Determining the Identity of an Unknown White Compound Maxwell Yurs Group Member: E.B. Floersch, Alexander Medina, and Masih Horri College Science and Engineering University of Minnesota, Minneapolis October 12, 2014 The experiments that were completed were used to determine the identity of an unknown white compound to allow for proper disposal. These experiments included flame tests, pH tests, and conductivity tests. After each was completed, it was found that the identity of the white compound was Sodium Nitrate. 1. Introduction The objective of the experiments was to determine the identity of an unknown compound in order to properly dispose it. The process of disposal is very important when dealing with chemicals. Some chemicals are very …show more content…
Some compounds have very distinctive colors when burned, such as Potassium, which is a white/purple, and sodium, which is a deep red hue. The first step for a flame test is to gather the needed materials. These include beakers, distilled water, the unknown substance, a Bunsen burner, matches, a nichrome wire, tubing to connect the gas line to the Bunsen burner, goggles, and known compounds to compare with. The first step is to make aqueous solutions of all the substances to be tested. This is done by adding .5 grams of the compound into 50 mL of distilled water and then “swirling” the mixture to dissolve the compound. Once all of the solutions were created, the nichrome wire must be cleaned. This was done by rinsing it with distilled water and then burning it in the flame. Next, each aqueous solution was burned and the results were recorded. In between each test, however, the nichrome wire was cleaned again. The compounds tested in included the unknown, Calcium Nitrate, Calcium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Sodium Chloride, Potassium Chloride, Magnesium Chloride, and Ammonium Chloride. The next test was the pH test. In this test, the aqueous solutions from the flame tests were used again. A piece of pH paper was dipped into the aqueous solutions, a different piece for each solution. The ensuing coloration of the paper was compared to the pH scale and the