The Copper Cycle
Lab Report Template
By Your Name
Period ??
October 7, 2011
The Copper Cycle
Abstract: (Introduction)
In this experiment we performed a series of reactions starting with
copper metal and
The abstract should include a summary of
1. Why you did the experiment (any background)
2. What you did and how you did it
3. What your conclusion(s) were
This should be a sizeable paragraph – (at least 5 sentences)
Equipment and Materials:
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First list all the chemicals you used:
Copper Metal
Nitric Acid (HNO3)
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Then list all the materials:
2 100 ml Beakers
250 ml Waste Beaker
25 ml Graduated Cylinder
Procedure:
This is a step-by-step set of directions that show exactly what you did so that another
person can recreate your experiment.
1. Measure 2mL of concentrated nitric acid into a 100 ml beaker.
2. Place copper metal into the test tube of nitric acid, and observe
the reaction.
3. Add approximately 25mL of water and remove any remaining
copper metal.
4. Slowly …
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Data Collection and Observations:
This is where you say what you did and what you observed at each step. The actual
analysis of the chemicals formed and the reactions involved comes next in the Results
and Discussion section.
We started with elemental copper metal and reacted it step by step as
follows:
Experimental stage
Observations
1. Copper at the start
Brownish, copper-colored, fine
solid.
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Results and Discussions:
Put any diagrams, graphs or data plots here.
For the Copper Cycle Lab, draw the cycle that shows the entire experiment. We went
over this in class and it is in your notes.
Now describe what reactions occurred and what those substances observed really were.
After placing the penny into the test tube of nitric acid, the
copper in the penny reacted the acid, became copper nitrate (CuNO4).
Then, after exposing of what is left of the penny and pouring the
nitrate acid into a beaker, I added sodium hydroxide to the solution,
forming greenish-blue crystals which were copper hydroxide (CuOH4).
Adding heat …
Conclusion:
What did you conclude from this experiment?
1. State a Claim: “From this experiment, we can conclude that
matter, such as copper…
2. Back it up with at least 2 pieces of evidence “The copper metal we
started with is the same…
3. Show your reasoning. How does your evidence lead to your conclusion?
“Since ____________, then it follows that ______________.
References:
Living by Chemistry; Investigation II – Basic Building Materials, Lesson
2 – Now You See It…