AIM

Performing the following reactions and classify them as physical or chemical changes:
(a) Iron with copper sulphate solution in water
b) Burning of magnesium in air
(c) Zinc with dilute sulphuric acid
(d) Heating of copper sulphate crystals
(e) Sodium sulphate with barium chloride in the form of their solutions in water.

MATERIALS REQUIRED
() Iron nails (xii) Match box
(i) Copper sulphate solution (axciii) Sodium sulphate solution
(iii) Magnesium ribbon Cciv) Barium chloride solution
(iv) Tongs (xv) Test tubes
(w) Zinc granules or pieces (xwi) Beaker
(vi) Dilute sulphuric acid Ccvii) Cork
(vi) Lead nitrate Cxvii) Delivery tube
(vii) China dish Ccix) Test-tube holder
(ix) Funnel Ca) Test-tube stand
(x) Wire guaze Caxri) Clamp stand.
Cxi) Spirit lamp
THEORY

Substances combine and undergo changes. The changes can be broadly classified into two categories :0)Physical
changes (ii) Chemical changes.
Physical changes. Changes in which the original components do not change their properties, there is formation
of no new substance or compound, are called physical changes. For example, dissolution of sugar in water where
sugar does not lose its property of sweetness before or after formation of sugar solution.
Chemical changes. Changes in which original constituents undergo change to form a new substance or
compound with entirely changed properties, are called chemcal changes. For example, burning of coal where carbon
combines with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and energy in the form of gases.
4C
30 2CO, + 2CO E
Carbon + Oxygen Carbon dioxide+Carbon monoxide + Energy
In this case, carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have properties entirely different than carbon and oxygen.
Moreover, carbon and oxygen from CO, and C0 cannot be recovered easily.
(a) Reaction between iron and copper sulphate in water
When an iron nail is dipped in copper sulphate solution, a brown coating of copper is formed on the surface of
iron and the colour of copper sulphate solution changes from blue to light green. This reaction shows that iron is
more reactive than copper as it displaces copper from its solution and iron passes into solution as Fe'* ions and
ferrous sulphate solution is formed.

PROCEDURE
1 Take a 100 mI beaker and put 2-3 iron nails in it.
Pour copper sulphate solution in beaker or test tube so that nails get completely immersed in copper sulphate
slution.
9
 gOMPREHENOIVE OCIENCE ACTIVITILG VOL
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nall.
toat tubo for somo timo nnd then obrerve tho
3. Keep the benkor or the
4. Record your lindings.
OBSERVATION
colour of tho solution changon lrom bluo to light groon
Coppor sulphato solution is bluo in colour. Tho
:

visilble. Thua
the deposition of copper over tho iron nail ia vory cloarly

INFERENCE
It is a displacoment reaction in which coppor has displacod iron from tho nails, Tho chemicnl oquation

CuSO (aq) + Fe(s) FoSO (aq) + Cu(s)

Copper sulphate Iron nalla F'orroua aulphato Copper dopoHltod
over nal

It is a chemical chango since new substance is formed.

PRECAUTIONS
. Clean the iron nails by rubbing them with sand paper to remove rust, dust or groasy surfaco.
2. Keep the control experiment to compare the colour of iron nails and copper sulphato solution
3. Avoid touching copper sulphate solution or a nail dipped in copper sulphate solution as copper sulphatoi
poisonous.

(b) Burning ofmagnesium in air

Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal. It is a silvery white metal. It is a highly inflammablo motal anditi
easy to ignite its powdered form or thin strips. Magnesium burns in air by taking oxygen from air to form magnosiun
oxide and is basic in nature.

PROCEDURE
1. Take a piece of magnesium ribbon and hold it with the help of tongs over a wateh glass.
2. Light the magnesium ribbon and observe. Record your observation.

OBSERVATION
The magnesiumribbon burns brightly in air and white ash is collected in the watch glass. This white ash
magnesium oxide.

INFERENCE
The magnesium ribbon brightly burns in the air to form magnesium oxide.

2Mg+ Og 2MgO
Magnesium Oxygen Magnesiumoxido
(Whito)
It is a chemical change since new substance is formed.

PRECAUTIONS
1. The surface of magnesium ribbon should be
properly cleaned with sand paper.
2. The white ash of
magnesium oxide should not be touched.
3. Magnesium ribbon should be held by a pair of tongs while burning it.
4. It is better to
use sun glasses to protect
eyes from dazzling light of burning magnesium ribbon.

(c) Chemical reaction

Zinc is
of zine with dilute sulphuric acid
more reactive than hydrogen and it displaces
sulphuric acid to form zinc sulphate and
hydrogen from dilute acids. Zinc reacts with dilu
a metal.
hydrogen gas is evolved. This is a displacement reaction of a non-metal
EXPERIMENTS
11
PROCEDURE
1. Take small quantity of zinc
a
granules in a conical flask.
2. Pour a small quantity of dilute sulphuric acid in the conical flask so that zinc pieces get immersed in the acid.
3 Cork the flask with a one hole cork and insert a jet tube through the hole in the cork.
4. Bring a burning candle or matchstick near the mouth of the fine jet tube.

DIAGRAM

Flame
Fine jet

-Dilute HSO.

Zinc pieces

Fig. Evolution of hydrogen by the reaction of sulphuric acid vith zinc.

OBSERVATION
After adding dil. H,SO, in the tube a brisk reaction starts and gas bubbles come out.
On bringing the flame, the gas coming out of the jet burns instantaneously with a small explosion.

INFERENCE
The gas produced in the reaction is hydrogen. Zinc reacts with dilute sulphuric acid to produce hydrogen (H,)
gas and zinc sulphate.
Zn+ HSO4 ZnSO + H2
Zinc sulphuric Zinc Hydrogen
acid sulphate
(dil)
It is a chemical change since new substance is formed.

PRECAUTIONS
1. Use the chemicals judiciously.
2. Do not inhale gases evolved directly.
3. Hydrogen gas instantaneously burns with mild explosion. Therefore, a fine jet tube should be used to see
the burning of hydrogen.
4. Handle acids and alkalies carefully.

a) Heating of copper sulphate crystals

one mole of copper sulphate. Its formula is
Copper sulphate pentahydrate contains 5 moles of water per when heated strongly. The blue colour
into anhydrous copper sulphate
Written as CuSO,.5H,0. It can be converted it loses two water molecules at -63°C followed
sulphate is due to water of hydration. When heated, by two
ofcopper
more at 109°C and the final water molecule at -200°C and turns to white coloured anhydrous copper sulphate.
12 cOMPREHENSIVE SCIENCE ACTIVITIES VOL.

PROCEDURE
1. Take small amount of crystal of copper pentahydrate in a clean and dry glass tube and clamp it.
2. Fix cork with one end of delivery tube in test tube.
3. Now take crushed ice in a beaker, set the other end of delivery tube in test tube.
4. Heat the first test tube firstly slowly and then strongly.

DIAGRAM

Delivery
tube

Cork
Vapour-
Copper Clamp
Sulphate
Test
tube

-Beaker
Burner
Liquid form
copper
Suiphate

Fig. Heating of copper sulphate pentahydrate.

OBSERVATION
Copper sulphate pentahydrate has the blue colour. When sulphate
water vapours are condensed on the inner walls of test tube and
copperpentahydrate slowly heated,
is
heating up to 150°C the last molecule of
change into dirty white at 110°C. On further
H,O is removed, a white coloured copper sulpate is formed.
INFERENCE
On heating, blue copper sulphate pentahydrate changes in white colour.
CuSO.5H,0 CuSO4. H0 +4H0
Copper sulphate Copper sulphate Water
pentahydrate monohydrate
(Blue) (dirty white)

CuSO4. H,0 150C

Copper sulphate monohydrate CuSO4 +H0
Copper sulphate Water
(dirty white) (white)
On further
heating of CuSO, at 250°C, it changes to black CuO and
SO, gas.
It is
CuSO 250°C CuO+ S0,
a chemical change since new substances are formed.
PRECAUTIONS
1. Keep the mouth of
the test tube away from
2. Always use test tube your face and also from other classmates.
holder while heating the test tube.
3. Take a small
quantity of copper sulphate crystals
EXPERIMENTS
13

ie) Chemical reaction of sodium sulphate with barium chloride in the

solutions in water form of their
When barium chloride combines with sodium
sulphate in the form of their aqueous solutions, a white precipitate
of barium sulphate is formed which is insoluble in water. The reaction
also creates sodium chloride, which remains
dissolved in water and so cannot be seen. The precipitate of barium sulphate is also insoluble in dilute HCI.

PROCEDURE

1 Take about 2 ml of sodium sulphate

HCl to acidify the solution).
(Na,SO,) in a test tube, (For better result you may add a few drops of dilute
2. Add about 1 mL
of barium ehloride (BaCl) solution.
3. Observe the change and record your findings.
DIAGRAM

Test tube

Na,SO. +BaC2
White ppt
of BaSo

Fig. Reaction of sodium sulphate and barium chloride.

OBSERVATION
White precipitates appear which are insoluble in dilute HCl.

INFERENCE
When sodium sulphate chemically reacts with barium chloride in the form of their aqueous solutions, white
precipitate of barium sulphate appears. This confirms the presence of sulphate (S0?).
Na,S0,(ag) + BaCl2aq) BaSO()+ 2NaClaq)
Sodium sulphate Barium chloride Barium sulphate Sodium chloride
(White ppt.)
It is a chemical change since new substance are formed.

PRECAUTIONS
1 Use the chemicals/reagents judiciously.
2. Keep the mouth of the test tube away from your face and also from other classmates.
3. Handle the acids and alkalies carefully

SOME IMPORTANT FACTS

1. Use only distilled water to prepare an aq. solution of barium chloride as ordinary tap water generally contains
SOions which give white ppt. with BaCla
2. Double decomposition is not a redox reaction.