Carol King 1

Carol King
December 5th, 2013
Chemistry 1411-131
Lab Partners: Sam Lions, Henry Jones, Laura Taber
Designing a Liquid Fertilizer
Abstract:
The object of the lab was to create ten grams of an aqueous fertilizer #6 with the
final concentrations of 5.0% nitrogen (N), 3.0% phosphorus (P), 3.0% potassium (K) and
1.0% magnesium (Mg). The pH of the fertilizer had to be between 6.0 and 7.0. The
sources of N, P, K, and Mg were ammonium chloride (NH 4Cl), sodium phosphate
(Na3PO4), potassium chloride (KCl), and magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) respectively. All
four compounds were required to be soluble when combined in distilled water (H 2O).
First, the N, P, and K compounds were dissolved in 6.4mL of H 2O successively and then
the Mg compound was incorporated into the solution. The pH of the solution was basic
therefore, 1.0M hydrochloric acid (HCl) was added to the solution to increase the pH.
The resulting 10g solution was insoluble with a pH of 6 and final concentrations of 3.6M
nitrogen, 0.42M phosphate, 0.64M potassium, and 0.41M magnesium.
Introduction:
The solubility of the N, P, and K compounds with each other were first studied by
dissolving them in 7.3mL of H2O. Being that phosphorus was the only available source of
phosphate, many of the available chemicals were eliminated, such as magnesium nitrate
(Mg(NO3)2), iron nitrate, and calcium nitrate, as they would all react with phosphate. 1
KCl and NH4Cl were chosen for the K and N components because they did not alter the
concentrations of the components by providing additional N, P, or K. When the N, P, and
K compounds were combined, the solution was soluble. Adding Mg altered the
concentration of the H2O from 7.3mL to 6.4mL. The two sources of Mg were Mg(NO3)2

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and MgSO4. MgSO4 was chosen because it would not provide any addition nitrogen,
which would have altered the starting concentration of nitrogen.
To determine how many grams of each compound should be added to the solution
in order to have the required final concentrations of N, P, K, and Mg, stoichiometry
Equation (1) was used to convert the grams of N, P, K, and Mg in fertilizer #6 to moles
and lastly to grams of the solid compound source. According to Equation (2), Mg reacts
with phosphate (PO43-) to form magnesium phosphate (Mg 3(PO4)2), an insoluble
compound.

g fertilizer
g component
6

mol component
mol compound
g com p ound
g Fertilizer 6()(
)(
)(
)
molar mass component mol component 1 mol compound

(1)

10g(

1mol N H 4 Cl 53.5 g N H 4 Cl
5 gN
1 mol
(
)(
)(
) = 1.9g
100 g 14.01 g N
1 mol N
1 mol N H 4 Cl
3

Mg2+(aq)

PO43-

(aq)

N H 4 Cl
Mg3(PO4)2(s)

(2)

Based on Equation (2) a precipitate did form when Mg was added to the soluble
aqueous solution. Therefore, three methods were employed using Le Chatelier principle 3
and solubility concepts. The Le Chatelier principle predicts that the addition or removal
of substances will cause an insoluble product to become more soluble. To accomplish
this, HCl was added to the solutions. The HCl did increase the solubility of the
Mg3(PO4)2, however, due to a restriction of pH, only a limited amount of HCl was added,
which increased the solubility slightly. Concepts of solubility show that solubility can be
affected by an increase and decrease in temperature. 2 So the solutions were either heated
or chilled.
Fertilizers are used in agriculture and it is important that a fertilizer have a known
pH. A fertilizer that is highly acidic or basic could kill the crops and plants and be

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ineffective. The known concentrations of N, P, K, and Mg are important because
providing too much or too little proportion of one component could make the fertilizer
ineffective. In the lab, it is an essential skill to know more than one method of increasing
solubility, as different compounds behave in different ways.
Experimental:
Combining N, P, and K components
A solution was made with NH4Cl, Na3PO4, and KCl dissolved in H2O to
determine solubility and reactivity of the three compounds with each other in an aqueous
solution. In a graduated cylinder, 7.3mL of H 2O was measured and transferred to a
beaker. To get a total of ten grams of solution, 1.9g of NH 4Cl, 0.69g of Na3PO4, and 0.48g
of KCl were dissolved individually in the H 2O. The pH of the aqueous solution was taken
using a pH paper. The pH indicated a basic solution; therefore, using a dropper, 1.9mL of
1.0M HCl was added to the solution.
Combining Mg with N, P, and K compounds
Two solutions of equal proportions were made with NH 4Cl, Na3PO4, KCl, and
MgSO4 dissolved in H2O to determine solubility and reactivity. To maintain a total of ten
grams of solution, 1.9g of NH 4Cl, 0.69g of Na3PO4, and 0.48g of KCl were dissolved
individually in 6.4mL of H2O. Then, 0.49g of MgSO4 was added to the solution. One
solution was placed on an ice bath until the temperature cooled from 25C to 5C. The
second solution was placed over a Bunsen burner and heated from 25C to 75C. The pH
was tested for both solutions.
Results:
Testing Relative Solubility and pH of fertilizer components
Table 1 is the results of the solubility and pH of the solutions when the
compounds were dissolved in H2O. The solubility and pH were observed before and after
adding 1.9mL of HCl to the N, P, and K compounds. For the N, P, K, and Mg compounds,

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solubility and pH was observed before and after adding 1mL of HCL and after cooling
and heating the solution.
Table 1: Solubility and pH Tests on Aqueous Solutions
Compounds

N, P, K
N, P, K, Mg

Solubility

pH

Before

After

After

After

HCl

HCl

Cooling

Heating

Soluble
Insoluble

Soluble
Insoluble

N/A
Insoluble

N/A
Insoluble

Standard

8
7

After

After

After

HCl

Coolin

Heating

6/7
6

g
N/A
4/5

N/A
6

Discussion:
Interpretation of Results
As a source of phosphorus, nitrogen, and potassium Na 3PO4, NH4Cl, and KCl
were used. Each of the N, P, and K compounds were soluble in water and when combined
did not react with each other to form a precipitation. The solution with just the N, P, and
K compounds was basic and the criteria for the pH had to be slightly acidic. In order to
increase the pH, HCl was added to the solution. Magnesium was the required forth
element of the fertilizer #6 and as it is a group two element, it reacts with phosphate to
form a precipitate. When Mg was added to the solution, a reaction immediately occurred
and the aqueous solution become insoluble. Solubility is dependent on temperature,
consequently to increase the solubility, one solution was heated and another solution was
cooled. A substance becomes soluble when water molecules overcome the attractive
forces between the solid molecules causing the solid to dissociate. Increasing the
temperature, by heating, increases the kinetic energy of the water molecules and also
breaks the bonds holding the solid molecules together. Heating, however, can also
decrease solubility in some cases, so cooling the solution was also done. As seen from
Table 1, neither heating nor cooling increased the solubility. The pH of the solution with

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Mg was slightly basic, after heating, so 1mL of 1.0M HCl was added to the solution. The
pH after cooling however was very basic, so HCl was not added.
Reliability and Limitations of Data
The only source of phosphorus was Na3PO4 and according to the solubility chart,
phosphates are only soluble with group one elements and ammonium. Therefore, when
Mg was combined with the N, P, and K compounds, an insoluble compound formed and
precipitated out of the solution. However, the fertilizer had to be in the form of a liquid,
so the solution had to be made soluble. Applying the concepts of La Chateliers principle
and the affect of acid, HCl was added to lower the pH and to increase solubility. Since,
the acceptable range for the pH was between 6 and 7, a limited amount of HCl could be
added to the solution while remaining in the pH range. However, the solution required a
high concentration of HCl, which would cause the pH to become very acidic. Applying
heat and an ice bath, were solutions to increasing the solubility without affecting the pH.
However, the high temperature required would cause the water and other molecules to
evaporate or form a gas and the low temperatures would cause the solution to eventually
freeze.
Significance of Results
It is possible to create 10g of an aqueous fertilizer with the final concentrations of
5.0% nitrogen, 3.0% phosphorus, and 3.0% potassium with a pH between 6 and 7. It is
however, difficult to create an aqueous fertilizer with the same criteria and an addition of
1.0% magnesium. The final concentrations of the fertilizer #6 were 3.6M nitrogen, 0.42M
phosphate, 0.64M potassium, and 0.41M magnesium.
Conclusion:
There are many different kinds and forms of fertilizers. One of the benefits of
liquid fertilizers is how rapidly they take effect after application. 4 Fertilizers provide
nutrients to food crops and various plants, therefore their synthesis is very important for

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agriculture and gardening. In the lab, being able to apply different concepts of solubility
and pH is important in selecting specific compounds when synthesizing a product
containing multiple elements. It was not possible to create an aqueous fertilizer due to the
presence of the precipitation form the reaction between magnesium and phosphate.
However, if a different source of phosphorus were used, it would be possible.
References:
1. Tro, Nivaldo J. The Solubility of Ionic Compounds. Chemistry: A Molecular
Approach. Third ed. N.p.:n.p., n.d. 160-71. Print.
2. Tro, Nivaldo J. The Effect of a Concentration Change on Equilibrium.
Chemistry: A Molecular Approach. Third ed. N.p.:n.p.,n.d. 678-679. Print.
3. Wheeler, Lindsay. Factors Affecting Solubility. Online posting. Chem 1411
Lab(all). N.p., 7 Oct. 201. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.
<https://collab.itc.virginia.edu/access/content/group/68cf64ad-5ce7-4455-9a9bd56356bed08e/Student%20Resources/Factors%20Affecting%20Solubility.pdf>.
4. Miller, Lauren. "Home Guides." Home Guides. Homeguides.sfgate.com, n.d.
Web. 01 Dec. 2013. <http://homeguides.sfgate.com/granular-vs-liquid-fertilizersplants-41903.html>.

Honor Pledge:
On my honor I pledge that I have neither given nor received aid on this exam.