Grade 10 Science
Inquiry: ____/ 20
Names: ____________________________
Communication: ____/10
Testing Properties of Substances
Purpose: to test the physical properties (solubility and electric conductivity) and the chemical
properties (reaction with an acid) of several substances.
Materials: safety glasses, scoopulas, 100 mL beaker, tap water, stirring rod, conductivity apparatus,
magnesium, hydrochloric acid solution, medium test tubes, wooden splint, limewater solution
-sodium chloride (salt)
-naphthalene (mothballs)
-calcium carbonate (chalk)
-copper (II) sulfate
-potassium bromide
-glucose
-sucrose (table sugar)
Method:
Part A – Solubility
1) Obtain a 100 mL beaker, a stirring rod, and a scoopula full of one of the substances from the list
above. Describe the solid substance in the observation table.
2) Fill the beaker one-third full with tap water, then add the substance to the water, and stir. Record
the solubility of the substances in the observation table as “soluble” or “insoluble”.
3) If the substance is soluble in water, then go on to Part B and test its conductivity in solution. If the
substance is insoluble in water, then go on to part 4).
4) Rinse the beaker and repeat Steps 1-3 for all the substances on the observation table.
Part B – Conductivity
1) Take the solution to a conductivity apparatus and test whether or not the solution conducts
electricity (the light will come on if the solution completes the circuit).
2) Record the ability of the substance to conduct electricity when dissolved in water as “electrolyte”
or “nonelectrolyte”.
Part C – Reaction with Acid
1) Fill a medium test tube one quarter full with hydrochloric acid. Obtain a small piece of magnesium.
Describe the substances in the observation table. Light the Bunsen burner, and prepare a flaming
splint. Turn off your Bunsen burner.
2) In the meantime, add the magnesium to the test tube of hydrochloric acid. Record your
observations. Wait about 30 seconds, then insert the flaming splint into the test tube with arms
outstretched in front of you. Record your observations.
3) Fill a medium test tube one quarter full with hydrochloric acid. Fill a second test tube one quarter
full with lime water. Obtain a scoopula full of calcium carbonate. Describe the substances in the
observation table.
4) Add the calcium carbonate to the test tube containing hydrochloric acid. Immediately, pour the
gas formed by the reaction into the limewater solution as your teacher has demonstrated (the gas is
invisible, so you have to have faith that it is “pouring” into the limewater). Record your observations.
Group Names: ___________________________________________
Observations:
These will be handed in on the same day as the lab, and the mark will be shared.
Part A – Solubility (2 marks)
Substance
sodium chloride
Physical Properties of Solid
Solubility in H2O
calcium carbonate
potassium bromide
naphthalene
copper (II) sulfate
glucose
sucrose
Part B – Conductivity When Dissolved in Water (1 mark)
Substance
Conductivity
Part C – Reaction with Acid (5 marks)
Substance
Physical properties
magnesium
flaming splint:
hydrochloric
acid
Substance
calcium
carbonate
Observations upon mixing
reaction:
Physical properties
Observations upon mixing
reaction:
limewater:
hydrochloric
acid
Name: _______________________________
Analysis:
These questions will be answered in class the day after the lab, in a “test-like” format. The correct
observations will be projected on the screen for reference.
Answer the questions in the space provided using full sentences.
1) Explain why solubility and electrical conductivity are physical properties, while reaction with acid
is a chemical property.
(2)
Part A: Solubility
2) Were there any patterns associated with whether a compound dissolves in water?
(1)
Part B: Conductivity in Water
3a) The compounds tested in Part B that were electrolytes contained sodium, potassium or copper.
What kinds of elements are these (metals or non-metals).
(1)
b) The compounds tested in Part B that were nonelectrolytes were made up entirely of the elements
carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. What kinds of elements are these (metals or non-metals)?
(1)
Part C: Reaction with Acid
4) What gases were tested for in part C of this experiment? What does the formation of a gas
indicate about the two experiments in Part C?
(3)
Conclusion:
Use the answers to the above questions to write a short conclusion to this lab. It should be four
sentences long (one sentence to summarize each question from the analysis).
(4)