Classifying Reactions

Safety Reminder: Wear safety glasses and conduct experiment in a well-ventilated area.

Day 1
Materials:
Part I:
steel wool (HEB, Target, Lowes, Home Depot) You can also try SOS pads.
tweezers
vinegar
test tube (in your kit)
water
petri dish (in your kit)
Part II:
hydrogen peroxide
small pieces of raw potato (yeast or beef liver may be substituted for the potato)
small bowl
Procedures:
Part I: Reaction between iron and oxygen
1. Break off a small piece of steel wool and soak it in vinegar for at least one minute. Use tweezers to
push the steel wool around to remove all bubbles.
2. Using the tweezers, lift the steel wool out of the vinegar and shake if gently over a paper towel.
3. Stretch the steel wool out (dont wad it up) and gently push it into the bottom of a test tube.
4. Add water to the petri dish until the water is approximately three-quarters of an inch deep.
5. Invert the test tube and place it in the petri dish of water.
6. At this point no water should be in the test tube. You have essentially trapped a test tube full of air
in the water-filled dish.
7. Allow to stand for 20 minutes and then record your observations.
8. While the mixture is standing, complete Part II of the lab. Be sure to record your observations for
Part I after 20 minutes.
Part II: Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
1. Pour one third of a cup of hydrogen peroxide into a small bowl.
2. Cut up several small pieces of raw potato and place them in the hydrogen peroxide.
3. Record your observations.

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Observations:
Part I: Reaction between iron and oxygen
Appearance of steel wool after 20 minutes __________________it still looked the same___________________
Part II: Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
Appearance of potato and hydrogen peroxide combination ___________alot of foam came out of the potato
because of the Hydrogen peroxide_____________

Day 2
Materials:
Part III:
a penny dated after 1983
metal file or coarse sandpaper (if your house is made of bricks, you can scratch the penny on the edge to get the
same results, you can also use the curb of a sidewalk for the same results)
vinegar (CH3COOH)
Part IV:
baking soda (NaHCO3)
vinegar (CH3COOH)
cup
spoon
Procedures:
Part III: Reaction between zinc and acetic acid
1. Use a file or sandpaper to completely remove the copper from the edge of a penny. Once the copper
is removed you can see the silvery zinc that composes the core of the penny.
2. Place the penny into a small jar of vinegar so that the penny sits upright. This will allow the hydrogen
gas to readily escape and increase the rate of reaction.
3. Allow the container to stand undisturbed for 30 minutes.
4. While the mixture is standing, complete Part IV of the lab. Be sure to record your observations for
Part III after 30 minutes.
Part IV: Reaction between baking soda and vinegar
1. Fill a medium-size cup with a couple of ounces of vinegar.
2. Add a spoonful of baking soda to the vinegar.
3. Record your observations.

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Observations:
Part III: Reaction between zinc and acetic acid
Appearance of penny in vinegar after 30 minutes ___________there are a lot of bubble around the
penny________________
Part IV: Reaction between baking soda and vinegar
Description of what happened when the baking soda and vinegar were combined
_________________it made a big boom________________________________________________
Questions and conclusions:
Part I: Reaction between iron and oxygen
1. Write a balanced equation for the reaction between iron and
oxygen. The equation has been written, you just have to
balance.
__4Fe + __3O2 __2Fe2O3

2. Classify the reaction that occurred between the iron and oxygen.
Apply this reaction to a real-world situation.
Well if it was supposed to rust, it would be like a rusty nail, if it
gets wet and left outside for a good time, it will get rust.

In order to identify reactions ask your

self these questions:
1.) Did I start with one
compound and end up with
more than one compound
Decomposition
2.) Did one element get kicked
off from his partner? - Single
Replacement
3.) Did two elements switch
partners? Double
Replacement
4.) Did I start with more than one
reactant and end up with only
one? Synthesis

Part II: Decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

1. Write the balanced equation for the breakdown of hydrogen peroxide. The equation has been written,
you just have to balance.
___2H2O2 ___2H2O + ___O2

2. What evidence was there that a reaction was taking place?

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There was a lot of fiz and pus like substance floating on top of the
hydrogen peroxide and the potato looked white as snow.

3. Write a balanced equation for another decomposition reaction.

Part III: Reaction between zinc and acetic acid
1. Write the balanced equation for the reaction between zinc and
acetic acid. The equation has been written you just have to
balance.

In order to identify reactions ask

yourself these questions:
5.) Did I start with one
compound and end up with
more than one compound
Decomposition
6.) Did one element get kicked
off from his partner? - Single
Replacement
7.) Did two elements switch
partners? Double
Replacement
8.) Did I start with more than one
reactant and end up with only
one? Synthesis

___Zn + ___2HC2H3O2 ___Zn(CH3COO)2 +

___H2

2. Classify the reaction between zinc and acetic acid and explain, in general terms, what happens during
this type of reaction.
I really cant classify the reaction due to the fact nothing happened other than a lot of bubbles around the
penny.
3. Give an example of a type of element and a type of compound that are likely to participate in this type of
reaction.

Part IV: Reaction between baking soda and vinegar

1. Two types of reaction occur when baking soda and vinegar combine. The first is a double replacement
reaction. Write a balanced equation for this reaction. Please balance both equations.
___Na(HCO3) + ____CH(C2H3O2) ______CHNa(C2H3O2) + ______H2CO3
______H2CO3 ______H2O + _____H2CO2
2. What type do you think the second reaction is? Why?
I think its a chemical reaction because it just started to fiz like crazy.
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