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If performing a gravimetric sulfate experiment and you use ordinary filter paper instead of ashless filter paper, would results be too high or too low?

If I'm trying to calculate percentage of sulfate in a sample and I used ordinary filter paper, the paper will turn to ash when ignited and be in addition to the precipitate. So wouldn't that make the % sulfate lower?

Isn't %SO4 = (mass BaSO4*factor/mass sample)*100

The factor converts BaSO4 to SO4. So if the mass ppt(BaSO4) + paper is higher than mass BaSO4 alone, then numerator is too large which makes %SO4 too large.

Yes, you are correct. If you use ordinary filter paper instead of ashless filter paper in a gravimetric sulfate experiment, the results would be too high. Let me explain why.

In a gravimetric analysis, the goal is to determine the amount of a specific substance in a sample by measuring its weight. In the case of a sulfate analysis, you would typically precipitate the sulfate ions as an insoluble compound, such as barium sulfate, and then measure the weight of the precipitate.

Ashless filter paper is specifically designed to minimize the amount of ash residue left behind when it is burned. This is important because any ash residue left on the filter paper can introduce impurities and contribute to the final weight measurement. Inaccurate measurements can lead to incorrect results.

When ordinary filter paper is used instead of ashless filter paper, the paper will not completely burn away during the ignition process. The remaining ash will be added to the weight of the precipitate, leading to an overestimation of the final weight.

As a result, the calculated percentage of sulfate in the sample would be too high because the weight of the precipitate would include the additional weight of the ash from the filter paper.

To obtain accurate results in a gravimetric sulfate experiment, it is important to use ashless filter paper that leaves little to no residue during ignition. This ensures that only the weight of the precipitate, and not any additional impurities, is measured.

Yes, you are correct. When performing a gravimetric sulfate experiment, using ordinary filter paper instead of ashless filter paper would likely result in a higher percentage of sulfate. This is because the ordinary filter paper contains ash, which will contribute to the weight of the precipitate when ignited. The ash from the filter paper will be included in the final weight measurement, falsely increasing the apparent weight of the sulfate precipitate, and thus leading to a higher calculated percentage of sulfate in the sample.