Chemistry 2015-2016
Lab: Baking Soda and Vinegar
Name:
Date:
Per:
Purpose: To practice stoichiometry calculations using the reaction between baking soda (sodium
bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid).
Reaction: NaHCO3 (s) + HCH3CO2 (aq) → CO2 (g) + H2O (l) + NaCH3CO2 (aq)
Prelab: After reading through the lab procedure, complete the following in your notebook.
1. Copy down the above reaction. Is it balanced? If not, balance it.
2. How many moles of acetic acid should be added to 0.30 grams of baking soda?
3. What is the solid product left over after evaporation?
4. If 0.60 grams of baking soda react, how many grams of this solid product should be created?
5. What safety precautions should be taken during this lab?
6. Create a flow chart for the lab procedure.
7. Everywhere you see the word “record” in the procedure, circle or highlight that step. Using these
steps as a guide, create a data table for the data that will be collected during the lab. Leave room
for 3 trials.
Procedure
1. Wear goggles for the duration of this lab. Long hair must be tied up and do not wear any loose or
baggy clothing or open-toed shoes.
2. Get a dry, clean test tube. If it is not dry, use the Bunsen burner and test tube clamp to dry.
3. Record the mass of your test tube and clamp together
4. Add ~0.30 grams of baking soda to your test tube. Record the actual mass you obtained in your
data table.
5. Add acetic acid, one drop at a time, to your test tube and baking soda. Gently agitate the tube to
mix the 2 chemicals. Keep adding acetic acid until there is no evidence of a further reaction.
6. Evaporate off the liquid in the test tube by gently heating using a Bunsen burner. Point the
opening of the test tube at the wall at all times while heating the test tube. Slowly circle the
test tube into and out of the heat (do not keep the test tube in the flame continuously). Pull the
test tube out of the flame if it appears that your liquid may boil out.
7. Proceed with heating until the test tube is dry (only solid remains). Turn off Bunsen burner.
8. Record the mass of the test tube, solid, and clamp.
9. Once your test tube has cooled, retrieve a clean test tube. Completed 2-3 trials.
10. Cleanup
a. Bring used test tube to teacher.
b. Leave clamp at lab station.
c. Wipe down your lab station with a wet paper towel
d. Wash your hands, put your goggles away, and return to class.
Calculations: Complete in your notebook. Show all work.
1. How many moles of baking soda did you use?
2. How many moles of the solid product should you have produced?
3. How many grams of the solid product should you have produced?
4. How many grams of solid product did you produce?
5. Calculate your percent error.
6. Account for your error – be specific!
7. When calculating error in your experimental work, if the result is a positive value for percent
error, what does that mean? If the result is a negative percent error, what does this mean?