Lab Instructions
Materials and Equipment
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Distilled Water
Zinc metal
Filter Paper
Plastic Wash Bottle
Copper II sulfate
Tap water
Pencil (not a pen)
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Plastic funnel
Glass stirring rod
Balance
Hot plate
Beaker, 250 mL
Flask, 250 mL
Small beaker, 50 or 100 mL
Glass Stir
Rod
Plastic
Funnel
Beaker
Flask
Plastic Wash
Bottle
Step 1
• Equipment used
– Beaker, 250 mL
– Copper II sulfate
– Distilled water
• Notes
– You do not need to know
the mass of the beaker or
the mass of copper II
sulfate you use in this step
 Clean 250 mL beaker
 Add 11.75-12.35 grams
copper II sulfate to the
beaker
 Fill the beaker to the 50
mL mark with distilled
water
See Clips #1-2
Step 2
• Equipment used
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Beaker, 250 mL
Hot plate
Glass stir rod
Copper II sulfate
• Notes
– Do not use anything metal
to stir the solution
– When all of the solid is
dissolved the solution
should look very clear and
blue, not at all cloudy
 Put the beaker on the preheated hot plate
 Stir with the glass stir rod
 Stir constantly until all of
the copper II sulfate is
dissolved
 As soon as it is completely
dissolved remove the
beaker from the heat
After heating the
solution will be
clear and blue,
with no visible
pieces of the
solid left
(Note - clear and
colorless are not the
same thing)
Step 3
• Equipment used
– Zinc metal
– Balance
• Notes
– Use a small piece of paper
to carry your zinc pieces
– Put the paper on the
balance, push zero, then
add the zinc pieces
 Obtain 9 zinc pieces
 Record their exact mass in
your data table
Step 4
• Equipment used
–
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Beaker, 250 mL
Glass stir rod
Copper II sulfate solution
Zinc metal
• Notes
– Continue to use only the
glass stir rod to stir
– The solution needs to
settle for at least 5 minutes
before the next step, do
not stir it at the end of this
step
 Slowly add the zinc pieces
to the hot solution while
stirring
 Record your observations
 Stir slowly, but constantly,
for 5 minutes (even if you
no longer see any changes
happening)
 Then let the solution sit
for 5 minutes without
being disturbed
See Clip #3
(0:54)
Step 5
• Equipment used
– Balance
– Filter paper
– Pencil
• Notes
– If you skip this step you will
have to start over
– So, do not skip this step
– You must use a pencil, not
a pen, or the ink will run
and you won’t be able to
read it later
 While you are waiting,
weigh a single filter paper,
record the mass in your
data table
 Use a pencil to mark the
filter paper with your
initials, so you know
which one is yours later
Step 6
• Equipment used
– Beaker, 250 mL
• Notes
– Do not mix, stir or in any
other way disturb the
beaker before this step!!
– Decant into the small sinks
in the middle of the lab
counter
– Be sure the drains in the
sinks are unplugged first
 After all of the copper has
settled to the bottom of
the beaker, carefully
decant all of the extra
copper sulfate solution in
the beaker into the sink
(without losing any of the
copper)
 You should be able to
pour out most of the
liquid if you pour slowly
enough
See Clip #4
(1:26)
Step 7
• Equipment used
– Beaker, 250 mL
– Water
– Glass stir rod
• Notes
– Turn the water on before
you put the beaker
underneath so the copper
doesn’t get splashed out
– Be careful that you don’t
lose any copper when
decanting
 Fill the beaker close to the
top with tap water and
stir
 Let the copper settle to
the bottom and decant
the liquid again
 Repeat two more times
See Clip #5
(2:10)
Step 8
• Equipment used
– Flask, 250 mL
– Filter paper
– Plastic funnel
• Notes
– Make sure that you are
folding the filter paper
correctly and that you
didn’t forget to weigh it
and label it in step 6
 Set up the filtration
system:
 Fold the filter paper as
shown in the clip
 Place the folded filter
paper into the plastic
funnel
 Place the funnel into the
250 mL flask
See Clip #6
(3:34)
Step 9
• Equipment used
– Beaker, 250 mL
– Filtration Set-Up
– Plastic wash bottle
• Notes
– Be sure that the level of
the water in the funnel
never goes above the edge
of the filter paper
 Using a plastic wash
bottle, wash the copper
into your filter paper
 Make sure that you get all
of the copper out of the
beaker and into the filter
paper
See Clip #7
(4:10)
Step 10
• Equipment used
– Filtration set-up
– Small beaker
– Drying oven
• Notes
– Be very careful not to tear
the wet filter paper
– If you set your beaker so
the initials on your filter
papers face forward it will
be easier to find the next
day
 Let most of the water
drain out of the filter
paper and carefully
remove it from the funnel
 Place the wet filter paper
and copper into a small
beaker and put the beaker
into the drying oven
overnight
See Clip #8
(4:49)
Step 11 – Day 2
• Equipment used
– Balance
• Notes
– Be sure you don’t spill the
dry copper while weighing
– Follow in class instructions
for disposing of the filter
paper and copper
 Weigh the filter paper
with the dry copper and
record
End of Instructions