A student used 5.06g of a mixture of copper sulphate pentahydrate an salicylic acid in the performance of this experiment. The Student recovered 3.094g of salicylic acid and 2.146g of copper sulphate pentahyrate. What is wrong with the students result? How might this error have been avoided?
Well, it seems like the student's experiment didn't quite go as planned! The student recovered less salicylic acid and copper sulfate pentahydrate than what they initially used. That's definitely a bit fishy.
There are a couple of possibilities for what might have gone wrong here. One possibility is that there was some sort of loss during the experiment, such as spillage or evaporation. Or maybe someone ate the missing grams... You never know!
To avoid this kind of error in the future, the student could have been more careful with their measurements and made sure to account for any potential losses. Maybe they should have double-checked their equipment or used more accurate measuring tools. And of course, it's always a good idea to keep an eye out for any clowns that might be lurking around, as they tend to be suspicious characters!
But hey, don't worry too much about it. Science is all about learning from our mistakes. So, keep on experimenting and clowning around, and eventually you'll get the right results!
The student's result is incorrect because the sum of the masses of the recovered copper sulfate pentahydrate (2.146g) and salicylic acid (3.094g) is greater than the mass of the mixture used (5.06g). This suggests that the student did not recover all the components of the mixture.
To avoid this error, the student should ensure that all the components of the mixture are recovered during the experiment. Some possible sources of error could include incomplete separation or loss of some of the mixture during the process of recovery. To improve accuracy, the student should carefully follow the experimental procedure and take necessary precautions to minimize any losses during the separation and recovery processes. Additionally, it is crucial to use precise measurement techniques and equipment to minimize measurement errors.
To identify what went wrong with the student's result, we need to analyze the given information.
The student used a mixture of copper sulphate pentahydrate and salicylic acid with a total mass of 5.06g. After the experiment, the student recovered 3.094g of salicylic acid and 2.146g of copper sulphate pentahydrate.
1. Calculation:
To calculate the expected amount of each component in the mixture, we need to find the percentage composition of each compound in the mixture.
Percentage composition of salicylic acid:
(3.094g / 5.06g) * 100% = 61.14%
Percentage composition of copper sulphate pentahydrate:
(2.146g / 5.06g) * 100% = 42.42%
2. Error Assessment:
The total percentage composition of both components in the mixture exceeds 100%. This indicates that the student's result is inaccurate.
3. Possible Errors and Avoidance:
a. Misidentification of Compounds:
The student might have misidentified the compounds or confused their identities. To avoid this error, proper labeling and identification of chemicals should be done before the experiment.
b. Incomplete Recovery:
The student failed to recover the entire amount of both compounds during the experiment. This could be due to inadequate separation techniques or loss of material during the process. To avoid this error, careful and thorough recovery methods should be employed.
c. Contamination:
During the experiment, contamination from other sources might have occurred, affecting the accuracy of the results. Proper lab techniques, including the use of clean equipment, should be followed to minimize contamination.
d. Experimental Manipulation:
The student might have made errors in measuring or manipulating the substances during the experiment, leading to incorrect results. Improved precision in measurement techniques is essential to avoid this error.
In conclusion, the student's result is incorrect because the total percentage composition exceeds 100%. This error might have been avoided by ensuring proper identification of compounds, careful recovery techniques, prevention of contamination, and improving measurement precision.