Mixing Metals

Andie Mar zewski and Charlie You

11/12/12

Group Members
Class

Andie Mar zewski, Charlie You

Honours Chemistry CD1 Jandreau

Intro
In this lab, four solutions ontaining alkaline earth metals will be used. Additionally there will be a solution
with an unknown alkaline earth metal, whi h would be found by omparing it to the other solutions. These
solutions are made of ations of the alkaline earth metals dissolved in water. These metals are not as rea tive
as alkali metals, but they are still rea tive. The solutions will be mixed to observe the dierent rea tions.

Pro edure
The plasti sheet was taken to run the rea tion. In the twenty boxes of the sheet, three drops ea h of
the signied solution were put. This was done four-ve times (depending on the amount of boxes open on
the sheet) for Ba(NO3)2, Ca(NO3)2, Mg(NO3)2, Sr(NO3)2, H2SO4, Na2CO3, (NH4)2C2O4, K2CrO4 and
HC2H3O2, and nally, the Unknown. The results of the rea tions were observed and re orded for ea h pair
of solutions. Using the results of the rea tions, the Unknown solution is gured out whi h alkaline earth
metal it is.

Results and Observations

Data and Results

Observation Data Table

trans=translu ent . . . qui kly
Ba(NO3)2
H2SO4
opaque white qui kly
Na2CO3
loudy gray qui kly
(NH4)2C2O4 opaque white qui kly
CrO4,C2H3O2 opaque yellow qui kly

Ca(NO3)2

Mg(NO3)2

Sr(NO3)2

lear
loudy gray qui kly
opaque gray then white
trans yellow orange

lear
loudy gray qui kly
lear
trans yellow orange

opaque white very slowly

loudy gray qui kly
opaque white qui kly
trans yellow orange

Unknown B
H2SO4
lear
Na2CO3
loudy gray qui kly
(NH4)2C2O4 opaque gray then white
CrO4,C2H3O2
trans yellow orange

Error Analysis
A drop is not a pre ise measurement. Although 3 drops of ea h solution were mixed with ea h other, every
mixture was made up of ompletely dierent ratios of ea h solution. This ina ura y is not able to measured.
The observations that the lab is based upon are very mu h subje tive; as the observations are made by sight,
not by instrument.

Con lusion
The Magnesium (Mg) was the least rea tive of the alkaline metals. Next least rea tive was the Cal ium
(Ca), then the Strontium (Sr). The most rea tive was the Barium (Ba).
Rea tivity of the metals were based on whi h ones rea ted the most drasti ally and qui kly with the other
solutions. For example, barium rea ted very qui kly with all the solutions while magnesium only rea ted
with two out of four of the solutions; therefore, the barium is mu h more rea tive than the magnesium. The
barium was more rea tive than the strontium be ause even though both metals rea ted with all the solutions,
the barium rea ted qui kly with all of them, whi h the strontium had one whi h rea ted very slowly. The
al ium had one mixture with no rea tion; strontium is more rea tive with zero no rea tion mixtures and
magnesium is less rea tive as it has two no rea tion mixtures.
Generally, the farther down the periodi table an element is, the more rea tive it is. This is be ause it
is more likely to bond with other elements as the farther down, the more ele trons there are. The result in
this lab orresponds exa tly with what would be expe ted; the elements with more ele trons (Sr, Ba) were
more rea tive than the elements with fewer ele trons (Mg, Ca).
The Unknown alkaline metal was determined to be Ca^2+. The unknown had the exa t same rea tions
as Ca; same rea tion time, same end olor. For example, when mixed with SO4, both produ ed no rea tion,
with CO3, both produ ed a loudy gray olor qui kly.
Overall, the lab was a su ess.