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Synthesis of an aqueous fertilizer containing nutrients in specific quantities given by percent by mass

By Tyler Blevins
Group members: John Creps, Ashley Gergen, Alison Werneiwski Abstract: The purpose of this experiment was to create a liquid fertilizer using a given label of chemicals, which are present in a common fertilizer, as a template. The fertilizer must be an aqueous solution, which means that it cannot have any precipitates in it. It must also have a pH between 6 and 7. The ion concentrations required for the final solution must be tabulated in terms of molarity. The final fertilizer must contain 6.0% Nitrogen, 0% Potassium, 2.0% Phosphorus and 4.0% iron. In order to get the certain percentages of chemicals in the solution, compounds containing them must be mixed together and dissolved. By using stoichiometry and a process of trial and error, it was calculated that 1.16g NH4Cl, 1.82g NaNO3, .47g Na3PO4, and 1.29g Fe(NO3)2 were needed in order for the solution to match the label. The calculated masses of the compounds are then weighed out and mixed together in a beaker along with water until the dissolved solution weighed 10g. A precipitate formed, but adding HCl to the solution caused the precipitate to dissolve. The result was a successful fertilizer with a neutral pH. Introduction: In order for plants to grow and thrive, they need many growth sustaining chemicals such as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, all of which can be obtained from air and water. Plants also require other chemical that cannot be obtained naturally; thats where fertilizers come in. Fertilizers contain important macronutrients and micronutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, boron, cobalt, copper, iron, manganese, molybdenum and zinc. Macronutrients are essential elements for plant growth and they are needed in large amounts(1). Almost every fertilizer contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium because they are some of the most important nutrients required for healthy vegetation. Nitrogen is important for growth because it is a major source for amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins and enzymes. Nitrogen assists root growth and also helps the uptake of other essential nutrients. A deficiency in nitrogen will result in the plant having a pale yellowish green color as well as the development of thin, spindly stems(2). Phosphorus is important because it enhances important plant functions, such as photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, flowering, fruiting, seed production, maturation, and root growth. Deficiency of phosphorus is very similar to nitrogen deficiency, except with phosphorus deficiency, dark blue or green foliage occurs. Potassium is also very important because it activates over eighty different enzymes that are responsible for essential processes. Some of the processes include energy metabolism, nitrate reductions, starch synthesis, photosynthesis and sugar degradation. Potassium also helps leaves retain water more efficiently, which increases the aptitude of roots to take in water from the soil. This is very important because the plant will be more resistant to draughts and will be able to withstand climate change as well. Deficiencies in potassium cause the edges of leaves to turn yellow and degrade, which gives them a burnt look. Understanding

these macronutrients is extremely important because our bodies are dependent on these essential elements as well, and we obtain them from the plants and animals we consume. In this work a fertilizer was created with the purpose of making these plants grow faster by supplying them with the elements they need. As a hypothesis, it is likely that a precipitate will form and then be eradicated with an acid or base. The remainder of this report contains the process and results of the aqueous fertilizer that was created and contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and iron. Experimental: The fertilizer experiment was broken up into two parts. It could have easily been completed in one part, but on this occasion it was split up. In the first part, all of the compounds except the one containing Iron were mixed into the fertilizer solution, so as to familiarize the processes and equipment with the lab groups. Sort of like a test run. The full experiment was performed in the second part. The same exact thing was done as in the first part, only this time the Iron compound was included. In the first part, the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium compounds were made into a fertilizer. In order to obtain these substances, different solvents and compounds had to be combined until the products created had all of the elements needed and was an aqueous solution. The available acids and bases include HCl, H2O, HC2H3O, HNO3, and NaOH. The available solid compounds are also as shown: Ca(NO3)2 CaCl2 CaCO3 K2CO3 NaNO3 NH4Cl (NH4)2CO3 Mg(NO3)2 MgSO4 Na3PO4 KCL Na2SO4 KNO3 Fe(NO3)2

The first step in this experiment is to determine which of the above compounds are needed and in what quantities. In order to find that out, stoichiometry needed to be used. The following calculations were made in order to find the amounts of compounds needed:

For the formula given for the lab in this report, 6% N was needed. In a 10g solution, that comes out to .6g. The nitrogen was split into two separate compounds, but the total comes out to .6g. The above results are used to be matched to some of the given compounds.

Using the first two equations, it was possible to compute two different compounds that each contain half of the nitrogen needed for the solution and that also have other helpful components, such as hydrogen Because it called for % potassium, it doesnt have to be added. The following equations will compute the compounds needed to add the proper amounts of phosphorus (2% or .2g) and iron (4% or .4g).

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All of the bolded quantities are the amounts of the compounds needed in order to make a fertilizer that is in compliance with the given label. In the first part of the experiment, the first step taken was to obtain three test tubes and fill them about a quarter of the way up with NH4Cl, NaNO3, and Na3PO4. A digital scale was then used to weigh out the desired quantities of the compounds. A piece of paper was put on the scale and then it was set to zero. The compound was then dumped onto the scale until it was exactly the quantity required by the equations above. The paper was then carefully picked up, so as not to spill the compound resting on top of it. The compound was then dumped from the paper into a 250ml beaker. This process was repeated for the other two compounds and they were dumped into the same beaker. The beaker had been weighed previously, so its mass was known. It was then placed on the scale and deionized water was poured from a 100ml beaker into the 250ml beaker until it was exactly 10g more than the mass of the empty beaker. A stir rod was then used to stir the contents of the beaker until the compounds dissolved. The result was an aqueous solution with a pH of 7.1. The pH was recorded using a pH probe and a computer program called LoggerPro that is connected to the probe. For the second part of the lab, the same exact process described above was used except Fe(NO3)2 was added. When all of the compounds and the water were mixed to a mass of 10g, a stir rod was used once again to mix them and a precipitate formed. Because the first part of the experiment had no precipitate, the addition of Fe(NO3)2 had to be the cause of it. The next step was to obtain three 50ml beakers and put NH4Cl, NaNO3, and Na3PO4 in them. Fe(NO3)2 was then added to each of the beakers along with some deionized water. None of the components were measured out to a specific mass, they were just added in random amounts. This is because it was only to see what compound formed a precipitate with Fe(NO3)2. The beaker containing Na3PO4 formed a precipitate, while the others were soluble. In order to break down the precipitate formed by the mixture of Na3PO4 and Fe(NO3)2, HCl was added drop by drop and then stirred until the precipitate was completely

dissolved. The result was an aqueous solution containing all the necessary percentages of elements with a pH of 5.9. Results: Many of the results for this lab can be found by reading the experimental section. A summary of the results will be discussed below. In the first part of the experiment 1.16g NH4Cl, 1.82g NaNO3, and .47 Na3PO4 were mixed with deionized water until the total mass of the solution was 10g. Upon mixing the solution, a yellow, transparent, aqueous solution was formed. It had a pH of 7.1. In the second part of the experiment, 1.16g NH4Cl, 1.82g NaNO3, .47 Na3PO4, and 1.29g Fe(NO3)2 were mixed with deionized water until the total mass of the solution was 10g. Upon mixing the solution, a precipitate formed on the bottom of the solution. In order to get the precipitate to dissolve HCl was added to the solution until the precipitate was gone. The resulting yellow, transparent, aqueous solution had a pH of 5.9. The mass of the final product was 11.89g. The percent yield of the fertilizer was 118.9%. It was calculated by dividing the calculated amount (11.89g) by the theoretical amount (10g) and multiplying the result by 100. Discussion: The interpretation of the data was mostly done in the previous sections. The compounds needed in order to create a solution with the correct percentages of elements were identified and their amounts were calculated, the results of the processes taken to create the fertilizer have been analyzed, and a successful fertilizer was created. One of the main limitations of the data was that there were a lot of compounds in the final fertilizer that were not part of the given list. Also, Ca was not added to the fertilizer, even though it was on the list. Another limitation of the data was that the amount of HCl added to the fertilizer was not measured. That could have potentially put the percentages of hydrogen and chlorine over the recommended amounts. One source of error was that the final fertilizer had a mass of more than 10g because HCl had to be added when the mass was exactly 10g. This cause the mass to rise, which in turn caused the percentages of compounds to be slightly off because their amounts were measured assuming that they would be in 10g of solution. Also, the pH of the final fertilizer was slightly below the target range. It should have been in between 6 and 7. 5.9 is almost in this range, and had a few less drops of HCl been added, it would most likely have fell into this range and still got rid of all the precipitate. There is no necessary extension of the work unless it is to be manufactured on a larger scale and sold. Conclusion: The fertilizer was successfully created and it contained the appropriate chemicals in their desired quantities. The pH was extremely close to the desired range and could easily be modified in future experiments to fall into the range. There were no precipitates in the final product. The fertilizer was created with a 118.9% yield. This is significant, because it can be manufactured on a larger scale and distributed to the public in order for them to produce healthy, green vegetation with a lot of nutrients. References:

(1) Macronutrients." Macronutrients. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://ecorestoration.montana.edu/mineland/guide/analytical/chemical/solids/macronutri ents.htm>. (2) "Macronutrients." Macronutrients. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2012. <http://ecorestoration.montana.edu/mineland/guide/analytical/chemical/solids/macronutri ents.htm>.

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