Chemical Reactions: One Chemical Property of Aluminum
SAFETY FIRST!!! Safety glasses MUST be worn at all times during this lab. Your skin should never
come into direct contact with the Copper Chloride crystals or the solution of Copper Chloride and water.
If this should happen, wash your hands immediately.
Procedures:
1. Using the metal scoop and the digital scale, CAREFULLY measure 2g of Copper Chloride on
a piece of weighing paper and return to your table.
QUESTION 1: Copper Chloride is a compound, what elements make up Copper Chloride?
(answer all questions in pencil on the “Copper Chloride Lab Answer Sheet”)
2. Put 50 mL of water into a small beaker and return to your table.
3. Using a plastic stirring rod, mix the 2g of Copper Chloride with the water. Make sure all the
Copper Chloride is dissolved.
….TRACKING TEMPERATURE USING VERNIER PROBES AND
LOGGER PRO SOFTWARE….
We will be using digital probes and your laptops to graph any changes in temperature after adding
the Aluminum to the Copper Chloride solution – BUT DO NOT PUT THE FOIL IN YET!!!
A. Open Logger Pro on your laptop. Then plug the Go Link into your USB port and plug the
temperature probe into the Go Link. You will see temperature data displayed.
B. Take a few moments to experiment with the software and the probe. Start the data
collection and graph with this button
C. We will be graphing the change in temperature of this reaction over a 7 minute period (420
seconds)
D. Using the
button, change the scale on the x axis (time) to 420 seconds
4. Cut a square of aluminum foil (approx. 10 cm x 10 cm). Do not crumple the foil into a ball,
instead, simply push the aluminum foil square down into the Copper Chloride solution with a
plastic stirring rod. IMMEDIATELY begin tracking temperature on the graph with the temp.
probe submerged in the solution. BE CAREFUL THAT THE PROBE DOES NOT TIP YOUR
BEAKER!!
QUESTION 2: Make as many qualitative observations as you can over a 7 minute period.
Write these observations on your answer sheet.
5. Move the probe around and poke at the Aluminum foil while the reaction is occurring. Watch
what happens to the temperature graph as you touch the temp. probe to the foil and the red
sludge that is developing….you will have to answer a question on this later, so watch closely!!
Questions to answer on your answer sheet
QUESTION 3: What evidence do you have that a chemical change has taken place? (List the
clues that a chemical change has taken place)
QUESTION 4: Chemical properties describe how one substance will react with another (for
example, baking soda will react with vinegar when mixed). What could you say is one chemical
property of aluminum?
QUESTION 5: Examine the material that formed during the reaction. What do you think it
could be? This is an inference - make it a good one, a reasonable one….think about what elements
and compounds have gone into this reaction. (some hints: the element copper makes compounds
that are bluish/green, such as the copper chloride; but when not in a compound, copper is
reddish/brown….the element aluminum is a shiny metal when it is in its pure form; but when in a
compound, it is clear. Try to explain on your answer sheet what happened in this chemical
reaction in two or three sentences. Remember that in chemical reactions the elements in
compounds are rearranged to form new compounds, and sometimes elements get ‘kicked out’ of
their compound….think about it and discuss it. DO NOT ASK MR. DAVID – YOU CAN
ANSWER THIS QUESTION IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT!!!
QUESTION 6: Finally, write a chemical equation for this reaction. Ignore the water as one of
the reactants, that only leaves two things reacting. Hint: Copper Chloride is CuCl2
QUESTION 7: Were there any shiny pieces of aluminum left in the beaker? Why? (Hint: …
remember this was a chemical reaction…)
QUESTION 8: Finally, print out your temperature graph. Look at any unusual spikes or dips in
temperature during the 420 seconds. Using a pencil, circle those areas and explain on the graph
what was happening during those spikes or dips - it could be as simple as “probe was out of the
solution” or “probe was in direct contact with the aluminum”.
CLEAN UP: Dump the contents of the beaker into the Large beaker by the sink – not down the
drain. Next, rinse your beaker thoroughly with water and place on the drying rack.
Put all other materials back in the basket.
Names:
Copper Chloride Lab Answer Sheet
QUESTION 1:
QUESTION 2:
QUESTION 3:
QUESTION 4:
QUESTION 5:
QUESTION 6:
QUESTION 7:
QUESTION 8: (print out and staple your temperature graph to this sheet)