Molly Lameyer
Chemistry B
2nd hour
3/27/11
Metal Lab
Introduction:
Ideas and theories are tested many times in everyday life. Psychologists are one of many jobs
that require testing to prove theories correct or incorrect. They may run a personality test on someone
to see what that person is like. Also, they run IQ tests to determine the intelligence level of someone.
Chemists test theories and ideas everyday too. They determine unknown metals by mixing different
chemicals and ruling out the ones that have a different reaction. Chemists determine the solubility of a
metal by finding if it is a solid, liquid, or a gas. They follow a set of rules to find out if it is insoluble (s) or
soluble (aq). All compounds complaining nitrate (NO3-) are always soluble, just like the metals in the
Alkali family. Chemists also research if the metal has a precipitate. To find the precipitate, chemists
look at the ions in a reaction and determine which will pair to form and insoluble product. If tests for
solubility are observed, then the information on the solubility chart will be replicated.
Materials and Methods:
The colors of each metal were observed and recorded. A cell well and goggles were collected.
One drop of iron nitrate was added to three different cells. One drop of hydrogen sulfate was added to
one cell of iron nitrate. One drop of sodium hydroxide and one drop of ammonium hydroxide were
added to the other two cells. Observations were recorded. One drop of copper nitrate was added to
three clean cell wells. Hydrogen sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide were individually
added to one of the copper nitrates. Observations were recorded. One drop of lead nitrate was added
to three clean cells. One drop of hydrogen sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide were
added to each cell individually. Observations were recorded. The cell well was rinsed and dried off.
One drop of nickel nitrate was added to three clean cell wells. One drop of hydrogen sulfate, sodium
hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide were added to each cell well with nickel nitrate. Observations
were recorded. One drop of zinc nitrate was added to three different cell wells. On drop of hydrogen
sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide were added to each zinc nitrate individually.
Observations were recorded. One drop of the unknown A was added into three clean cells. One drop of
hydrogen sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide were added to each cell of the unknown
A. Observations were recorded. One drop of the unknown B was added into three clean cells. One
drop of hydrogen sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide were added to each cell of the
unknown B. Observations were recorded. One drop of silver nitrate was then added into three clean
cells. One drop of hydrogen sulfate, sodium hydroxide, and ammonium hydroxide were added to each
cell of the silver nitrate individually.
Molly Lameyer
Chemistry B
2nd hour
3/27/11
Results:
Table 1: Observations
Compound
AgNO3
Color alone
Colorless
1 M H2SO4
Colorless solution
Light brown PPT
Ag+ + SO4-2  Ag2SO4
Colorless solution
No PPT
Fe(NO3)3
Goldish
yellow
Cu(NO3)2
Aqua/blue
Light blue solution
No PPT
Pb(NO3)2
Colorless
Ni(NO3)2
Sea green
Colorless/white solution
White PPT
Pb+2 + SO4-2 PbSO4
Colorless solution
No PPT
Zn(NO3)2
Colorless
Colorless solution
No PPT
Unknown A
Sea green
Unknown B
Colorless
Colorless solution
No PPT
Colorless solution
No PPT
1 drop NaOH
Colorless solution
Brown PPT
Ag+ + OH-  AgOH
Colorless solution
Goldish yellow PPT
Fe+3 + OH-  FeOH3
Bright blue solution
Blue PPT
Cu+2 +OH- + Cu(OH)2
Colorless solution
White PPT
Pb+2 + OH-  Pb(OH)2
Colorless solution
White PPT
Ni+2 + OH-  Ni(OH)2
Colorless solution
White PPT
Zn+2 + OH-  Zn(OH)2
Colorless solution
Light blue PPT
Colorless solution
Faint white PPT
1 drop NH4OH
Colorless solution
Cloudy/white PPT
Ag+ + OH-  AgOH
Light yellow solution
No PPT
Dark blue solution
Sky blue PPT
Cu+2 +OH- + Cu(OH)2
White Solution
White PPT
Pb+2 + OH-  Pb(OH)2
Colorless Solution
Cloudy PPT
Ni+2 + OH-  Ni(OH)2
Colorless solution
White/cloudy PPT
Zn+2 + OH-  Zn(OH)2
Colorless solution
Cloudy PPT
Colorless solution
Cloudy PPT
Conclusion:
Hydrogen sulfate was combined with eight different compounds. First, it was combined with
silver nitrate, which caused a colorless solution. It formed a light brown precipitate and silver sulfate
(Ag2SO4) was produced. Next, iron nitrate was combined with the hydrogen sulfate. A colorless solution
was formed with no precipitate. Copper nitrate was then added to the hydrogen sulfate. A light blue
solution was formed with no precipitate. Hydrogen sulfate was then combined with lead nitrate to form
a white solution and a white precipitate, which made lead sulfate (PbSO4). When nickel nitrate was
combined with hydrogen sulfate, a colorless solution was formed with no precipitate. Zinc nitrate and
hydrogen sulfate combined to also make a colorless solution and no precipitate. Both the unknown A
and the unknown B formed a colorless solution and no precipitate when combined with hydrogen
sulfate.
Sodium hydroxide was also combined with the eight different compounds. Silver nitrate and
sodium hydroxide formed a colorless solution and a brown precipitate. They produced silver hydroxide
Molly Lameyer
Chemistry B
2nd hour
3/27/11
(AgOH). Iron nitrate was then combined with sodium hydroxide to make a colorless solution. It formed
a goldish yellow precipitate and produced iron hydroxide (FeOH3). Copper nitrate and sodium hydroxide
together formed a bright blue solution and a blue precipitate. It also produces copper hydroxide
(Cu(OH)2). Lead nitrate formed a colorless solution and a white precipitate when combined with sodium
hydroxide. They produce lead hydroxide (Pb(OH)2). Nickel was also combined with sodium hydroxide to
form a colorless solution and a cloudy precipitate, and formed nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2). Zinc nitrate
and sodium hydroxide formed a colorless solution and a slightly white precipitate. They produced zinc
hydroxide (Zn(OH)2). The unknown A and the unknown B combine with sodium hydroxide to form a
colorless solution with a slightly white precipitate.
Lastly, ammonium hydroxide was combined with the eight different compounds. Silver nitrate
and ammonium hydroxide formed a colorless solution and a cloudy precipitate. They produced silver
hydroxide (AgOH). Iron nitrate formed a light yellow solution with no precipitate when combined with
ammonium hydroxide. Copper nitrate and ammonium hydroxide formed a dark blue solution and a sky
blue precipitate. They together, produced copper hydroxide (Cu(OH)2). When lead nitrate was
combined with ammonium hydroxide, a white solution was made with a white precipitate, and they
produced lead hydroxide (Pb(OH)2). Nickel nitrate was also combined with ammonium hydroxide to
form a colorless solution and a cloudy precipitate to produce nickel hydroxide (Ni(OH)2). Zinc nitrate
and ammonium hydroxide were combined to form a colorless solution and a cloudy precipitate. They
together, produced zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2). The unknown A and unknown B both formed a colorless
solution when combined with ammonium hydroxide. The unknown A formed a blue precipitate and the
unknown B formed a cloudy precipitate.
The observations made during the experiment mostly confirmed the solubility chart. The
experimenters found no precipitate when combining iron nitrate and ammonium hydroxide. According
to the solubility chart, when all other metals (Fe) are combined with hydroxide, the solution should be
insoluble. That means that the solution should form a precipitate.
The unknown mixtures were determined during this lab. Unknown A was determined to be
copper nitrate. The experimenters found this by first ruling out iron nitrate because of its yellow/gold
color. They found that the unknown was copper nitrate because they both had no precipitate when
combined with hydrogen sulfate and had a blue precipitate when combined with ammonium hydroxide.
The unknown B was also determined. The experimenters found that it was zinc nitrate due to the clear
color and no precipitate when combined with hydrogen sulfate. Also, they both had a faint white
precipitate when combined with sodium hydroxide along with a clear solution. Lastly, the unknown B
and zinc nitrate both had a colorless solution and a cloudy precipitate when combined with ammonium
hydroxide.
Everyday, myth busters test ideas and theories to determine if things are myths or not.
Molly Lameyer
Chemistry B
2nd hour
3/27/11