Purpose:

Toanalyzethecompositionoftheproductofthecombustionofmagnesiuminthepresenceof
air.

ChemicalEquation:
Magnesium+Oxygen>MagnesiumOxide+energy(theprimaryreaction)

Chemicals&Equipment:
MagnesiumMilligramScale
Oxygen
Crucible
Pipestemtriangle
Crucibletongs
Glassstirringrod
Bunsenburner

Measurements:

MassofCrucibleMassofMagnesium+CrucibleMassofCrucible+ContentsPostCombustion
37.482g

37.614g

37.681g

QualitativeObservations:
Thestripissilverincolor,shiny,malleable,smooth,rectangular,andhasno
smell.

Calculations:
C1.
MassofmagnesiumconsumedassumingcompletecombustionofMg
m=containerwithMg[M2]container[M1]
m=37.614.003g37.482.003g=.132.006g

C2.
Massofoxygenconsumedassumingnolossofashfromthecrucible
m=containerwithcontentspostreaction[M3]containerwithMg[M2]
m=37.681.003g37.614.003g=.067.006g

C3.
Massofmagnesiumoxideformedassumingnolossofashfromthecrucibleandcomplete
combustionofMg
m=containerwithcontentspostreaction[M3]container[M1]
m=37.681.003g37.482.003g=.199.006g

C4.
MassratioformassOtomassMginthemagnesiumoxideformed
ratio=massMg[C2]/massO[C1]
ratio=(.067.006g)/(.132.006g)
Regular:.50757g
Max:.57936g
:.07179g(rounded:.07g)
ReportValue:.51.07gO/gMg

C5.
Experimentalmasspercentcompositionofthemagnesiumoxideformed
%Mg=(massMg[C1]x100)/(masscmpd[C3])
=(.132x100)/(.199)
therefore66.3%Mg/33.7%O

C6.
Experimentalerrorformasspercentofthemagnesium
Acceptedvalueformassratio:0.658gO/gMg
thereforethemass%Mg=(1Mg)/(1.658gcmpd)x100gcmpd
=60.3%Mg
%error=(|acceptedexperimental[C5]|x100)/acceptedvalue
=(|60.366.3|x100)/60.3
=9.95%

ClassResults:

StationNumber

MassofMg(.006g)

MassofO(.006g)

(gO/gMg)MassO/
MassMg

.177

.090

.510.5g

.164

.090

.550.6g

.135

.041

.300.5g

.159

.073

.460.7g

.132

.067

.510.6g

.163

.073

.450.6g

.161

.069

.430.6g

.143

.064

.450.6g

.151

.081

.540.6g

11

.144

.078

.540.7g

ThereisnoconstantforthemassOtomassMgratio

Discussion
:Thepurposewastoexamineandinspectthecompositionoftheproductofthecombustionof
magnesiuminthepresenceofair.Magnesiumwasplacedinacrucibleandthenheatedupuntilitignited.
Then,thecoverwascappedandthenuncappedeverytwominutesinordertoletfreshaircycleintothe
crucible.Aglassrodwasusedtocrushthemagnesiumtomakesureitwascompletelycombusted.This
wasdoneuntilthecombustionprocesswascompleted.Theresultswerecalculatedusingsomelaws.The
lawofconservationofmasswasusedinordertocalculatethemassofoxygenconsumedintheprocess.
Becauseitwasknownthatthemassdoesntchangeinaclosedsystem,directlysubtractingthemassof
thecontentsbeforecombustionfromthemassofthecontentsaftercombustionwasallowed.Itwas
knownthatonlyoxygenandmagnesiumwouldbeconsumed,andthelawassertsthatthemassofthe
magnesiumwouldnthavechangedaftertheprocess.Thisletthecalculationoftheoxygenconsumedbe
accurate.Also,thelawofdefinitecompositionwaskeptinmindwhencalculatingthecompositionofthe
magnesiumoxide,buttheclassgotseveraldifferentresultsduetovariousfactors.Everylabhaddifferent
amountsofmagnesium,butthelawofdefinitecompositionassertsthatalloftheresultsshouldhavebeen
similar.Unfortunatelyhumanerrorandflawsintheproceduremadeclassresultsvaryalot.Onelabtable
gota.300.6g(gO/gMg)result,whileanothergot.550.6g(gO/gMg).Theacceptedvaluewas
0.658gO/gMg,andalloftheclasshadlowerratios.Thiswasprobablybecauseoftheuncappingthe
cruciblecoverintheprocedure.Itletmagnesiumoxideashout,andalsoreducedtheamountof
magnesiumintheratio.Wereceivedresultsthatwerelowerthantheacceptedvalueby9.95%.Perhaps
notallofthemagnesiumcombustedinourcrucible,makingtheresultwereceivedoffbyabit.Asmall
butsignificantamountofashescapedeverytimethecruciblecoverwaslifted.Allthecalculationswere
doneassumingnolossofash,sotheresultswereoff.

Conclusion:
Welearnedthataccordingtothelawofdefinitecomposition,theentireclasssresults
shouldhavebeensimilartotheacceptedvalue,nomatterthesizeofthemagnesiumstrip.Theresultswe
receivedweresimilartotheclassaverage,butwerestillofftheacceptedvalueby9.95%duetoflaws
andhumanerror.