Making Salts II - Experiment

 Science 

Aim: To produce copper sulfate by reacting copper oxide with an acid. 

Method: 

 - Add 20ml of sulfuric acid to a 100ml beaker. HEat the acid until it reaches 70'C. Turn off bunsen burner. 

 - Once heated, use a spatula to add pea-sized portions of copper oxide to the beaker. Stir the mixture for 30 seconds. 

 - Repeat step 2 until no more will dissolve. Allow the beaker to cool. 

 - Fold the filter paper and place it in the funnel. Place the filter funnel into the second beaker. 

 - Make sure the beaker is cool enough to hold at the top. The contents should still be hot. You may need your teacher to help you complete this step. 

 - Gently swirl the contents of the beaker to mix, and then pour the filter paper un the funnel. Allow filtering through. 

 - Place the evaporating basin on top of the beaker and carefully pour some of the solutions from the beaker into the evaporating basin. 

 - Gently heat the beaker until the solution in the evaporating basin was reduced in half. 

 - Leave the evaporating basin to cool. Once cool, move the evaporating basin to a warm place where it will not be disturbed (o.e. a window-sill)  and observe over the next few days. Blue copper sulfate crystals should form. 

Results:  (Below) 

Discussion: Copper oxide + sulfuric acid -> water + copper sulfate. This means the oxide and the acid came together to make the water. The copper and sulfuric combined to make the copper sulfate which is the scientific name of the blue crystals. 

Conclusion: Our aim was to produce copper sulfate by reacting copper oxide with an acid, for us this was a success. Something I would try to do differently next time is, try and change the color of the crystals.