SWISS GERMAN UNIVERSITY

INORGANIC AND ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

LABORATORY REPORT
Subject
Lecturer
Instructor
Faculty/Class
Date of Experiment
Date of Lab. Report
Semester
Time of Experiment

: Inorganic and Organic Chemistry Laboratory

: Dr. rer. nat. Filiana Santoso, Mr. Hery Susanto M.Si
: Mr. Tabligh Permana, Mr.Hery Sutanto M.Si, Ms. Sylvia Yusri, S.Si
: Life Science/LS 2A
: 6 May 2014
: 20 May 2014
: 2
: 14.00 17.00 p.m

Experiment:
Name:

Campus BSD City

Bumi Serpong Damai
Tangerang 15321 Indonesia

Conductivity Measurement

Kristania Hadhiwaluyo
Chita Sakina Putrianti
Elias Harmanto

Tel.
Fax.

+62 21 537 6221

+62 21 537 6201

sgu.info@sgu.ac.id
www.sgu.ac.id

I.

II.

Objectives

To measure the conductivity of solution.

To study the factors affecting the conductivity of a solution.

Theoretical Background

Salinity and conductivity measure the waters ability to conduct electricity, which provides a
measure of what is dissolved in water. Basically, conductivity measures the waters ability to
conduct electricity and it is the opposite of resistance. Pure, distilled water is a poor conductor of
electricity as there are only a very small amount of ions present inside it. When salts and other
inorganic chemicals dissolve in water, they break into tiny, electrically charged particles called ions.
Ions increase the waters ability to conduct electricity. Common ions in water that conduct
electrical current include sodium, chloride, calcium, and magnesium. Salinity and conductivity are
related with one another because dissolved salts and other inorganic chemicals conduct electrical
current, conductivity increases as salinity increases.
This experiment will measure the conductivity of two different solution, Potassium Chloride (KCl(aq))
and Copper Nitrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)). Conductivity is typically measured in aqueous solutions of
electrolytes. Electrolytes are substances containing ions, i.e. solutions of ionic salts or of
compounds that ionize in solution. The ions formed in solution are responsible for carrying the
electric current. Electrolytes include acids, bases and salts and can be either strong or weak. Most
conductive solutions measured are aqueous solutions, as water has the capability of stabilizing the
ions formed by a process called solvation, which is a process by which solvent molecules surround
and interact with solute ions or molecules.
The electrolytes itself can be divided into two kinds of electrolytes, strong and weak. Strong
electrolytes are substances that are fully ionized in solution and inside the solution more ions are
present. As a result, the concentration of ions in solution is proportional to the concentration of the
electrolyte added. They include ionic solids and strong acids, for example HCl. Solutions of strong
electrolytes conduct electricity because the positive and negative ions can migrate largely
independently under the influence of an electric field. Whereas, the weak electrolytes are
substances that are not fully ionized in solution. For example, acetic acid partially dissociates into
acetate ions and hydrogen ions, so that an acetic acid solution contains both molecules and ions. A
solution of a weak electrolyte can conduct electricity, but usually not as well as a strong electrolyte
which contain more number of ions.

Actually, there are many other factors that can affect the conductivity of a solution besides the
concentration of ions, and the type of solution (whether it is a strong or weak electrolyte), which is
the temperature. However, in this report only the effect of concentration of ions and the type of
solution will be discussed.
III.

Equipment and Materials

IV.

Equipment:
-

Volumetric Flask, 100 cm3, 2

Beaker glass, 100 cm3, 5

Volumetric Pipette, 25 cm3, 2

Dropping pipette

Bulb, 2

Digital Balance

Petri dish, 2

Spatula, 2

Funnel

Glass rod

Conductivity meter

Materials:
-

H2O(l), distilled water

Potassium Chloride (KCl(s))

Copper Nitrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H20(s))

Procedures

1. Preparation of Parent Solutions

a. Potassium Chloride 0.1 M KCl(aq)
1) The mass needed to make 0.1 M KCl(aq) solution was calculated as
follows

2) 0.75 g of KCl was taken from its container using a spatula and
measured using the digital balance
3) 0.75 g of KCl was placed inside a petri dish where a little amount
of distilled water (H20) was mixed together using a glass rod

4) A funnel was attached to a 100 cm3 volumetric flask

5) 0.75 g of KCl in the petri dish was poured into the 100 cm3
volumetric flask
6) Distilled water (H20) was poured until it reaches the meniscus of
the 100 cm3 volumetric flask
7) The 100 cm3 volumetric flask containing the 0.1 M KCl(aq) solution
was poured into the 100 cm3 glass beaker.
b. Copper Nitrate 0.1 M Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)
1) The mass needed to make 0.1 M Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq) solution was
calculated as follows

(
(
(

)
)
(

2) 2.416 g of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 was taken from its container using a

spatula and measured using the digital balance
3) 2.416 g of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 was placed inside a petri dish where a
little amount of distilled water (H20) was mixed together using a
glass rod
4) A funnel was attached to a 100 cm3 volumetric flask
5) 2.416 g of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 in the petri dish was poured into the 100
cm3 volumetric flask
6) Distilled water (H20) was poured until it reaches the meniscus of
the 100 cm3 volumetric flask
7) The 100 cm3 volumetric flask containing the 0.1 M
Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq) solution was poured into the 100 cm3 glass
beaker.

2. Dilution of Parent Solutions

a. Dillution of 0.1 M KCl(aq)
1) 0.01M 10ml of 0.1M of KCl solution was taken using the 25 cm3
volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker and added with
90ml H2O
2) 0.005M 50ml of 0.01M of KCl solution was taken using the 25
cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker and added
with 50ml H2O

3) 0.001M 20ml of 0.005M of KCl solution was taken using the 25

cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker and added
with 80ml H2O
4) 0.0005M 50ml of 0.0005M of KCl solution was taken using the
25 cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker and added
with 50ml H2O
5) 0.0001M 20ml of 0.0005M of KCl solution was taken using the
25 cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker and added
with 80ml H2O
b. Dillution of 0.1 M Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)
1) 0.01M 10ml of 0.1M of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 solution was taken using
the 25 cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker and
added with 90ml H2O
2) 0.005M 50ml of 0.01M of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 solution was taken
using the 25 cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker
and added with 50ml H2O
3) 0.001M 20ml of 0.005M of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 solution was taken
using the 25 cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker
and added with 80ml H2O
4) 0.0005M 50ml of 0.0005M of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 solution was taken
using the 25 cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker
and added with 50ml H2O
5) 0.0001M 20ml of 0.0005M of Cu(NO3)2.3H20 solution was taken
using the 25 cm3 volumetric pipette into the 100 cm3 glass beaker
and added with 80ml H2O

3. Conductivity Measurement
1) The conductivity meter was put into the beaker containing the 0.1 M
Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq) solution and the result was read and recorded in the
data table as shown below
Concentration

Conductivity (s)
Potassium Chloride - KCl(s)

Copper Nitrate - Cu(NO3)2.3H20(s)

0.01

Over reading limit

Over reading limit

0.005

447

596

0.001

89

164

0.0005

34

65

0.0001

10

19

SAMPLE

78

665

2) The 2nd step was repeated for the other beaker containing
Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq) with different concentration including the provided
unknown sample but before the conductivity meter was used it was
rinsed with distilled water
3) Another conductivity meter was put into the beaker containing the 0.1
M KCl(aq) solution and the result was read and recorded in the data
table as shown below
4) The 2nd step was repeated for the other beaker containing KCl(aq) with
different concentration including the provided unknown sample but
before the conductivity meter was used it was rinsed with distilled
water
V.

Observation (Data)

Concentration

Conductivity (s)
Potassium Chloride - KCl(s)

Copper Nitrate - Cu(NO3)2.3H20(s)

0.01

Over reading limit

Over reading limit

0.005

447

596

0.001

89

164

0.0005

34

65

0.0001

10

19

SAMPLE

78

665

Discussion

Graph of Concentration vs Conductivity

600

596

y = 117638x

447

y = 89834x

500

Conductivity (s)

VI.

400
Conductivity KCl(s)

300
164

200
100
10
0

65
0

34

19

Conductivity
Cu(NO3)2.3H20(s)
Linear (Conductivity
KCl(s))

89

0.001

0.002

0.003

0.004

0.005

0.006

Linear (Conductivity
Cu(NO3)2.3H20(s))

Concentration (M)

Concentration of Potassium Chloride Sample - KCl(s)

M
%error of Concentration of Potassium Chloride Sample - KCl(s)
|

13.2%
Concentration of Copper Nitrate Sample - Cu(NO3)2.3H20(s)

M
%error of Concentration of Copper Nitrate Sample - Cu(NO3)2.3H20(s)
|
|
13%

|
|

ANALYSIS
Basically, conductivity measures the waters ability to conduct electricity and it is the
opposite of resistance. When salts and other inorganic chemicals dissolve in water, they
break into tiny, electrically charged particles called ions, which increase the waters ability
to conduct electricity. Common ions in water that conduct electrical current include sodium,
chloride, calcium, and magnesium. However, the ability of different substance conducting
electricity is different from one another due to some factors, they are the concentration of
ions, the type of solution (whether it is strong or weak electrolyte, knowing the fact that
conductivity is commonly measured in electrolytes), and temperature.
In this experiment, concentration is the only factor that used to determine the conductivity
of the two different

solution, Potassium Chloride (KCl(aq))

and

Copper Nitrate

(Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)). From the results present in the data table and the graph of
concentration vs. conductivity, it is proven that the conductivity increased as the
concentration increased. The word concentration would mean the amount of a substance
or in these case ions in a specific space or substance. If the concentration is high, that
means the ions dissolved in the solution are in a big amounts. Since the ions formed in
solution are responsible for carrying the electric current, the more ions that are present
inside that solution would mean the higher the capability of the solution to conduct
electricity.
However, it is also seen from both of the results present in the data table and the graph
that even though the concentration of these two different solution, Potassium Chloride
(KCl(aq)) and Copper Nitrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)) are the same and their conductivity
increases, still the overall conductivity of Copper Nitrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)) solution is still
higher than the Potassium Chloride (KCl(aq)) solution. This is due to the fact that Potassium
Chloride (KCl(aq)) only has two ions, whereas the Copper Nitrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)) has
more ions composing the structure of the substance, therfefore it is inevitable that Copper
Nitrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)) wwhich contain more amount of ion will have a higher overall
conductivity value than the Potassium Chloride (KCl(aq)) solution.

VII.

Conclusion
Primarily, conductivity measure the waters ability to conduct electricity, which provides a
measure of what is dissolved in water. Conductivity is typically measured in aqueous

solutions of electrolytes, which are substances containing ions, i.e. solutions of ionic salts
or of compounds that ionize in solution. Although there are some factors that may affect
the conductivity of a certain substance, the main factor, which is also the one observed in
this experiment would be the number of ions present or dissolve inside the solution, in this
case the Potassium Chloride (KCl(aq)) and Copper Nitrate (Cu(NO3)2.3H20(aq)) solution. Based
on the result of our experiment, as the number of ions composing the overall structure of
that certain substance increases, the higher conductivity value that the substance will has.
Furthermore, the higher concentration of the solution would also mean the higher
capability of the substance to conduct electricity. It is due to the fact that a higher
concentration would mean the more amounts of ions that are present inside the solution.
Since ions are the one which are responsible to conduct electricity, more ions would mean
more electricity that is conducted.
VIII.

References

Sutanto, Hery, and TablighPermana. Inorganic and Organic Chemistry 1 Laboratory

Manual.Tangerang: Swiss German University, 2013. Print.

"Conductivity Theory and Practice." Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry. University of Crete, n.d.
Web. 17 May 2014. <http://www.analyticalchemistry.uoc.gr/files/items/6/618/agwgimometria_2.pdf>.
"Definition of Solvation." Definition of solvation. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.
<http://www.chemicool.com/definition/solvation.html>.
"Electrolytes, ionisation and conductivity." Everything Science. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.
<http://everythingscience.co.za/grade-10/18-reactions-in-aqueous-solution/18-reactionsin-aqueous-solution-03.cnxmlplus>.
"What is Conductivity?." Environmental Monitor. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.
<http://www.fondriest.com/news/what-is-conductivity.htm>.
"What is the scientific definition of concentration?." - Ask.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 May 2014.
<http://www.ask.com/question/scientific-definition-of-concentration>.