Malachite Investigation Explanation Sheet
Experiment 1
The mineral malachite is made up mainly of one chemical compound, called_____________
____________. The formula of copper carbonate is CuCO3. When copper carbonate is heated it
undergoes a chemical reaction known as ________________ _____________________.
The single substance copper carbonate is _____________ into ___________ simpler substances.
These are the black powder, ___________ _____________ and the colourless gas, __________
_____________
Word equation:
Symbol equation:
Carbon dioxide turns limewater ______________. The copper carbonate is weighed in the tube at
the ___________. The copper oxide is weighed in the tube after________________. The carbon
dioxide gas is ___________from the tube. This is why there is a ___________ in mass of the
tube + contents.
Experiment 2: Method 1 Heating the black powder with charcoal
This is a ________________reaction. Copper and carbon compete for _______________, and the
_________ “wins”. The copper oxide is ________________ to copper. ____________ _________
is also formed.
Word equation:
Symbol equation:
Method 2
Copper oxide is a __________. It _______________ with sulphuric acid and dissolves in it:
copper oxide + sulphuric acid 
CuO
+ H2SO4

Copper sulphate solution is ________. When electricity is passed through copper sulphate it
undergoes
_______________ - it is split up. ______________________ is formed on the
negative carbon rod. Bubbles of ______________ form on the positive rod. The copper formed is
very pure. This method is used to purify copper in industry.