2O 3.12g

Mass of oxalic acid dihydrate 1.08g

Mass of potassium oxalate monohydrate 1.47g

Mass of weighting board 0.7780g

Mass of product + weighting board 2.1785g

Mass of product 1.4005g

Test for potassium

Colour of the flame: The purplish pink colour flame was formed.

Test for aluminium

Before warm the solution and add NaOH No precipitate was formed
solution

Before warm the solution and add NaOH No precipitate was formed
solution

Test for oxalate

With adding H2SO4 The purple solution turn to colourless
quickly

Without adding H2SO4 The purple solution turn to colourless slower

than the solution with adding H2SO4
Calculation
Al2(SO4)3.18H2O (s) + 6NaOH (aq) → 2Al(OH)3 (s) + 3Na2SO4 (aq) + 18H2O (l)
1 mol of Al2(SO4)3.18H2O produce 2 mol of Al(OH)3
Hence, 0.005 mol of Al2(SO4)3.18H2O produce 0.010 mol of Al(OH)3

2Al(OH)3 (s) + 3K2C2O4 (aq) + 3H2C2O4 (aq) → 2K3[Al (C2O4)3].3H2O(l)

2 mol of Al(OH)3 produce 2mol of K3[Al (C2O4)3].3H2O
Hence, 0.010 mol of Al(OH)3 produce 0.010 mol of K3[Al (C2O4)3].3H2O

The product, K3[Al (C2O4)3].3H2O

Molar mass of K3[Al (C2O4)3].3H2O
=3(39.098) + 26.982 + 3[2(12.011) + 4(15.999)] + 3[2(1.0079) + 15.999]
=462.3744 g/mol

Theoretical yield of K3[Al (C2O4)3].3H2O = 0.010 mol×462.3744g/mol

= 4.6237 g
Questions
1) Write an ionic equation for the formation of Al(OH)3 using Al2(SO4)3.18H2O and
NaOH.

The equation: Al2(SO4)3 (aq) + 6NaOH (aq) → 2Al(OH)3 (s) + 3Na2SO4 (aq)
Ionic equation: 2Al3+(aq)+3SO42-(aq)+6Na+(aq)+6OH-(aq) →2Al(OH)3 (s)+6Na+(aq)+ 3SO42-(aq)
Net ionic equation: 2Al3+(aq) + 6OH- (aq) → 2Al(OH)3 (s)

2) The formation of the tris(oxalate)aluminate(III) complex anion is carried out by

reacting Al(OH)3 with the exact number of moles of the oxalate ion and oxalic acid.
The number of moles of each reactant is given in step (3) of the preparation section.
Using this information, balance the equation for the reaction:

2Al(OH)3 + 3(C2O4 2- ) + 3H2C2O4.2H2O => 2[Al(C2O4)3]3-.3H2O + 12H2O

3) Aluminum is present as a free cation when Al2(SO4)3.18H2O is dissolved in water. i)

Which ions are present when K3[Al(C2O4)3].3H2O is dissolved in water? The function
of acid used in carrying out test (ii) is to release Al3+ from the complex ion, [A
l(C2O4)3]3- . The [Al3+(H2O)6] ion written in simple form as Al3+ is then identified as
described in test (ii). Write equations for the reaction of the acid with the product and
for the reaction which indicates the presence of aluminum (III) in the product.

i) K+ and [Al(C2O4)3]3- are the ions present in the water.

ii) [Al(C2O4)3]3- (aq) + HCl (aq) → AlCl3 (aq) + 3H+ (aq) + 6CO2(g)

4) Aluminum (III) hydroxide is an amphoteric substance i.e., it reacts both with acids and
alkalis to form the aluminum salt of the acid and AlO2 - anion respectively. Write
equations for the reactions of Al(OH)3 with HCl and NaOH to indicate the amphoteric
nature of Al(OH)3.

Reaction Al(OH)3 with HCl: Al(OH)3 + 3HCl → AlCl3 + 3H2O (l)

Reaction Al(OH)3 with NaOH: Al(OH)3 + NaOH →Na[Al(OH)4]

5) The oxalate ion is oxidised by the permanganate ion in the acid solution. Follow the
following steps to derive the two half ionic equations for this reaction:
Oxidation of oxalate ion to carbon dioxide
(i) Write C2O4 2- on the left and CO2 on the right of =>.
(ii) Balance the carbon and oxygen atoms.
(iii) Balance the charge by writing electrons (e-) on the right hand-side.

Why is it called an oxidation reaction?

Reduction of MnO4 - to Mn2+ in acid solution
 (i) Write MnO4- on the left and Mn2+ on the right of =>.
(ii) Balance oxygen by writing H2O on the right hand-side.
(iii) Balance hydrogen by writing H+ on the left hand-side.
(iv) Balance the charge by writing electrons (e-) on the left hand-side.
Multiply with the appropriate factor to obtain the same number of electrons in each half
equation. Add the two half-equations to obtain the overall equation for the oxidation
reduction reaction. Why is it called reduction reaction?
What evidence did you see for this redox reaction in test (iii) to indicate the presence of
oxalate in your product?
Equation 1: C2O4 2- → 2CO2 + 2e-
In this reaction, C2O4 2- increase number of oxidation state and loss 2e-
Equation 2: MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e- → Mn2++ 4H2O
Reduction is shown by the permanganate ion as it obtained the electrons. From the
equation below, we can see that Mn decrease from +7 to +2.

+7 +2
MnO4- → Mn2+
From the half equation
C2O4 2- → 2CO2 + 2e- ] ×5
MnO4- + 8H+ + 5e- → Mn2++ 4H2O ] ×2
Adding equations:
2MnO4- + 16H+ + 10e- → 2Mn2++ 8H2O
5C2O4 2- → 10CO2 + 10e-
________________________________________________________________
Overall equation: 2MnO4- + 5C2O4 2- + 16H+ → 2Mn2+ + 10CO2 + 8H2O

6) Calculate the % yield of the product.

𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡

Given that percentage yield= 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑜𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑡 × 100%

1.4005𝑔
Percentage yield= 4.6237g ×100% = 30.24%
 7) Draw the structure of the oxalatoaluminate anion (read the Introduction Section),
taking oxalate as a bidentate ligand

Conclusion
In this experiment, the mass of the final product, K3[Al (C2O4)3].3H2O is 1.4005g. The
percentage yield of the product is 30.24%
References
1) Al(OH)3 Aluminium hydroxide [Online]
Available at:
http://www.allreactions.com/index.php/group-3a/aluminium/aluminium-hydroxide

2) Oxidation-Reduction Reactions[Online]
Available at:
http://mmsphyschem.com/redox.pdf