Properties of Selected Elements and Common Household Substances Introduction: The sections of the periodic table reflect the electron configurations of the elements and the sublevels occupied by the electrons. It is the electron configuration of the atom that determines its chemical reactivity. An element’s position in the periodic table is directly related to the size of the element’s atoms. The size of the atoms increases as you go down each column and decreases as you go from left to right. Elements whose atoms have identical arrangements of electrons in their highest energy levels have similar properties and make up a family of elements in the periodic table (vertical columns). Elements on the Periodic Table are grouped into metals, nonmetals and metalloids based on some key physical and chemical properties. Elements combine chemically to form compounds. Bulk properties (physical and chemical) are determined by microscopic structures and interactions between atoms, ions and molecules. Common household substances span the whole range of materials from ionic compounds to molecular compounds, and to elements. Purpose: Students will investigate and determine the physical and chemical properties of selected elements and common household chemicals to further students’ understanding of relationships between microscopic structures/interactions and bulk properties. Materials / Equipment: Aluminum Carbon Silicon Sulfur Magnesium Zinc Copper Nail Hammer or other hard, solid 24 cell well plate Forceps Conductivity tester 1.0 M HCl, 5 mL 0.1 M CuCl2, 5 mL Epsom salt Alum powder Table sugar powder Rock candy Table salt Copper metal Spatula Mortar and pestle Kimwipes Distilled water Safety: Always wear safety glasses and apron in the chemistry lab. Never eat or drink in the chemistry lab. Hydrochloric acid solution is corrosive to eyes and skin. Cupric chloride solution is toxic if ingested. Avoid contact of all chemicals with eyes and all body tissues. Pre-lab questions: Part A – Properties of Selected Elements 1. What is an element? 2. What are the general features of the Periodic Table of Elements? 3. What is a metal? 4. What is a nonmetal? 5. What is a metalloid? 6. What are required for any material to conduct electricity? 7. What is brittleness? 8. What is malleability? Part B – Properties of Common Household Substances 9. What is Epsom salt? What is the chemical formula for Epsom salt? 10. What is Epsom salt used for? 11. What is table sugar? What is the chemical formula for table sugar? 12. What is rock candy? How is rock candy made? 13. What is alum? What is alum generally used for? Procedure: Part A – Properties of Selected Elements Using a periodic table, determine the chemical symbol for each of the seven elements to be tested. Fill in the chemical symbol for each element on the data table. Physical Properties 1. Measure the physical properties of 7 elements on bulk samples. Bulk samples are on top of the chemical bench and clearly labeled. 2. Observe and record the color of each element in the Data Table. Is the sample silver, gray, colored, etc…? Be very specific in recording observations. 3. Observe and record the luster of each element in the Data Table. Is the sample lustrous and shiny, slightly shiny, dull? 4. Record any other physical properties that are observed about each element in the Data Table. Be specific in your observations. What form is the sample in? Is the sample crystalline, flaky, rough, smooth, flat and plate-like, rocky, in strips? Is there any odor or are any vapors given off? (Note: Avoid breathing any vapors directly. Instead of smelling a sample directly, waft the vapors from the sample toward your nose.) 5. Determine whether each element is malleable or brittle. To do this, position a nail on the sample and gently tap the nail with a hard, solid object (hammer, piece of wood, small book) A material is malleable if it flattens or bends without shattering. A sample is brittle if it shatters or cracks into pieces when struck. Record your results in the Data Table. 6. Use the conductivity apparatus to test the conductivity of each sample. Touch both electrodes to the element being tested. Make sure the electrodes are not touching each other. Pay close attention to the relative intensity of the light. Record accordingly. Chemical Properties 1. Obtain a well plate. You will be testing each element in cupric chloride solution AND hydrochloric acid solution in the well plates. The well plate is labeled with a combination of a letter (A to D) and a number (1 to 5). So each well can be identified with a unique code. For example, well A5 is located on row A column 5. Record carefully in the lab notebook. There are a total of 7 elements, so you will have 14 squares labeled. 2. Take the well plate to the chemical table and place a small piece of the appropriate element in each labeled well. (NOTE: Do not touch any of the elements with your hands. Use forceps to obtain each sample.) 3. Obtain one pipet full of HCl. Determine the reactivity with acid of each sample by adding 10 drops of 1 M HCl to one well of each sample—a total of 7 wells will have the acid in them. The other 7 wells will be empty at this point. 4. Evidence for a chemical reaction may be the formation of gas bubble and/or discoloration on the surface of the element. Some reactions may be slow to start—be patient. Observe and record results in the Data Table. Images may be digitally recorded. 5. Obtain one pipet full of CuCl2. Determine the reactivity with cupric chloride solution of each sample by adding 10 drops of CuCl2 to the remaining wells. Observe and record the results in the Data Table. Images may be digitally recorded. 6. After allowing the samples to react (about 5 minutes) carefully decant the HCl off the samples with the pipet and transfer to the small waste beaker at your station. Decant the CuCl2 into another waste beaker. Empty the solid samples into the trash, but do NOT try to rinse the well plates! This is tricky to do without splattering water everywhere—just let your teacher do it! Part B – Properties of Common Household Substances Physical Properties of Bulk Samples 1. Measure the physical properties of common household substances on powdered samples with the exception for conductivity. 2. Observe and record the color of each substance in the Data Table. Is the sample silver, gray, colored, etc…? Be specific in recording observations. 3. Observe and record the luster of each element in the Data Table. Is the sample lustrous and shiny, slightly shiny, dull? 4. Record any other physical properties that are observed about each element in the Data Table. Be specific in your observations. What form is the sample in? Is the sample crystalline, flaky, rough, smooth, flat and plate-like, rocky, in strips? Is there any odor or are any vapors given off? (Note: Avoid breathing any vapors directly. Instead of smelling a sample directly, waft the vapors from the sample toward your nose.) 5. Determine whether each substance is malleable or brittle. There are several ways to accomplish the task: (a) Place small amount of test substance between two sheets of clean paper. Use tip of large stainless steel spatula to apply pressure on the samples. (b) Place small amount of test substance into a mortar. Grid the powdery sample. Either method would be fine. A material is malleable if it flattens or bends without shattering. A sample is brittle if it shatters or cracks into pieces when struck. Carefully record your results in the Data Table. 6. Use the conductivity apparatus to test the conductivity of each bulk sample. There are only four bulk samples: table salt, alum, rock candy (which is the large crystalline form of table sugar) and metallic copper. They are on top of the chemical table and clearly labeled. Touch both electrodes to the element being tested. Make sure the electrodes are not touching each other. Pay close attention to the relative intensity of the indicator light. Record accordingly. Solubility in Water and Conductivity of the Resulting Solution 7. On the well plate, establish proper identification of each pure substance. 8. Fill 5 wells with distilled water to 2/3 of each well. 9. Test conductivity of each well. Observe and record results in the Data Table. 10. Take small amount of each sample and put into wells 2-5. Well #1 is kept as the control for this part of the experiment. Prior to further analysis for each substance, the control sample has to be tested. Observe and record solubility results in the Data Table. 11. Test conductivity for each solution. Note: cross contamination possibility has to be minimized. Thoroughly clean the tips of the battery tester prior to the next measurement. Pay close attention to the intensity of the indicator light. 12. In the 6th well, fill it with tap water. Test conductivity and record findings. 13. Repeat steps 7-11 one more time. Post-lab questions: Part A – Properties of Selected Elements 1. Review the data gathered for the seven elements. Sort the seven elements into groups, based on similarities and differences in their physical and chemical properties. Using this information plus information from your book, classify each group as metal, nonmetal, or metalloid. 2. Are there any inconsistencies within the groups you made? Do any elements seem to have properties of both groups? Which? Explain. 3. Look at the location on the periodic table of each of the eight elements tested in this lab. How do the properties of these elements compare to their general position on the periodic table? Make generalizations about the position of the metals, nonmetals, and metalloids on the periodic table. 4. Predict the physical and chemical properties of the following elements which were not tested in this lab—selenium, calcium, and cobalt. Part B – Properties of Common Household Substances 5. Are there any differences of physical properties among the 4 household chemicals? 6. Obtain melting points for all four test chemicals via internet. Is there any trend? 7. Can the four pure substances be separated into three groups? Explain if your answer is yes. Extension Questions/Activities: 1. How are the structures of elements and compounds on the microscopic scales related to the bulk properties observed in the lab? 2. An aqueous sample does not conduct electricity when the conductivity tester is used. Does it mean the aqueous sample is pure water? Explain. (Part A) 3. Given the following melting point data, are there any generalizations you can make about the melting points of metals versus nonmetals? Are there any exceptions? Explain. Aluminum Carbon Copper Magnesium 6600 C 36520 C 10630 C 6490 C Silicon Sulfur Zinc 14100 C 1130 C 4200C Properties of Selected Elements Data Table 1 Element Aluminum Carbon Copper Magnesium Silicon Sulfur Zinc Chemical Symbol Color Luster Other Physical Properties Result of Tapping Reaction with Acid Reactions with CuCl2 Conductivity Properties of Common Household Substances Data Table 2 Element Epsom Salt Alum Powder Table Sugar Rock Candy Table Salt Copper Metal Chemical Symbol Color Luster Other Physical Properties Result of Tapping Reaction with Acid Reactions with CuCl2 Conductivity