Title:

The Use of Analytical Balance in Determining the Water Content of a Given

Hydrated Salt.
Objective:
To learn how to use an analytical balance correctly.
To weigh a given hydrated salt as accurate as possible with analytical
balance.
To find the difference between the two decimal balance and the
analytical balance in the term of accuracy.
To determine the weight and the amount of the water in the salt.
Introduction:
Measuring substances are one of the crucial steps in an experiment. Most
experiments require measuring substances as starting point. Balances are important
laboratory equipment as they are used to determine the mass of materials. There are
two types of balances which are two-decimal place balances and analytical balances.
An analytical balance can give up to four decimal places or higher. Certain specific
experiment might need higher accuracy in the term of material weight as far as
material analysis is concerned. Furthermore, in some cases, small changes in a
material mass do bring a vast difference in an experiment. Analytical balances are
much more sensitive than the top loading balances we use in general chemistry, as
they weigh to the nearest 1/10000
th
of a gram.
Apparatus and Materials:
Sand, CuSO4 xH2O salt, evaporating dish, analytical balance, two decimal balance, boiling
tube, drying flask (desiccator), thermometer, electrical heater, handmade cotton bud, test
tube holder, coin, pen, filter paper.

Procedure:
1. The materials (coin, pen, filter paper) are weighed by using the two-decimal
balance and the results are recorded.
2. The materials are then weighed again by using the analytical balance and the
results are recorded.
3. The filter paper is simply signed by one of our group members and is weighed
on both of the balances again.
4. The evaporating dish is filled with about half-full of sand, and then the
electrical heater is turned on until the temperature of the sand reaches 120C-
125C.
5. The thermometer is used to measure the temperature of the heat in the sand.
6. The boiling tube is heated in the hot sand for 10 minutes and is put in the
desiccator to cool down for 5 minutes.
7. The cooled down boiling tube is weighed in the two decimal balance, then
only in the analytical balance. Both the weights are recorded.
8. About half a teaspoon of CuSO4.X H2O salt is filled into a test tube and it is
weighed.
9. The boiling tube is heated to 120-125C for 20 minutes and the cotton bud is
used to dry the vapour in the tube.
10. The boiling tube is left in the desiccator to be cooled down for 5 minutes.
11. The test tube is weighed by both of the balances and then is heated again for 5
minutes.
12. The test tube is cooled down in the desiccator 5 minutes and weighed again.
13. The procedures are repeated until the weight is constant.
Result:
Evaporating dish= 47.60 g
Evaporating dish + sand= 110.84 g
Test tube= 15.22 g
Before heating: Test tube + CuSO4.X H2O = 16.63 g
After heating: Test tube + CuSO4.X H2O = 16.03 g
The weight of CuSO4 = 0.81 g
Water loss of CuSO4.X H2O= 0.60 g


Calculation:
For question 1:
Moles of water=

=



= 0.03 mol
Moles of CuSO
4
=

=



= 5.09 x 10
-3
mol
X =




= 5.89 6

For question 2:
Mass of Na
2
SO
4
. XH
2
O = 15.00 g
Mass of H
2
O = 7.05 g
Mass of Na
2
SO
4
= 7.95 g
Mole of H
2
O =

= 0.39 mol
Mole of Na
2
SO
4
=

= 0.06 mol
Product Na
2
SO
4
H
2
O
Mass (g) 7.95 7.05
Molar mass (g/mol) 142 18
Number of Mole (mol) 0.06 0.39
Empirical Formula

= 1

= 6.5
Answer Na
2
SO
4

7 H
2
O

Discussion:
In the first step of the experiment, we heated the sand that is filled in an
evaporating dish by using an electrical heater. With this method, we can have a sand
bath with the boiling tube which contains the CuSO
4
H
2
O later. The reason of using
sand is that sand can spread the heat evenly to the bottom part of boiling tube tube
that is covered with the sand. Unlike water bath, water has a high specific heat
capacity, which requires more heat energy in order to raise the temperature.
Moreover, we need to heat up the salt to about 120-125 degree celcius. Water boils
at 100 degree celcius. So basically, if we use water bath, the water would have
evaporated before we can dehydrate the salt.By using sand bath, the boiling tube
containing half a spoon of CuSO
4
H
2
O that has the height of less than 1 cm of the
salt can be heated evenly to be dehydrated. Besides of heating the hydrated salt
evenly, there is a safety purpose for using the sand. If we use a Bunsen burner to
direct the heat to the boiling tube, the boiling tube might shatter or breaks as the
flame is unable to diffuse to every part of the boiling tube.
There were several precautionary steps taken to ensure that the experiment
goes smoothly. The thermometer is used to measure the heat of the sand should not
be left in the sand while heating. We only immerse the mercury bulb into the sand.
This is to ensure that we obtain the accurate temperature of the sand without
spoiling the thermometer. Furthermore, we place the boiling tube in the desiccator
after heating. The desiccator serves two important functions here. Firstly, it provides
a place where the heated boiling tube can cool slowly prior to weighing. Secondly, it
provides a dust-and moisture-free environment so that the boiling tube being cooled
will not gain moisture or contaminant weight before they are weighed. A chemical
(such as dry calcium sulphate) placed at the bottom of the desiccator removes the
moisture from the air within the enclosure.
Besides that, we will need to close the doors or draft shield of the analytical
balance during the weighing process. This is because we may collect dust and most
importantly, the air movement may affect the accuracy and precision of the reading.
Moreover, a handmade cotton bud is used to wipe off the vapour in the boiling tube.
The particular cotton bud is prepared by using a satay stick and cotton wool. This
cotton bud is used to dry inner part of the boiling tube. Furthermore, during the
heating period of time, the boiling tube is being held by a test tube holder. The
position of the boiling tube is tilted by 45 degrees. In addition, during the heating
period, we shake the boiling tube once every 3 minutes. This step is to ensure that
the hydrated salt is dehydrated evenly. If we did not practice this method, the outer
part of the salt may be overheated but the inner part of the salt remains blue.
We were asked to calculate the mole of water that involves in CuSO
4
H
2
O.
After calculating the result, we obtained 3 moles of water is needed to dissociate
with CuSO
4.
Before heating process, CuSO
4
H
2
O appeared to be in blue in colour
but conversely after heating, it turned out to be in white in colour. The colour
change is mainly due to the dehydration. The water in the sand evaporated during
the heating process with the sand bath. There is a colour change from blue to white
as before the heating process, water dissociates with CuSO
4
to give Cu
2+
and Cu
2+
is
blue in colour. As the water is lost due to heat, Cu
2+
dissociates back with SO
4
2-
to
become CuSO
4
and giving rise to the white colour sand. Thus, during the heating
process, the vapour will turn up at the wall of test tube, and we need use the cotton
bud to wipe off the water in order to obtain the result faster.

Conclusion:
The water content of a hydrated salt is 3 moles.
Reference:
John, C.K, Paul, M. T & John R.T., 2008. Chemistry and Chemical Reactivity. 7
th
ed.
Brooks Cole.
Kenkel, J. (1992). Analytical chemistry refresher manual. 1st ed. Boca Raton [u.a.]: Lewis
Publ., pp.22-24.
Nilsen, C. (1996). Managing the analytical laboratory. 1st ed. Buffalo Grove, IL: Interpharm
Press, pp.82-83.
Ritter, J. (2010). Water quality. 4th ed. Denver, Colo.: American Water Works Association,
p.78.
Thomas G. Greco, Experiments in General Chemistry. In: Principles and Modern Applications
Ninth Edition, Millersville. PA: Pearson, Prentice Hall.