Stoichiometry Lab - Aluminum – Copper (II) Chloride Reaction
The single replacement reaction of aluminum and copper (II) chloride is a dramatic and exothermic reaction. The
reaction produces a solution of aluminum chloride and copper solids.
Aim: From the reaction of 0.1 g, 0.2 g, 0.3 g, 0.4 g, 0.5 g, and 0.6 g of aluminum with excess copper (II) chloride
you will be able to determine the relationship between grams of aluminum reactant used and the grams of copper
product.
Materials / Equipment:
Aluminum foil
Copper (II) chloride solution
Electronic balance (+/- 0.01 g)
Filter paper
Funnel
Ring stand with ring
Glass stirring rod
Disposable pipette
10 ml graduated cylinder
100 ml beaker (2)
400 ml beaker
Dispensing bottle of water
Pre-Lab:
1. Write the complete and balanced equation for the reaction including state symbols.
Safety Precautions:
You must wear safety glasses at all times.
Copper (II) chloride and aluminum chloride is moderately toxic
Be careful not to get any chemical in your eyes or mouth.
Do not consume gum, food, or drink.
Wear gloves when handling copper (II) chloride solution
Wash your hands when finished with the lab.
Do NOT pour solid (waste) materials into the sink.
All Waste in Waste Beaker Located in the Hood
The reaction is exothermic and will heat the glassware.
The amount of Aluminum Used:
The gram amount of aluminum that students will use will be based on the teacher and class as follows:
Ms. Koch
 1B - 0.50 g Al
 4B - 0.30 g Al
Mr. Taruscio
 1B - 0.20 g Al
 2B - 0.60 g Al
 2A - 0.40 g Al
 4B - 0.10 g Al
Procedure:
1. Obtain aluminum foil from the dispensing area.
2. At your station, tear foil or cut foil into small pieces according to your assigned amounts above.
3. Place a 100 ml beaker on the balance.
4. To that beaker add small pieces of the aluminum foil until the correct gram amount is achieved.
5. Record masses
Mass of empty beaker________________
Mass of the beaker and foil together________________
Mass of aluminum foil________________
6. From the dispensing area obtain about 15 ml of copper (II) chloride solution using a 50 ml beaker.
7. Using a graduated cylinder, (at your designated station) measure 15.00 ml of copper (II) chloride solution.
8. Add the copper (II) chloride solution to the beaker with the aluminum foil.
9. Remember to take qualitative data during the reaction.
10. Stir the reaction contents with the glass stirring rod.
11. The reaction is over when all of the foil have become reddish solids.
12. Weigh and record empty filter paper (write names and weight in pencil on edge of filter paper).
13. Set up a ring stand with a funnel, ring, and folded coffee filter. Place set up over a 400 ml beaker.
14. Pour the contents of your beaker through the funnel and filter into the 400 ml waste beaker.
15. Using the dispensing bottle, wash all solid copper into the filter paper.
16. When you have washed all of the solids in the reaction beaker through the filter paper, set your filter
paper in the drying area.
Lab Report:
You will create a full lab report of this activity.
Design:
Much of the design has been created here (i.e. the materials and the procedures). You need to have your
problem and hypothesis, independent and dependent variable, and control variables.
Data:
You need to put ALL the data together in a combined table with appropriate sig figs, labels, uncertainties etc.
Also, you need to find averages of the aluminum reactant and the averages of the copper product made (and
the standard deviation).
You will need to complete your theoretical yields (this is the basic stoich stuff). Pretend I am giving you the
question “If you start with x grams of Aluminum, how much Copper will you produce?”. You need to have a
sample calculation for 1 of the givens (say for example the 0.5 g Al) and then results for all 6 in a Results Table).
You need a graph of the data. Label x and y axis, and title your graph appropriately.
We will discuss the analysis of this in class.
Conclusion:
Please construct a conclusion based off the rubric from IB using the IB lab guide as a guide to what you should
talk about when.
***** Please turn this in at TURNITIN.COM for Ms. K’s class. Your enrollment passwords are on the website.
DUE: Dec 15th at Midnight!