Lab Instructions

Materials and Equipment• Distilled Water• Zinc metal• Filter Paper• Plastic Wash Bottle• Copper II sulfate• Tap water• Pencil (not a pen)

• Plastic funnel• Glass stirring rod• Balance• Hot plate• Beaker, 250 mL• Flask, 250 mL• Small beaker, 50 or 100 mL

FlaskBeaker

PlasticFunnel

Plastic Wash Bottle

Glass StirRod

Step 1• Equipment used– Beaker, 250 mL– Copper II sulfate– Distilled water

• Notes– You do not need to know

the mass of the beaker or the mass of copper II sulfate you use in this step

Clean 250 mL beaker Add 11.75-12.35 grams

copper II sulfate to the beaker

Fill the beaker to the 50 mL mark with distilled water

See Clips #1-2

Step 2• Equipment used– Beaker, 250 mL– Hot plate– Glass stir rod– Copper II sulfate

• Notes– Do not use anything metal

to stir the solution– When all of the solid is

dissolved the solution should look very clear and blue, not at all cloudy

Put the beaker on the pre-heated hot plate

Stir with the glass stir rod Stir constantly until all of

the copper II sulfate is dissolved

As soon as it is completely dissolved remove the beaker from the heat

After heating the solution will be clear and blue, with no visible pieces of the solid left

(Note - clear and colorless are not the same thing)

Step 3• Equipment used– Zinc metal– Balance

• Notes– Use a small piece of paper

to carry your zinc pieces – Put the paper on the

balance, push zero, then add the zinc pieces

Obtain 9 zinc pieces Record their exact mass in

your data table

Step 4• Equipment used– Beaker, 250 mL– Glass stir rod– Copper II sulfate solution– Zinc metal

• Notes– Continue to use only the

glass stir rod to stir– The solution needs to

settle for at least 5 minutes before the next step, do not stir it at the end of this step

Slowly add the zinc pieces to the hot solution while stirring

Record your observations Stir slowly, but constantly,

for 5 minutes (even if you no longer see any changes happening)

Then let the solution sit for 5 minutes without being disturbed

See Clip #3(0:54)

Step 5• Equipment used– Balance– Filter paper– Pencil

• Notes– If you skip this step you will

have to start over– So, do not skip this step– You must use a pencil, not

a pen, or the ink will run and you won’t be able to read it later

While you are waiting, weigh a single filter paper, record the mass in your data table

Use a pencil to mark the filter paper with your initials, so you know which one is yours later

Step 6• Equipment used– Beaker, 250 mL

• Notes– Do not mix, stir or in any

other way disturb the beaker before this step!!

– Decant into the small sinks in the middle of the lab counter

– Be sure the drains in the sinks are unplugged first

After all of the copper has settled to the bottom of the beaker, carefully decant all of the extra copper sulfate solution in the beaker into the sink (without losing any of the copper)

You should be able to pour out most of the liquid if you pour slowly enough

See Clip #4(1:26)

Step 7• Equipment used– Beaker, 250 mL– Water– Glass stir rod

• Notes– Turn the water on before

you put the beaker underneath so the copper doesn’t get splashed out

– Be careful that you don’t lose any copper when decanting

Fill the beaker close to the top with tap water and stir

Let the copper settle to the bottom and decant the liquid again

Repeat two more times

See Clip #5(2:10)

Step 8• Equipment used– Flask, 250 mL– Filter paper– Plastic funnel

• Notes– Make sure that you are

folding the filter paper correctly and that you didn’t forget to weigh it and label it in step 6

Set up the filtration system: Fold the filter paper as

shown in the clip Place the folded filter

paper into the plastic funnel

Place the funnel into the 250 mL flask

See Clip #6(3:34)

Step 9• Equipment used– Beaker, 250 mL– Filtration Set-Up– Plastic wash bottle

• Notes– Be sure that the level of

the water in the funnel never goes above the edge of the filter paper

Using a plastic wash bottle, wash the copper into your filter paper

Make sure that you get all of the copper out of the beaker and into the filter paper

See Clip #7(4:10)

Step 10• Equipment used– Filtration set-up– Small beaker– Drying oven

• Notes– Be very careful not to tear

the wet filter paper– If you set your beaker so

the initials on your filter papers face forward it will be easier to find the next day

Let most of the water drain out of the filter paper and carefully remove it from the funnel

Place the wet filter paper and copper into a small beaker and put the beaker into the drying oven overnight

See Clip #8(4:49)

Step 11 – Day 2• Equipment used– Balance

• Notes– Be sure you don’t spill the

dry copper while weighing– Follow in class instructions

for disposing of the filter paper and copper

Weigh the filter paper with the dry copper and record

End of Instructions