Hydrated Copper Sulfate Lab Report

Finding the empirical formula for hydrated copper sulfate using calculations to find the amount of each element present in the copper ion, sulfate ion, and water while also comparing the empirical formula to a literature value.
Christian Cooper
Alexis Powers
CHM1210-18M/Gregory Bowers
11-5-15

Purpose:
To begin, there are several different goals, techniques, and claims to note in the experiment involving hydrated copper sulfate. The overall goal of this experiment is to find the empirical formula and compare it with a literature value. Yet, in finding the empirical formula of hydrated copper sulfate, there are several process for it to get through, like finding the percentages of copper, water, and finally sulfate. One possible claim

First off, an empirical formula is the lowest whole number value of atoms within a molecule of a compound (Grossie and Underwood, 25). In contrast, a molecular formula can be the different from an empirical formula, in which it can be determined from the molecular weight of each element of a compound (Determining Empirical and Molecular Formula, 1). The empirical formula for hydrated copper sulfate is described in Equation 1, with x, y, and z as the subscripts that need to be determined (Grossie and Underwood,

A hydrate is compound that is solid and also contains water molecules (Merriam-Webster, 526). For the mathematical calculations, the way to obtain these calculations is by analyzing the different ions in hydrated copper sulfate, which includes a copper ion, sulfate ion, and water (Grossie and Underwood, 25). There are two ways in determining the amount of each element or ion in the compound. These two processes are called gravimetric analysis and elemental analysis (Grossie and Underwood, 25). Gravimetric analysis involves the reaction of the compound that is being analyzed with another compound in order to form a solid compound (Grossie and Underwood, 25). In this experiment, the ions that go through gravimetric analysis are the copper and sulfate ions (Grossie and Underwood, 25). Elemental analysis involves determining the amount, which is usually a percent, of an element present in a compound (Blauch, 1). In this experiment, the element going through the elemental process hydrogen, in which the percent of the compound is attempted to be found (Grossie and Underwood, 25). In order to find the amount of copper, copper oxine needs to be formed. To find it, there is a reaction of hydrated copper sulfate and oxine, producing copper (II) oxine (Grossie and Underwood, 25). With the two reactants being aqueous solutions, there is a possibility it the reaction could form a precipitate as one of