Name:

_________________________
Blk: ______ Date:

Purpose:

To test a wide variety of reagents, as solids and solutions,

to observe
_______________
the conductivity, concentrations and properties of solution chemistry.

Materials:
Reagents:
- 1 small jar of sodium chloride

- solid calcium carbonate

- 0.10 M hydrochloric acid

- 2.0M hydrochloric acid

- Methanol (CH3OH)

- distilled water (dH2O)

Apparatus:
- electronic balance (set on side)

- Stir rod / scoopula

- (2) weigh boats

- (1) 250 mL beaker

- (4) 100 mL beakers

- (1) 50 mL Graduated cylinder

- Multimeter + How to Use sheet - Light bulb

- 4 wires with alligator clips

- (2) 1.5VBattery + holder

- small piece of sand paper

- Hot plate + mat + tongs

- 2 pieces of thick copper wire (copper electrodes)

Procedure and Results:

1. Put on your safety equipment (goggles and apron)
2. Write a brief description of the safety hazards for the above chemicals:
Sodium chloride:

Calcium carbonate:

Hydrochloric acid:

Methanol:

3. Once safety concerns have been noted, obtain all of the above apparatus (not
the reagents). Make sure the copper electrodes are sanded to reveal fresh
copper.

4. One of the main properties you will be testing is electrical conductivity. You will
first need to construct a series circuit involving 3-1.5V battery, multimeter (set to
read DC Amperage), and a light bulb (optional). Draw a schematic diagram
involving these materials which will attach to the copper electrodes in the beaker:

Schematic
5. Build the circuit. Make sure you do NOT complete the circuit unless you are sure
the multimeter is connected correctly. Note: the circuit should not be left
connected as it will drain the batteries altering your results.
6. What is electricity? (make sure to use conducting in your definition)
__________________________________________________________________________________
7. Since there are generally only 2 types of substances which can
conduct electricity: (i) Metals and (ii) Charged particles. Lets
start the data/observation collection by completing the circuit by
touching the two copper electrodes together. You are measuring
current to show the conductivity!

8. Fill one of the beakers with about

50mL of dH2O and measure the
conductivity of water by placing the
copper electrodes into the water
(make sure the electrodes do not
touch, or else you will be testing the
copper and not the water!).

Predict!!! What do you think the

current will be in comparison to
the reading you found in step 7?

Copper: current
(DCA):

Water: current (DCA):

Lets use the above results as our controls for the experiment!
Note: After each conductivity test that follows, make sure the copper
electrodes are washed, dried and sanded (if necessary). You should use the
250mL beaker as a wash container for the electrodes!
Prediction:

Testing Ionic compounds:

9. Obtain one of the jars of sodium

chloride. Make a prediction of the
conductivity of NaCl(s); then test the
conductivity by placing the electrodes
in the jar (of course making sure the
electrodes do not touch each other)
10.
Place about 75mL of dH2O in one
of the beakers. Predict what will happen
to the conductivity if a small amount of
NaCl(s) is added to the water. Add a small
scoop
of NaCl to the water and stir. Make
observations and then test for conductivity.
Note: if you would like to be precise,
measure 0.10g! Do NOT discard this
solution!
11.
Predict what will happen to the
conductivity as more NaCl is added to the
solution in step 10. Now, using the
solution from step 10, add small scoops of
NaCl until a saturated solution is formed
and then test this solution for
conductivity. Make sure you discuss the
appearance of a saturated solution. Do
NOT discard this solution!
12.
Using the saturated
solution from step 11, add
one more scoop of NaCl to
the solution. What do you
notice? Test the
conductivity. Do NOT
discard!
13.
Now you want to
make a supersaturated
solution of sodium
chloride. What do you
need to do to complete
this? Test the conductivity
of your supersaturated
solution.
14.
Repeat step 10
with calcium carbonate
instead of sodium

NaCl(s) : current
(DCA):

Prediction:

Observations:

NaCl(aq) : current (DCA):

Prediction:

Prediction:

Procedure to make a Supersaturated

solution:

Observations:

Saturated NaCl: current

(DCA):

Observations:

current (DCA):

Observations:

Supersaturated NaCl:
current:

Prediction:

Observations:

current (DCA):

chloride. First, make your

predictions!
Testing Covalent molecules:
15.
Place 30mL of the 0.10 M HCl solution into
a 100 mL beaker and test the conductivity.
16.
Place 30mL of the
2.0M HCl solution into a
100mL beaker. Predict the
difference between the two
HCl solutions. Test the
conductivity. Do NOT
discard this solution!
17.
Using the solution
from step 16, add 30mL of
dH2O to the solution.
Predict what will happen to
the conductivity and then
test for the conductivity.
18.
Place 30 mL of the
methanol into a 100mL
beaker. Predict what the
comparison would be to
water (step 8) and NaCl(aq)
(step 10). Test the
conductivity of the
methanol liquid.
19.
Now add 30mL of
water to the methanol
solution. Predict the
conductivity and then test
for it.

20.

Prediction:

0.10M HCl : current:

Observations:

2.0M HCl : current:

Prediction:

Prediction:

______M HCl : current:

Observations:

Methanol: current (DCA):

Prediction:

Observations:

Methanol: current (DCA):

Clean-up and make sure all solutions are properly disposed of!

Whats the deal with Conductivity Post Lab Questions Name:

__________________________
Blk: _____ Date:
________________
1) a) What can you conclude about the conductivity of metals (ex. Copper)
compared to all other substances tested?

b) Give an explanation to why metals conduct electricity. (you must cite

your resource!)

2) Compare the conductivity of water (step 8) to the unsaturated NaCl(aq)

(step 10). Is there a significant difference? Explain why

3) Why do you think the solid NaCl (step 9)did NOT conduct any electricity?

4) Explain the conductivity difference between an unsaturated solution of

NaCl (step 10) to a saturated one (step 11).

5) Explain why the conductivity did not change from the solution in step 11
to the solution in step 12.

6) Explain why a supersaturated solution conducts more electricity than a

saturated one.

7) Explain the conductivity difference between step 10 and step 14. Both
solutions contain very similar amounts of different salts, so why the
difference in conductivity? Make sure to use your observations to help
explain your answer.

8) In the beakers below, draw the structure for all particle(s) which exist in the
following: the second beaker is completed for you!

Water
CaCO3(aq)

Unsaturated NaCl(aq)

Saturated NaCl(aq)

9) Explain the conductivity differences between acidic solutions:

a) step 15 and step 16
b) step 16 and step 17

10) Compare and explain the conductivity results for:

H2O(l) (step 8) vs CH3OH(l) (step 18) vs CH3OH(aq) (step 19)
Although the data results are small values, there are still major differences
between them!

Conclusion: Why can liquids and solutions allow electrons to flow through them
as a conducting circuit?