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Copper Reactions

Copper is a recyclable element that was subjected to a series of chemical reactions. Nitric acid was used to dissolve copper wires, followed by the addition of sodium hydroxide and heating to form copper oxide. Sulfuric acid was added to produce copper sulfate, then zinc was added through a displacement reaction to recover copper. The initial copper mass was 0.50g and the recovered copper yield was 0.47g, resulting in a 94% yield, demonstrating the recyclability of copper through these reactions.

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4K views3 pages

Copper Reactions

Copper is a recyclable element that was subjected to a series of chemical reactions. Nitric acid was used to dissolve copper wires, followed by the addition of sodium hydroxide and heating to form copper oxide. Sulfuric acid was added to produce copper sulfate, then zinc was added through a displacement reaction to recover copper. The initial copper mass was 0.50g and the recovered copper yield was 0.47g, resulting in a 94% yield, demonstrating the recyclability of copper through these reactions.

Uploaded by

Bey Lu
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Copper Reactions Maria Zenaida B. Lu Camille Anne M.

Rivera De La Salle University Dasmarias Dasmarias City, Cavite, Philippines ABSTRACT

Copper is a chemical element which is known to be recyclable. A specific amount of copper wire was subjected to a series of different reactions. Nitric acid was poured in a beaker with copper. When fumes were no longer being produced, distilled water then sodium hydroxide was added. The mixture was then boiled and filtered. The filtrate, upon adding sulfuric acid was dissolved and a zinc metal was added. The mixture was then heated, washed with methanol and acetone and decanted after each washing. The yield was completely dried via water bath before weighing. The percentage yield was then computed. The experiment was successful for the yield was 94% of the original amount.

INTRODUCTION Elements can be produced, extracted, and recycled using chemical reactions. Theoretically a recyclable element would have the same amount from the beginning of a series of chemical reactions to until it ends. This is because the amount of element in the reagent would be present in the product of a reaction. Though the amount of element from the beginning of an experiment like copper reactions should be the same as its yield, it is not always the case. Several factors like filtration, decanting, and extracting techniques, and incomplete reactions could cause alteration in the amount of proceeds. The reactions involved in the experiment are oxidation-reduction reactions, specifically decomposition and displacement. Redox is when transfer of electrons or change of oxidation states occurs. Decomposition is when a compound breaks down into two or more compounds while displacement (metal displacement in particular) is when an element replaces an ion or atom in a compound. Such reactions have helped in the scientific and industrial advancements. With the right combination of reactions, compounds can be created and elements can be extracted. Also, it is possible to transport an element in a different physical state than in which it naturally occurs without lessening the amount of the element.

MATERIALS AND METHODS Pieces of copper wires with a mass of 0.50g were obtained and placed in a 250 mL beaker. 4.0mL of 16M nitric acid (HNO3) were added under the hood to dissolve the copper wires. The beaker was swirled occasionally until no fumes were being produced. Distilled water was added filling the beaker up to its half. Afterwards, 30mL of 6M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) was added to the reaction mixture. The mixture was boiled with 2 pieces of boiling chips. The boiled mixture was filtered using a filter paper. The filtrate was dissolved by adding 15mL of 6M sulfuric acid (H2SO4). A sheet of zinc metal weighing 2g was added. The mixture was placed under the hood until the zinc metal completely reacted. The reaction mixture was then heated until no gas is being produced. The mixture was cooled in room temperature. It was then decanted after washing with 10mL methanol and 10mL acetone. A water bath was used to completely dry the solid.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The initial mass of the pieces of copper wires is 0.50g. Solid copper reacts with nitric acid, becoming a blue solution of aqueous cupric nitrate and water, and nitrogen oxide, a brown, poisonous gas. The reaction is a combination of single displacement reaction and decomposition reaction, and is expressed as: Cu (s) + 4HNO3 (aq) Cu(NO3)2 (aq) + 2NO2 (g) + 2H2O (l) Cupric nitrate solution reacts with aqueous sodium hydroxide and produces blue cupric hydroxide and aqueous sodium nitrate. The reaction involved is double displacement reaction.

Cu(NO3)2 (aq) +2NaOH (aq) Cu(OH)2 (s) + 2NaNO3 (aq)


Copper hydroxide and sodium nitrate mixture was heated forming copper oxide (the black precipitate) and water, with the following reaction called decomposition:

Cu(OH)2 (s)

CuO (s) + H2O (l)

The filtrate or the black precipitate, copper oxide (CuO), was obtained using a filter paper to which sulfuric acid was added. Together they produce a blue mixture of copper sulfate and water, with the following double displacement reaction:

CuO (s) + H2SO4 (aq) CuSO4 (aq) + H2O (l)


A zinc metal, weighing 2g, was added to the obtained copper sulfate and water mixture. When the zinc metal has completely disintegrated in the copper sulfate, it produces copper and zinc sulfate. The reaction is called single displacement and expressed as:

CuSO4 (aq) +Zn (s) Cu (s) + ZnSO4 (aq)


After cooling the copper to room temperature, washing it with methanol, decanting it, washing it with acetone, decanting it again, and drying it through water bath, the pre-weighed 70.00g beaker with copper was weighed. The mass of copper and beaker was 70.47g. The recovery mass of copper was calculated by subtracting the mass of beaker from the mass of the beaker and recovered copper.

The percent yield is calculated with ratio of the actual yield (mass of recovered copper) and the theoretical yield (initial mass of copper wire), multiplied to 100.

The percentage yield of copper is 94%.

REFERENCES (1) Chang, R. (2008). General chemistry: the essential concepts. 5 edition. N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Inc. rd (2) Samonte, J. L., & Figueroa, L. V. (2007). General chemistry laboratory manual. 3 edition. Philippines: C&E Publishing Inc.
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