Teacher Notes
Teacher Notes
Publication No. 10536
An Activity Series
Student Activity Kit
Materials Included In Kit
Part 1. Determine an Activity Series for Metals
Copper foil, Cu, 1" x 12" strip
Copper(II) nitrate solution, Cu(NO3)2, 0.1 M, 75 mL
Lead foil, Pb, 3" x 4" piece
Lead nitrate solution, Pb(NO3)2, 0.1 M, 75 mL
Magnesium nitrate solution, 0.1 M, Mg(NO3)2, 75 mL
Magnesium ribbon, Mg, 12" strip
Silver nitrate solution, 0.1 M, AgNO3, 75 mL
Zinc foil, Zn, 1" x 10" strip
Zinc nitrate solution, 0.1 M, Zn(NO3)2, 75 mL
Forceps, 12
Part 2. Determine an Activity Series for Some Halogens
Hydrochloric acid solution, HCl, 1 M, 15 mL
Hydrochloric acid solution, HCl, 6 M, 20 mL
Iodine, I2, 0.5 g
Mineral oil, 200 mL
Sodium bromide, NaBr, 1.5 g
Sodium bromide solution, NaBr, 0.1 M, 75 mL
Sodium chloride solution, NaCl, 0.1 M, 75 mL
Sodium hypochlorite solution, NaOCl, 30 mL
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Teacher Notes
Potassium iodide solution, KI, 0.1 M, 75 mL
Amber glass bottles, labeled, 3
Pipets, Beral-type, 84
Additional Materials Required
Part 1. Determine an Activity Series for Metals
Forceps, 12
Pipets, Beral-type, 60
Reaction plates, 24-well, 12
Stirring rods, 12
Part 2. Determine an Activity Series for Some Halogens
Cork stoppers for test tubes, 144
Test tubes, 13 x 100 mm, 144
Test tube rack, 12
Prelab Preparation
Part 1. Determine an Activity Series for Metals
Each student needs four shiny pieces of each metal, each about 6 mm square. Polish with steel wool or fine grit sandpaper
before cutting if needed. Approximately 4 mL of each metal nitrate solution is needed by each student group.
Part 2. Determine an Activity Series for Some Halogens
Chlorine water, 50 mL: Work in a fume hood. Pour about 15 mL sodium hypochlorite solution into about 35 mL distilled
water. Slowly, with stirring, add 5 mL of 6 M hydrochloric acid solution. The solution quickly turns pale yellow-green and
bubbles as chlorine vapors are given off. Allow the solution to stand uncovered in a hood until the reaction stops. Pour the
solution into the amber glass bottle labeled “chlorine water.” Place the provided black polypropylene cap on the labeled
solution bottle. Because the chlorine is so volatile, the solution does not store well and should be used within one week of
preparation. Each student group needs about 4 mL of solution.
Bromine water, 50 mL: Work in a fume hood. Wear gloves and goggles. Dissolve 1.1 g sodium bromide in 10.7 mL of 1 M
hydrochloric acid. Place this solution in the amber glass bottle labeled “bromine water.” Add 7.6 mL of sodium hypochlorite
solution to the bottle. Swirl gently to mix. Dilute with 32 mL of distilled or deionized water. Place the provided black
polypropylene cap on the labeled bottle. This solution has a poor shelf life and should be used within one week of preparation.
Each student group needs about 4 mL of solution.
Iodine water, 50 mL: Add about 0.3 g solid iodine plus 50 mL of distilled water to the amber glass bottle labeled “iodine
water.” Swirl to mix. Some solid iodine may remain at the bottom of the solution. Prepare at least one day before using as
iodine dissolves very slowly in water. The solution has a poor shelf life and should be used within one week of preparation.
Each student group needs about 4 mL of solution.
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Teacher Notes
Halide solutions and mineral oil: Approximately 12 mL of mineral oil and 4 mL of each halide solution are needed by each
student group.
Safety Precautions
The silver nitrate solution is moderately toxic by ingestion and is a body tissue irritant. Silver nitrate stains skin and clothing;
however, the stains may not appear for several hours. The copper(II) nitrate solution is slightly toxic by ingestion and is
irritating to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Zinc nitrate solution is slightly toxic by ingestion and is corrosive to body
tissue. Magnesium nitrate solution is a body tissue irritant. The lead nitrate solution is moderately toxic by ingestion and
inhalation; it is a possible carcinogen and is irritating to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. The magnesium ribbon is a
flammable solid. The sodium hypochlorite solution is moderately toxic by ingestion and inhalation; it is corrosive to body
tissue and reacts with acids to generate toxic chlorine gas. Sodium bromide solid is slightly toxic by ingestion and inhalation; it
is irritating to body tissue. Both hydrochloric acid solutions are toxic by ingestion and inhalation. They are severe corrosives to
body tissue, especially skin and eyes. Iodine solid is highly toxic by ingestion and inhalation. It is irritating and corrosive to
skin. In this lab, sodium hypochlorite is reacted with hydrochloric acid to generate small amounts of very dilute halogen
solutions for use by the students. This step should only be performed by the teacher and in the amounts indicated. Follow the
directions carefully and work in an operating fume hood. The chlorine, bromine and iodine water solutions have strong odors
and are highly toxic by ingestion and inhalation. All are very irritating to eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Conduct this
activity in a hood or well-ventilated lab only. Mineral oil is a combustible liquid. Wear chemical splash goggles, chemicalresistant gloves and a chemical-resistant apron. Please consult current Safety Data Sheets for additional safety information.
Disposal
Please consult your current Flinn Scientific Catalog/Reference Manual for general guidelines and specific procedures, and review
all federal, state and local regulations that may apply, before proceeding. Provide a container into which students can discard
the solutions. Place crumpled aluminum foil in the container and allow it to stand for 24 hours. The silver, copper, and lead
metals all precipitate out of solution, leaving essentially none of these ions dissolved. The solution can then be filtered and the
solids may be disposed of according to Flinn Suggested Disposal Procedure #26a. The solution may be disposed of according
to Flinn Suggested Disposal Procedure #26b. Clean the 24-well plate with detergent and water using cotton swabs if needed.
Provide a container into which students can empty their test tubes. Use a different container from the one used in Part 1.
Place this container in the hood for several days during which time the chlorine will evaporate from solution. The remaining
solution may then be disposed of according to Flinn Suggested Disposal Method #12a. Chlorine water may be disposed of in a
similar fashion, except the remaining solution may be disposed of according to Flinn Suggested Disposal Method #26b.
Bromine and iodine water solutions may be disposed of according to Flinn Suggested Disposal Method #12a.
Lab Hints
Part 1
To reduce the number of Beral pipets used, attach a small test tube to each solution bottle and place a pipet in each test
tube. The students can then share the pipet. Alternatively, the solutions can be placed in dropping bottles.
To reduce the number of test tubes used in Part 2, one set of six test tubes, referencing the colors of the three halogens
and the three halide solutions in mineral oil, can be used by the entire class.
Caution students about the toxicity of lead and silver compounds, and the effect of silver solutions causing stains. A
silver polish like Tarnex® will help remove some stains caused by silver solutions.
Students should observe the metal surface to determine if a reaction occurred. A stirring rod should be used to
submerge the metal pieces in the solutions. If metal “A” reacts with ion “B,” then metal “B” should not react with ion
“A.” Students should check combinations to be sure their data are consistent. Since silver metal is not used in the
experiment, the reactivity of the silver ion in solution must be used to determine silver’s placement in the activity series.
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Teacher Notes
Part 2
Prior to lab, review with students the recommended safety precautions for working with halogens. Caution the students
to never, ever sniff the halogen water solutions. Some students are tempted to do this with chlorine water, because it is
colorless and the presence of chlorine is not obvious.
The small amounts of chlorine and bromine water used in this experiment may be safely worked with at laboratory
benches in a well-ventilated lab. If a hood is available, dispense the halogen water solutions in the hood. The students
should stopper the halogen water tubes in the hood before carefully transferring them back to their lab benches. To
avoid congestion when dispensing the reagents, stagger the starting points for steps 1 and 7. Half the student groups
can start with step 1, the other half with step 7, then switch.
Be sure that students understand the difference between a halogen (the neutral element dissolved in water, i.e., Br2) and
the halide (the ion of the halogen, i.e., Br–). Students should observe that the halide ions do not give any color to the
mineral oil layer, but the halogens do. Chlorine is colorless to slight yellow, bromine is orange, and iodine is pink or
purple when dissolved in mineral oil. Students should look to see which halogen is dissolved in the mineral oil layer
when deciding whether a reaction has occurred.
Teacher Tips
Students are often stumped when no reaction is observed. They may lack the experience or confidence to state that no
change has been observed. It may be helpful to keep a control set of test tubes from Part 2 on display in the hood.
Sometimes a leading question may be helpful—what color would you expect if a reaction did occur?
The discovery of fluorine is an interesting story. As students can infer from the results of Part 2, fluorine must be the
most reactive of the halogens. In fact, it is the most reactive of all nonmetals—the strongest oxidizing agent known-and
extremely poisonous. For these reasons, fluorine was the last of the halogens to be discovered in its free element form.
Chlorine, bromine, and iodine had all been isolated as their free elements by 1830. The element fluorine, however, was
not successfully prepared until 1886 by the French chemist Henri Moissan. In the period between 1830 and 1886,
several scientists died in their unsuccessful attempts to prepare elemental fluorine, and many more scientists, including
Moissan, suffered serious health effects due to fluorine poisoning.
Further Extensions
This lab fulfills the requirements for the College Board Recommended AP Experiment #20: Determination of
Electrochemical Series.
Correlation to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)†
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Teacher Notes
Science & Engineering
Practices
Obtaining, evaluation, and
communicating information
Using mathematics and
computational thinking
Analyzing and interpreting data
Developing and using models
Constructing explanations and
designing solutions
Planning and carrying out
investigations
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Crosscutting Concepts
HS-PS1.A: Structure and Properties
of Matter
HS-PS1.B: Chemical Reactions
HS-PS2.B: Types of Interactions
Patterns
Cause and effect
Energy and matter
Structure and function
Systems and system models
Performance Expectations
HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in
the outermost energy level of atoms.
HS-PS1-2. Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron
states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.
Sample Data
Part 1. An Activity Series for Some Metals
Sample data from metal ions and metals:
Part 2. An Activity Series for Some Halogens
Sample data from observing halogens and halide ions in mineral oil:
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Teacher Notes
Reaction Data
Answers to Questions
1. Write balanced net ionic equations for all the reactions that occurred with the metals.
2Ag+(aq) + Cu(s) → 2Ag(s) + Cu2+(aq)
2Ag+(aq) + Mg(s) → 2Ag(s) + Mg2+(aq)
2Ag+(aq) + Pb(s) → 2Ag(s) + Pb2+(aq)
2Ag+(aq) + Zn(s) → 2Ag(s) + Zn2+(aq)
Cu2+(aq) + Mg(s) → Cu(s) + Mg2+(aq)
Cu2+(aq) + Pb(s) → Cu(s) + Pb2+(aq)
Cu2+(aq) + Zn(s) → Cu(s) + Zn2+(aq)
Pb2+(aq) + Mg(s) → Pb(s) + Mg2+(aq)
Pb2+(aq) + Zn(s) → Pb(s) + Zn2+(aq)
Zn2+(aq) + Mg(s) → Zn(s) + Mg2+(aq)
2. List the metals in order of decreasing ease of oxidation. Compare your list with an activity series found in a textbook.
How do the two lists correlate?
Most reactive to least reactive: Magnesium > Zinc > Lead > Copper > Silver
The series agrees with that given in the textbook.
3. Write reduction half-reactions for each of the metal ions. Arrange the reaction list in order of decreasing ease of
reduction. Compare your listing with a listing found in a table of standard reduction potentials. How do the two lists
correlate?
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Teacher Notes
Ag+(aq) + e– → Ag(s) E° = +0.799 V
Cu2+(aq) + 2 e– → Cu(s) E° = +0.337 V
Pb2+(aq) + 2 e– → Pb(s) E° = –0.126 V
Zn2+(aq) + 2 e– → Zn(s) E° = –0.763 V
Mg2+(aq) + 2 e– → Mg(s) E° = –2.37 V
The order of the list agrees with the order for standard electrode potentials from most positive to most negative.
4. Explain how to determine if a reaction occurs in the halogen experiment.
The color of the mineral oil layer indicates whether a reaction has occurred. If the color of the halogen placed in solution is present,
no reaction has taken place. If the color of the halogen which was initially present as an ion appears, then the halide ion was oxidized
to the halogen.
5. Why should the halide ions not dissolve in mineral oil?
Since halide ions are charged particles and are thus polar, they will dissolve in the polar water but not in the nonpolar mineral oil.
6. Explain what is meant by solvent extraction. How is it used in Part 2?
In solvent extraction, two immiscible liquids are shaken together. The more polar solutes dissolve preferentially in the more polar
solvent, while the less polar solutes dissolve in the less polar solvent. In this experiment the nonpolar halogens preferentially dissolve
in the nonpolar mineral oil.
7. Write balanced net ionic equations for the reactions which occurred with the halogens.
Cl2(aq) + 2Br–(aq) → 2Cl–(aq) + Br2(aq)
Cl2(aq) + 2I–(aq) → 2Cl–(aq) + I2(aq)
Br2(aq) + 2I–(aq) → 2Br–(aq) + I2(aq)
8. List the halogens in decreasing order of reactivity. Compare this list with an activity series found in a textbook. How do
the two lists correlate? Predict the location of fluorine in this activity series.
Most reactive to least reactive: Chlorine > Bromine > Iodine
The order does agree with values published in a textbook.
The halogens become less reactive as atomic number increases. Fluorine has the smallest atomic number of the halogens and
therefore should be the most reactive.
9. Write reduction half reactions for each of the halogens. Arrange in order of decreasing ease of reduction. Compare the
listing with the order found in a table of standard reduction potentials. How do the lists correlate?
Cl2(g) + 2 e– → 2Cl–(aq) E° = +1.359 V
Br2(l) + 2 e– → 2Br–(aq) E° = +1.065 V
I2(s) + 2 e– → 2I–(aq) E° = +0.536 V
10. Why was it necessary to test the halide ions for their color in mineral oil?
It was necessary to test the solutions of halide ions to be sure that they did not interfere with the colors observed from the halogens in
mineral oil.
11. Would it make a difference if calcium bromide solution, CaBr2, is used rather than sodium bromide solution? Explain.
It would make no difference since both provide bromide ions, and the cations are spectator ions.
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Teacher Notes
Recommended Products
Item No.
Description
AP5914
An Activity Series—Classic Lab Kit for AP® Chemistry
AP1447
Reaction Plates, 24 Wells
GP9035
Stirring Rods, Soft Glass, 5 mm X 24", Pkg. of 10
AP1082
Selected Test Tubes, 13 mm x 100 mm, Box of 12
© 2020 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Student Pages
Student Pages
An Activity Series
Introduction
In this experiment, a series of metals and a series of nonmetal halogens are studied to find their relative reactivities. The
reactivity of the metals is determined by combining the metals with a complementary series of metal ions in solution. The
reactivity of three halogens is found by mixing each with a halide ion solution. Using the observed reactions, an activity series,
from most reactive to least reactive, is developed for the metals and for the halogens.
Concepts
Activity series
Oxidation–reduction
Half-cell reaction
Background
A ranking of elements according to their reactivity is called an activity series. For example, an activity series containing the
elements calcium, gold, and iron would put the reactive calcium at the top, iron in the middle, and the unreactive gold at the
bottom. If a piece of iron metal is placed in a solution of gold nitrate, the iron dissolves forming positive ions in solution while
solid gold metal appears. The more reactive metal (iron) displaces ions of the less reactive metal [gold(III)] from solution. The
less reactive element appears as the solid element.
Reactions such as these are examples of oxidation–reduction reactions. Oxidation is defined as the process of losing electrons and
substances that lose electrons during chemical reactions are said to be oxidized. Substances that gain electrons during chemical
reactions undergo reduction and are said to be reduced. If one reactant gains electrons, another must lose electrons. Oxidation
and reduction reactions occur simultaneously, and there must be an equal number of electrons lost and gained during the two
reactions. In the reaction of iron metal with gold ions, the iron metal is oxidized and the gold ions are reduced. The more
reactive metal is the one that is more easily oxidized.
Figure 1. Reduction of gold ions by iron metal
© 2018 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction permission of these student pages is granted only to science teachers who have purchased this
product from Flinn Scientific, Inc. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.
Student Pages
When writing oxidation–reduction reactions, it is customary to break the reaction into the two parts or half-cell reactions.
These half-cell reactions represent the separate oxidation and reduction processes that occur simultaneously. The electrons
within the two half-cell reactions must be equal so there is no net gain or loss of electrons for the overall reaction.
When a substance readily loses electrons (and is oxidized), it acts as a good reducing agent. When a substance has a strong
tendency to gain electrons (and be reduced), it acts as a good oxidizing agent. Gold ions, Au3+(aq), have a strong tendency to
acquire electrons to form neutral gold atoms, Au(s). Gold ions are thus easily reduced and act as good oxidizing agents.
Experiment Overview
The purpose of this experiment is to determine the activity series for five metals and for three halogens. The first part of this
experiment derives an activity series for metals and uses a microscale technique. The second part derives an activity series for
halogens. It makes use of a solvent extraction technique.
The series of metals to be studied are copper, zinc, magnesium, lead and silver. Solutions of metal nitrates for each of these
metals are placed in reaction wells. A piece of each metal is then placed in the other metals’ nitrate solutions and observed to
see if any reaction occurs. If a metal reacts with another metal nitrate, then the solid metal has reduced the other metal ion and
is, therefore, the more reactive metal of the two. By comparing the results of 16 different reactions, the five metals are ranked
from most reactive to least reactive.
In Part 2, tests are performed to determine the activity series of the halogens. Chlorine (Cl2), bromine (Br2) and iodine (I2) are
placed in solutions containing chloride (Cl–), bromide (Br–) or iodide (I–). An activity series of the nonmetallic halogens places
the most reactive halogen at the top. In the reaction of a free halogen (X2) with a different halide ions (Y–), the free halogen
gains electrons and is then reduced to its corresponding halide ions (X–). The original halide ions lose electrons and therefore
are oxidized to their corresponding free halogen (Y2). The more reactive halogens displaces ions of the less reactive halides
from solution. In an activity series of halogens, the most reactive halogen is the one most easily reduced.
Figure 2. Reduction of a free halogen by halide ions
To determine if a reaction occurs, a method is needed to identify which halogen is present. Halogens dissolve in the nonpolar
solvent mineral oil forming different colored solutions. Mineral oil does not dissolve in water, but when shaken with an
aqueous halogen solution, the halogen is extracted from the water into the mineral oil. The color of the mineral oil layer
indicates which halogen is present.
Materials
Part 1. Determine an Activity Series for Metals
Copper foil, 6 x 6 mm pieces, 4
Copper(II) nitrate solution, Cu(NO3)2, 0.1 M, 4 mL
© 2018 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction permission of these student pages is granted only to science teachers who have purchased this
product from Flinn Scientific, Inc. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.
Student Pages
Lead foil, Pb, 6 x 6 mm pieces, 4
Lead nitrate solution, Pb(NO3)2, 0.1 M, 4 mL
Magnesium nitrate solution, Mg(NO3)2, 0.1 M, 4 mL
Magnesium ribbon, Mg, 6-mm pieces, 4
Silver nitrate solution, AgNO3, 0.1 M, 4 mL
Zinc foil, Zn, 6 x 6 mm pieces, 4
Zinc nitrate solution, Zn(NO3)2, 0.1 M, 4 mL
Forceps
Pipets, Beral-type, 5
Reaction plate, 24-well
Stirring rod
Part 2. Determine an Activity Series for Some Halogens
Bromine water, Br2 in H2O, 3 mL
Chlorine water, Cl2 in H2O, 3 mL
Iodine water, I2 in H2O, 3 mL
Mineral oil, 12 mL
Potassium iodide solution, KI, 0.1 M, 3 mL
Sodium bromide solution, NaBr, 0.1 M, 3 mL
Sodium chloride solution, NaCl, 0.1 M, 3 mL
Cork stoppers for test tubes, 12
Pipets, Beral-type, 7
Test tubes, 13 x 100 mm, 12
Test tube rack
Safety Precautions
The silver nitrate solution is moderately toxic by ingestion and is a body tissue irritant. Silver nitrate stains skin and clothing;
however, the stains may not appear for several hours. The copper(II) nitrate solution is slightly toxic by ingestion and is
irritating to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. Zinc nitrate solution is slightly toxic by ingestion and is corrosive to body
tissue. Magnesium nitrate solution is a body tissue irritant. The lead nitrate solution is moderately toxic by ingestion and
inhalation; it is a possible carcinogen and is irritating to skin, eyes and mucous membranes. The magnesium ribbon is a
flammable solid. The chlorine, bromine and iodine water solutions have strong odors and are highly toxic by ingestion and
inhalation. All are very irritating to eyes, skin and mucous membranes. Mineral oil is a combustible liquid. Wear chemical
splash goggles, chemical-resistant gloves and a chemical-resistant apron. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before
leaving the laboratory.
© 2018 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction permission of these student pages is granted only to science teachers who have purchased this
product from Flinn Scientific, Inc. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.
Student Pages
Procedure
Part 1. Determine an Activity Series for Metals
1. Place the 24-well plate on top of a piece of white paper so that there are 6 wells across (columns) and 4 wells down
(rows). Refer to Figure 3 to see how the wells are arranged. Note that each well is identified by an unique combination
of a letter and a number, where the letter refers to a horizontal row and the number to a vertical column.
Figure 3.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Put one dropper-full (about 15 drops or 1 mL) of copper(II) nitrate solution in wells B1, C1 and D1 in the first column.
Put one dropper-full of magnesium nitrate solution in wells A2, C2 and D2 of the second column.
Put one dropper-full of lead nitrate solution in wells A3, B3 and D3 of the third column.
Put one dropper-full of zinc nitrate solution in wells A4, B4 and C4 of the fourth column.
Put one dropper-full of silver nitrate solution in each of the wells A5 through D5 in the fifth column.
Put a small piece of copper metal in each of the wells containing a solution in the first row.
Add magnesium metal to the solutions in the second row, add lead metal to the solutions in the third row, and add zinc
metal to the solutions in the fourth row. Use a stirring rod to submerge each metal in the solutions. Allow to stand at
least 5 minutes.
9. Determine if a reaction has occurred in each well by observing if a new metal has deposited or if the surface of the
metal has become coated.
10. Record each observation as either coating forms or no reaction in the Part 1 Data Table.
11. Discard all solutions into the container provided by your instructor. Clean the 24-well plate with soap and water using
cotton swabs if needed. A different container than the one used in Part 1 will be used in Part 2.
Part 2. Determine an Activity Series for Some Halogens
All work in Part 2 should be done in a fume hood.
1. As a reference, test to see what color develops when each halogen is dissolved in mineral oil. Place one dropper-full of
chlorine water, one dropper-full of bromine water, and one dropper-full of iodine water into three separate 10 mm test
tubes.
2. Add one dropper-full of mineral oil to each test tube, cork the tube, and shake it for ten seconds.
3. Let the mineral oil layer rise to the top and record the color that each halogen shows when dissolved in mineral oil.
Record your observations in the Part 2 Data Table.
4. Test to see if the halide ions give a color to mineral oil. Place one dropper-full of sodium chloride, sodium bromide and
potassium iodide solutions into three separate test tubes.
© 2018 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction permission of these student pages is granted only to science teachers who have purchased this
product from Flinn Scientific, Inc. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.
Student Pages
5. Add a dropper-full of mineral oil to each test tube, cork the tubes, and shake for ten seconds to determine if the halide
ions impart a color to the mineral oil layer.
6. Record your observations in the Part 2 Data Table.
7. Set up six test tubes in a test tube holder as in Figure 4. Label the test tubes 1 through 6 with a marker.
Figure 4.
8. React each halogen with the other two halide ion solutions to determine if the ions reduce the halogens. Place one
dropper-full of sodium bromide solution into test tube 1 and one dropper-full of potassium iodide solution into test
tube 2.
9. Add one dropper-full of chlorine water to each of test tubes 1 and 2, cork each, and shake to mix.
10. Add one dropper-full of mineral oil to each of test tubes 1 and 2, cork each, and shake again.
11. When the mineral oil layer has separated, determine its color and whether a reaction has occurred. If the color of the
chlorine appears in the mineral oil layer then no reaction has occurred. If either the bromine or iodine color appears in
the mineral layer, then there was a reaction.
12. Record both the color and the reaction results (reaction or no reaction) for Cl2(aq) in the Part 2 Reaction Data Table.
13. Repeat the test using bromine water. Add one dropper-full of sodium chloride solution to test tube 3 and one dropperfull of potassium iodide to test tube 4.
14. Add one dropper-full of bromine water to each of test tubes 3 and 4, cork each, and shake to mix.
15. Add one dropper-full of mineral oil to each of test tubes 3 and 4, cork each, and shake again.
16. When the mineral oil layer has separated, determine its color and whether a reaction has occurred. If the color of the
bromine appears in the mineral layer, then no reaction has occurred. if either the chlorine or iodine color appears in the
mineral layer, then there was a reaction.
17. Record both the color and reaction results (reaction or no reaction) for Br2(aq) in the Part 2 Reaction Data Table.
18. Repeat the test for iodine water. Add one dropper-full of sodium chloride solution to test tube 5 and one dropper-full of
sodium bromide solution to test tube 6.
19. Add one dropper-full of iodine water to each of test tubes 5 and 6, cork each, and shake to mix.
20. Add one dropper-full of mineral oil to each of test tubes 5 and 6, cork each, and shake again.
21. Record both the color of the mineral oil layer and the reaction results (reaction or no reaction) for I2(aq) in the Part 2
Data Table.
22. Empty the test tubes in the container provided for disposal by your instructor.
Student Worksheet PDF
10536_Student1.pdf
© 2018 Flinn Scientific, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction permission of these student pages is granted only to science teachers who have purchased this
product from Flinn Scientific, Inc. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical,
including, but not limited to photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from Flinn Scientific, Inc.