Christina Svensson

Samie Luc, Anurita Ghosh

16.04.09
24.04.09
Mr Porter
SCH3UE- 03

Determining the Chemical Formula of a Hydrate

Introduction:
Many ionic compounds exist as hydrates. Hydrates can often be converted to anhydrous
ionic compounds by heating them. Hydrates are well suited to determining percentage
composition experimentally. Many show colour changing indicating when all the water
has been lost. The hydrated cobalt (II) chloride begins as a deep purple crystal which
turns a light pink upon the completion of the reaction. (Determining the Chemical
Formula of a Hydrate, Porter, 3rd February 2009)

Purpose:
To determine the mass percent of water in a hydrate of cobalt (II) chloride in order to
determine the number of water molecules associated with cobalt (II) chloride hydrate,
CoCl2 x nH2O.

Materials:
- Evaporating dish
- Electronic Balance
- 3-4 grams of cobalt (II) chloride hydrate
- Tongs
- Glass rod
- Hot pad
- Scoopula
- Hot plate

Procedure:
1. A clean, dry evaporating dish and glass rod was obtained. Than the mass of the
dish and glass was measured. Recorded information.
2. Added 3-4 grams of cobalt (II) chloride hydrate to the dish using the scoopula.
Than the mass of the hydrate and the dish was measured. Recorded information.
3. Qualitative observations were made.
4. The dish was heated until the crystals lost its purple colour. We had to stir the
hydrate, using the glass rod, to make sure all the hydrate lost its colour.

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 5. The heat was turned off, the dish was taken of the hot plate and put on the hot pad
to cool down after all the hydrate had lost its colour.
6. After waiting 10 minutes for the dish was cooled down, and the mass of it was
measured.
7. The heat was turned back on and the dish reheated for a second measurement. Not
all the purple crystals were gone, so the process was repeated once more.
8. When taken of the hot plate for the last time, the mass was measured and it was
within ±0.05 grams of the first reading; therefore the mass was considered to be
constant.
9. The anhydrous salt was disposed in metal waste.
10. The work station was cleaned, and equipment washed, dried and put back.

Observations:
Substance Qualitative Observations
Cobalt (II) Chloride hydrate - granules
(before heating) - solid
- opaque/deep red
- lustrous
Cobalt (II) Chloride hydrate - black/ white/ deep purple
(during heating) - liquid

Anhydrous salt - matt

(result after heating) - solid
- powdery
- light blue/ turquoise

Analysis:
1) The percentage of water by mass in the original hydrate
Mass of cobalt (II) chloride hydrate:
Mass of dish and hydrate – mass of dish = mass of cobalt (II) chloride hydrate
71.26 g ±0.01 g – 67.85 g ±0.01 g = 3.41 g ±0.02 g

Mass of water in the original hydrate:

Mass of dish with hydrate – mass of dish with anhydrous salt = mass of water in the
original hydrate
71.26 g ±0.01 g – 70.11 g ±0.01 g = 1.15 g ±0.02 g

Percent of water by mass in the original hydrate:

(Mass of water in original hydrate / mass of cobalt (II) chloride hydrate) x 100=
percentage of water in by mass in original hydrate
1.15 g±0.02 g / 3.41 g ±0.02 g x 100= 33.72 % ±2.33 %

2) The number of moles of water lost

Molar mass of H2O:

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Mass of water in original hydrate (m) / mass of one water molecule (M) = number of
moles (n)
1.15 g / 18.0 g/mol = 0.06 mol

3) Number of moles of anhydrous compound

Molar mass of CoCl:
Molar mass of cobalt + molar mass of Chlorine = Molar mass of CoCl
58.9 g/mol + 71.0 g/mol = 129.9 g/mol

Mass of anhydrous salt:

Mass of dish and anhydrous salt – mass of dish = mass of anhydrous salt
70.11 g ±0.01 g - 67.85 g ±0.01 g = 2.26 g ± 0.02 g

Number of moles of anhydrous compound:

Molar mass of anhydrous compound (m) – molar mass of CoCl (M) = number of moles
in anhydrous compound (n)
2.26 g/mol / 129.9 g/mol = 0.02

4) The molecular formula of the hydrate

Number of moles of H2O = 0.06
Number of moles of CoCl = 0.02
Number of moles of H2O / Number of moles of CoCl = 3
∑ for every CoCl there is 3 moles of H2O: CoCl 3H2O

Discussion:
In this experiment we determined the mass percent of water in a hydrate of cobalt (II)
chloride in order to determine the number of water molecules associated with cobalt (II)
chloride hydrate, CoCl2 x nH2O.
A loss of hydrate would affect the calculated percent by mass of water in the compound.
It is calculated by subtracting the anhydrous salt from the initial amount of hydrate. A
loss of substance- e.g. through spatter – would result in a lesser amount of anhydrous salt
remaining. Thus, when subtracting, the assumption will be made that more water has
evaporated than in actual reality. This, in turn, would affect the molecular formula: the
mass of water would be increased while that of the anhydrous salt decreased. As a result
– in terms of ratio – more water would be needed for one mole of CoCl, than if there had
not been any splatter. Lower the temperature of the cobalt (II) chloride hydrate when
heating it would prevent the splatter as the solution would not reach such a high
temperature that makes it bubble heavily.

Sources of error:
The weighing is the most important part of this experiment, and if it fails – due to
e.g. wrongfully tempered dish, increasing the mass – all the calculations will be
imprecise; in worst case totally incorrect. Because of the importance of the determination
of mass, several sources of error exist:

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 A major source of error would be the temperature of the dish while measuring the
dish and its content. If the dish was still warm from the hot plate, the mass will
automatically increase. This will lead to mistakes and imprecision in the calculations, and
we would not obtain the correct results. To improve this, we would have to wait for the
dish to cool down, and be aware of the temperature when weighing it- if too hot, we
would have to wait until it cools down and measure it over again.
Another source of error would be the rod: if any of the material was left on the
rod, and the hydrate left on the rod was not heated, the amount of anhydrous salt left in
the dish – when done heating – will be wrongful. To improve this, the rod would have to
be measured and taken into account when weighing the dish containing the hydrate and
the anhydrous salt.
A third source of error would be the chunks of anhydrous salt: if the chunks were
big enough, it would affect the mass of the anhydrous salt, and affect the calculations.
Also; if the chunks are too big, all the hydrate might not react – and we will be left with
hydrate, and not only anhydrous salt – also affecting the calculations, making them
incorrect and imprecise. The percent by mass of water would be less than the 33.72 %
±2.33 % calculated. If the anhydrous salt was not completely converted, the mass of
water would have been lessened tend that of CoCl increased. Those differences in mass
would result in a ratio inferior to the one calculated (1:3). To improve this we would use
the rod to crunch up the chunks, to leave nothing but minor bits and powder. This way;
all the hydrate will be heated, and the chunks will not affect the mass or the amount of
hydrate left in the dish.

Conclusion:
In this experiment we were able to determine the chemical formula of a hydrate; CoCl
3H2O by using the mass of the anhydrous salt left after reacting cobalt (II) chloride
hydrate. Sources of error were considered, and improvements were suggested to avoid
such errors in the future. Even with some sources of error, we succeeded in completing
the purpose of the lab: determining the chemical formula of a hydrate.

References:
Porter, Michael. 03.02.09. Determining the Chemical Formula of a Hydrate.