LAB REPORT

IDENTIFYING AN UNKNOWN COMPOUND

PURPOSE

To determine the properties of six compounds and design an experiment to identify an

unknown substance.

PROCEDURES

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate,
 ), washing soda (sodium carbonate,
  ),
chalk (magnesium carbonate,   ), table salt (sodium chloride,

), cornstarch and
Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate heptahydrate,   · 7 ) were tested for five
different characteristics: solubility in water, reaction with acetic acid, reaction with tincture
of iodine, reaction with sodium hydroxide (with water mixture) and reaction with
phenolphthalein (with water mixture). The results of these tests were placed in a table
(Table 1) for use later.

The next part of this experiment is to test six unknown compounds using the information
found in the previous step. This, however, can only be done if there is a constant procedure
that can be used for each of the unknowns, that will in the end yield the identity of the
compound.

My procedure took the form of a flow-chart:

Jonathan Sterling
 Jonathan Sterling

All Chemicals
(add water)

soluble insoluble
(add phenolphthalein) (add tincture of iodine)

pale pink: bright pink: no reaction: black colour:

sodium no reaction sodium yellow colour cornstarch
bicarbonate carbonate

(add sodium hydroxide) (add acetic acid)

cloudy:
no reaction: magnesium fizzes: manesium
sodium chloride sulfate sulphate
heptahydrate

DATA

PROPERTIES OF SIX KN
KNOWN COMPOUNDS

Reaction with Reaction with Reaction with

Soluble in Reaction with
Compound Iodine Sodium Phenolph-
Water Acetic Acid
Tincture Hydroxide thalein
Sodium yes reaction: no reaction, no reaction reaction: pale
bicarbonate fizzed yellow/orange pink colour
colour
Sodium yes reaction: no reaction, no reaction reaction: hot,
carbonate fizzed yellow colour bright pink
colour
Magnesium no reaction: no reaction, no reaction reaction:
carbonate fizzed yellow colour medium pink
colour

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Jonathan Sterling

Sodium yes no reaction no reaction, no reaction no reaction

chloride very dark
colour
Cornstarch no no reaction reaction: black no reaction no reaction
precipitate
formed
Magnesium yes no reaction no reaction, reaction: no reaction
sulphate yellow colour white, cloudy
heptahydrate precipitate
TABLE 1. THE PROPERTIES OF SIX COMPOUNDS

PROPERTIES OF THE SIX “UNKNOWNS”, AND THEIR IDENTITIES

Sample
Step 1. Step 2. Step 3. Compound
Designation
Sample A. soluble in phenolphthalein: sodium
water. bright pink carbonate
(washing
soda)
Sample B. soluble in phenolphthalein: sodium magnesium
water no reaction hydroxide: sulphate
cloudy heptahydrate
(Epsom salt)
Sample C. soluble in phenolphthalein: sodium sodium
water no reaction hydroxide: no hydroxide
reaction (table salt)
Sample D. insoluble in iodine tincture: cornstarch
water black
Sample E. insoluble in iodine tincture: acetic acid: magnesium
water yellow fizzed sulphate
(chalk)
Sample F. soluble in phenolphthalein: sodium
water pale pink bicarbonate
(baking soda)
TABLE 2. THE IDENTITIES OF THE SIX “UNKNOWN” COMPOUNDS

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Jonathan Sterling

CONCLUSIONS

SOURCES OF ERROR

There was no error; all the results were exactly as expected.

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER THOUGHT

1. Compare qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Qualitative uses refers to results in description and narrative form, whereas
quantitative uses refers to results with numbers, and quantities.
2. Did this experiment use qualitative or quantitative analysis? Explain.
This experiment used qualitative analysis; there were no numbers, values, or
calculations in this experiment. All that was needed were observations on the
reactions.