Download Solubility lab

CHEM 11
Name:
Ms. Lee
Date:
Activity – Solubility Lab
Introduction
The solubility of a solute is the amount of solute dissolved in a given amount of a certain solvent
at specified temperatures. The usual units used on solubility graphs are grams of solute per 100
mL of water at specified Celsius temperatures. Increasing the temperature usually increases the
solubility of solids in liquids. Decreasing the temperature usually decreases the solubility. In this
experiment we will determine the solubility of ammonium chloride at various temperatures by
allowing a hot solution of the compound to cool and observing the temperature at which the solid
begins to crystallize.
Materials:
Balance, sensitive to 0.01 g
250 mL beaker
Hot plates
10 mL pipet
iron ring
test tubes
thermometer
wire gauze
Procedure
1. Weigh 4.00 g, 5.00 g, 6.00 g and 7.00 g samples of ammonium chloride. Put each sample in a
properly labelled test tube.
2. Using a pipette, measure 10.0 mL of water into each test tube.
3. Assemble your retort stand with a ring and wire gauze. Fill the beaker half full of water, put
the 4.00- and 5.00-gram samples in the water, and bring the water to a boil.
4. While this is going on, heat the test tube containing the 7.00-gram sample with the Bunsen
burner. Stir continuously until all the solute dissolves. DO NOT bring the contents of the test
tube to a boil.
5. With the thermometer in the solution, allow the contents to cool while stirring gently.
6. Record the temperature at which the solid begins to crystallize (when the first crystals appear.)
7. Heat the solution in the test tube again to dissolve the crystals, allow it to cool again, and
recheck the temperature at which crystallization occurs.
8. Repeat this procedure with the test tube containing the 6.00-gram sample.
9. Repeat with the 5.00- and 4.00-gram samples using the hot water bath as a source of heat,
rather than the burner.
10. A cold water bath is needed to hasten the crystallization of the 4.00 grams sample.
Calculations
1. Convert your grams/10 mL values to grams/100 mL values.
2. Plot the solubility curve for ammonium chloride from the results in question 1. Along the
horizontal axis on the graph paper, plot the temperature scale using 10-degree intervals. Place
the points representing the four masses along the vertical axis. Label it as grams of solute/100
mL water.
3. Draw a small circle around each dot. This represents the degree of error and construct a
smooth curve for the observed data. (This is not kindergarten, DO NOT play connect the dots.)
4. Extrapolate this curve to the temperature limits of your graph by using a dashed line to
indicate extrapolation.
5. Here is the official solubility data for NH4Cl in grams/100 mL H2O
30oC 41.4 g
50oC 50.4 g
70oC 60.2 g
90oC 71.3 g
Plot these points on your graph using a different colour. Identify the lines as "experimental" and
"official."
Questions
1. From your solubility curve, determine the solubility of ammonium chloride in g/100 mL of
H2O at 60°C. Then, compare your value to a researched accepted value for the solubility of
ammonium chloride at 60°C.
2. Calculate your percentage error from the answer to questions 1 and 2.