What’s In A Match Head?
Purpose:
To investigate characteristics of substances through metal extraction.
Materials:
1.
Goggles – Girls, tie your hair back
2. Matches – in plastic bag
3. Tongs
4. Plastic boats – 2, one for each of the chemicals needed, some will be petri
dishes and some will be plastic beakers
5. 150 mL plastic beaker for water
6. Magnet
7. Popsicle sticks
8. Heat source – candle
9. Glass weighing boat – for the ashes of the burned matchstick
9. Iron(III) oxide
10. Sodium carbonate
Procedure:
1.
Measure 100mL of water into the 150 mL plastic beaker
2. Pour a small amount of Iron(III) oxide into 1 plastic boat
Pour a small amount of Sodium carbonate into the other plastic boat
3. Dip the head of the match #1 in water to moisten.
4. Roll the damp match head first in Sodium carbonate.
Next, roll the match head in Iron (III)oxide.
5. Hold match #1 in the tongs.
6. Light the candle with another match and put the head of the match #1 into
the blue part of the flame if possible. This is the hottest part of the flame.
7. Do not allow the match to burn more than halfway along its length.
8. After burning, allow the match to cool for about 30 seconds.
9. Place the burned part of the match in the glass weighing boat. Use the
popsicle stick to crush the charred part of the match.
10. Move a magnet around under the weighing boat. Observe and record data.
11. Do not dip the magnet into the particles directly as any pieces of iron will
stick to the magnet and will be difficult to clean off.
Conclusion:
1.
Record your observations.
2.
What element has separated out from the compounds used in the experiment?
How did you know?
The reaction for the experiment is:
Iron(III) oxide + carbon
iron + carbon dioxide
3.
What type of reaction is this?
4.
Which metal is more active – iron or carbon?