Name ___________________
“It’s Elemental” Lab
Problem: Does the group or family an element belongs to determine its reaction with hydrochloric
acid (HCl)?
Hypothesis: (use the periodic table to help you guess which element group should be most
reactive)
*Experimental Design Chart
Independent Variable (IV): **▼
Dependent Variable (DV):
Constants (CV):
**▼ IV Groups
Control Group (CG):
Experimental Group (EG):
Materials: goggles, 3 test tubes, test tube rack, graduated cylinder, mossy zinc, magnesium,
copper pellet, HCl (hydrochloric acid)
CAUTION: HCl can irritate skin. Flush with water if you get it on your skin.
Be very careful when using HCl. GOGGLES ON!!
Procedures:
1. One partner goes to the chemical prep area and gets one piece of mossy zinc, magnesium
and copper pellet. Return to lab station.
2. Both partners make detailed observations about each elements’ physical properties (what it
looks like) and record on table in science notebook.
Physical Properties
Reaction in HCl
Mossy Zinc
Magnesium
Copper
3. The partner who did not get the HCl for the last lab, takes graduated cylinder to chemical
prep area and fills the graduated cylinder with 15ml of HCl and returns to lab station.
4. Pour 5ml of HCl into one of the test tubes, pour 5ml into the second test tube, and pour
the last 5ml into the third test tube.
5. Place the mossy zinc, magnesium, and copper pellet into separate test tubes at the same
time.
6. Watch for reactions. Wait at least five minutes.
7. Record observations on the table in your science notebook.
8. Both partners take test tubes to the special waste buckets in the fume hood and pour the
remains of the test tube in the appropriate buckets. They are labeled.
9. Return to lab station.
10. Both partners help in washing the test tubes and graduated cylinder very carefully with
soap and water.
11. Dry outsides of test tubes and graduated cylinder and place on test tube rack to dry
inside.
12. Wash hands with soap and water.
13. Clean and dry area.
14. Get teacher permission to go back to seat.
Go back to seat and look up elements on the periodic table. Identify which group each
element belongs to. Make notes in your science notebook
zinc ____________________________________
magnesium ________________________________
copper __________________________________
Analysis: Did the group the element belonged to react the way you expected it
to? Explain why or why not.
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
Conclusion: (Hypothesis supported or not? Answer to experiment)
______________________________________________________________
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