Preparation of Calcium Carbonate Lab
In this laboratory activity you will attempt to produce a set amount of calcium carbonate
from aqueous solutions of calcium chloride and sodium carbonate. You will determine the
mass of both calcium chloride and sodium carbonate to be used.
Materials:
2 beakers, 50ml and 150ml, stir rod, Erlenmeyer flask
50ml or 100 mL graduated cylinder
funnel,
coffee filter, squeeze bottle
Procedure:
1. Put on your safety goggles and get a white board and begin your calculations. Once you
have had your calculations “OKed” by your instructor you may proceed.
2. Obtain two clean beakers.
3. Obtain your calcium chloride and sodium carbonate at the weigh stations. These should be
the masses that you determined.
4. Add the calcium chloride to one beaker. Add enough water (about 50ish ml) to dissolve the
calcium chloride. Stirring will aid the dissolution process. Try to use a small amount of
water so your filtration does not take too long.
5. Add the sodium carbonate to the other beaker. Add enough water (50ish ml) to dissolve the
sodium carbonate. Stirring will aid the dissolution process. Try to use a small amount of
water so your filtration does not take too long.
6. Pour the calcium chloride solution into the beaker containing the sodium carbonate solution.
Record your observations.
7. While waiting for the solid to settle, obtain a coffee filter, write some identifying mark on it
(usually period and group number), and then find the mass of the coffee filter. Record the
mass in your data table.
8. Set up a funnel, filter paper, and Erlenmeyer flask. Wet the filter paper with a small amount
of water.
9. Pour the contents of the beaker slowly into the funnel. Be careful as you pour, so none of
the solid flows out of the filter paper or funnel. Use the bottle to remove as much of the
solid from the beaker as possible (I’ll show you how to do this at the start).
10.Once all the solid is on the filter paper and the liquid has all drained through into the beaker,
carefully remove the filter paper from the funnel without opening it up and set put it in the
drawer for your class. You will obtain your final mass reading at the start of your next class.
11.Pour the filtrate down the drain and clean up all of your glassware and lab bench area.
Data:
Create a table which includes at a minimum: mass of calcium chloride,
mass of sodium carbonate, mass of dry filter paper and mass of filter paper
and dry solid. Make sure to include a space for observations of each.
Calculations:
1. Make a BCA table to confirm the limiting reactant.
2. What is the limiting reactant?
3. Determine the mass of calcium carbonate produced.
4. Determine your percent yield for calcium carbonate.
5. Determine the mass of excess reactant remaining. (Tricky)
Post Lab Questions:
1. How many grams of zinc carbonate are formed from the reaction of
5.11 g zinc sulfate and 3.25 g sodium carbonate?
2. What was the limiting reactant from Question #1? How what mass of
excess reagent would remain at the end of the reaction?
Conclusion:
Write a conclusion paragraph that includes the following: the purpose and
whether or not it was accomplished, a brief overview of the procedure,
data discussion of results, discussion of possible errors and how they
would affect your results, and what concepts from class you had to apply
to complete the lab.