Name: _____________________________________ Date: __________________ Period: _____
Writing Balanced Chemical Equations for Reactions
Purpose: To observe formation of products in several chemical reactions, and to
write balanced chemical equations for these reactions.
Materials:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Graduated Cylinder
One Large Test Tube
Ten Small Test Tubes
Test Tube Rack
Labeling Tape
Pipets
Beaker for carrying the small test tubes
Solutions of:
a. Na2SiO3, Al2(So4)3, CaCl2, KI, Co(NO3)2, CuSO4, FeCl3, Cr(NO3)3,
Pb(NO3)2, MgSO4, NiCl2
Important Information:
1. Use only the droppers provided with each solution. Make sure that the
dropper goes back into the correct solution! Otherwise the solutions will
become contaminated.
2. In these reactions you should see a color change, a precipitate, or possibly
both. It is also possible you will see no reactions at all. In this case, write “no
reaction” in your observations. Look closely, as some precipitates are
sometimes hard to see.
Procedure:
1. Using a graduated cylinder, obtain about 20ml of the sodium silicate
solution (Na2SiO3) and pour it into your large test tube. Set it in your test
tube rack.
2. Label each of the small test tubes with the name of each of the remaining 10
solutions.
3. Use your beaker to carry your small tubes to get your solutions. For each of
the tubes, fill the tube about half full of the solution on the label. Use only
the droppers provided, and don’t mix the droppers up!
Name: _____________________________________ Date: __________________ Period: _____
4. Carry your filled tubes back to your lab station.
5. You will not be able to fit all of the tubes in your test tube rack at once. Only
do a few reactions at a time to accommodate for this.
6. Get a clean dropper for your sodium silicate solution (Na2SiO3). Use this to
add one dropper full of the solution to each of your filled and labeled test
tubes.
7. Record your observations in the table below.
Data Table:
Solution
Al2(So4)3
CaCl2
KI
Co(NO3)2
CuSO4
FeCl3
Cr(NO3)3
Pb(NO3)2
MgSO4
NiCl2
Observation
Name: _____________________________________ Date: __________________ Period: _____
Post-Lab Questions:
1. In each case, what evidence, if any, did you observe that a chemical reaction
was occurring?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
2. In which reaction(s) did you not see a solid form?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
3. What does your answer to question number two tell you about the solubility
of the products in water? How can you tell?
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Don’t Forget to Balance the Equations on Back!
Name: _____________________________________ Date: __________________ Period: _____
The chemical equations for the reactions in this experiment are below. Balance
each equation.
4. _____ Al2(So4)3 + _____ Na2SiO3  _____ Al2(SiO3)3 + _____Na2SO4
5. _____ CaCl2 + _____Na2SiO3  _____ CaSiO3 + _____ NaCl
6. _____ KI + _____Na2SiO3  _____ K2SiO3 + _____NaI
7. _____Co(NO3)2 + _____ Na2SiO3  CoSiO3 + _____ NaNO3
8. _____ CuSO4 + _____Na2SiO3  _____ CuSiO3 + _____ Na2SO4
9. _____ FeCl3 + _____ Na2SiO3  _____Fe2(SiO3)3 + _____ NaCl
10. _____ Cr(NO3)2 + _____ Na2SiO3  _____ Cr2(SiO3)3 + _____NaNO3
11. _____ Pb(NO3)2 + _____ Na2SiO3  _____ PbSiO3 + _____ NaNO3
12. _____ MgSO4 + _____ Na2SiO3  _____ MgSiO3 + _____ Na2SO4
13. _____ NiCl2 + _____ Na2SiO3  _____ NiSiO3 + _____ NaCl