University of Santo Tomas

Faculty of Engineering
AY- 2018-2019

Reporter: BAUTISTA, Leanna D. Instructor: Ms. Divine Sumalinog

Year & Section: 1-3 Date Performed: October 27, 2018
Group No.: 4 Date Submitted: November 10, 2018

EXPERIMENT 4
WATER: ITS PROPERTIES AND PURIFICATION

I. INTRODUCTION

Water is an essential compound necessary to sustain life on Earth. With this, it is a major
component in all living organisms and it is anomalous in physical and chemical properties. Its
chemical composition consists of two hydrogen atoms and an oxygen atom; the way that these
atoms have bonded makes water a universal solvent. Water is the only natural substance that exists
in three states of matter (Ghose, 2015).

In addition, water is a very polar molecule that can make strong electrostatic interactions
with itself, other molecules, and ions. Water’s polarity allows it to dissolve other polar molecules
and repel nonpolar molecules. This dissolving power of water is vital for life on Earth for wherever
water goes, it carries dissolved chemicals, minerals, and nutrients that are used to support living
things. Also due to its high polarity, water has a high surface tension that enables it to produce a
“skin” on water, strong enough to hold very light objects (Sharp, 2001).

In addition, certain compounds also react with water in a reaction called hydrate formation.
Hydrates contain water molecules bound to another compound or element and they are formed
when natural gas and water combine at low temperature and high pressure (Sharp, 2001).

One form of water impurity is water hardness. According to World Health Organization
(2011), water hardness refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium salts in water. Minerals
enter the water through the weathering of rocks. There are also two types of water hardness:
temporary and permanent. Temporary hardness is caused by the presence of a bicarbonate ion and
it can be removed through boiling techniques. On the other hand, permanent hardness is caused by
the presence of chlorides, nitrates, sulfates, magnesium or calcium. Ions causing the permanent
hardness of water can be removed by using water softener or an ion exchange column.

As water is the universal solvent and dissolves almost all materials upon contact, water can
be easily polluted. Another example of unsafe or impure water is Total Suspended Solids (TSS)
such as dust, sand, clay and rust. Rather than dissolving, TSS remain suspended in water causing
it to appear muddy or cloudy. If consumed, suspended impurities in water can result in a range of
medical ailments and illnesses. This proves the necessity to filter or process the impurities present
in water to consider it safe for consumption. Water purification removes contaminants that may
remain in drinking water, improving water quality and taste. Access to safe and clean water is vital
for one’s health (“Common Impurities in Water”, 2018).

The main objectives of the experiment included determination of some chemical properties
of water and the identification of common water impurities.
II. METHODOLOGY

A. Chemical Properties of Water – Hydrate Formation

The color of the cupric sulfate pentahydrate (CuSO4 ∙ 5H2O) crystals was examined and noted. A
few crystals were then placed into a test tube and the test tube was heated in a water bath, until
water had been driven off the hydrate. Once the crystals showed a notable color change, the test
tube was removed from the water bath and the color of the residue was recorded. After cooling the
residue, 1 or 2 mL of water was added. The resulting color was noted.
A few crystals of cobalt chloride hexahydrate (CoCl2 ∙ 6H2O) was heated using the same process
above. The color was noted before and after heating. The residue was cooled, then dissolved in a
small amount of water. This solution was used as ink to write on filter paper and the filter paper
was dried by waving it over a hot plate. The color of the ink after drying was noted.

B. Impurities in Water

Soil and its Removal

The suspension was prepared by adding 30 mL of tap water and a pinch of dirt to an Erlenmeyer
flask, then warming it using a hot plate. With a funnel and filter paper, the suspension was filtered
into a beaker. The filtrate was turbid or cloudy. A solution of 15 mL aluminum sulfate (Al2(SO4)3)
and 15 mL ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH) was added to the turbid water. A gelatinous precipitate
was formed. If no gelatinous precipitate was visible, more Al2(SO4)3 solution and NH4OH was
added. The mixture was left to stand for a few moments, then the precipitate was filtered out. The
resulting filtrate was impure water.
Test for Ammonia
1 to 2 drops of Nessler’s reagent (HgI4K2) was added to 5 mL of impure water. The change in
color was noted.
Test for Organic Matter
Potassium permanganate (KMnO4) solution was added drop by drop to 5 mL of impure water,
until the water was distinctly violet. This solution was divided equally between two test tubes. 1
mL of concentrated sulfuric acid (H2SO4) was added to one of the test tubes. Both test tubes were
heated in a water bath. The color changes in each solution were recorded.
Test for Chlorides
1mL of concentrated nitric acid (HNO3) was added to 5mL of impure water. 2-3 drops of silver
nitrate (AgNO3) solution were added. Observations regarding precipitate formation were recorded.
Test for Calcium
1 mL of acetic acid (C2H4O2) and 2 to 3 mL of ammonium oxalate (C2H8N2O4) solution were
added to the 5 mL of impure water. The solution’s appearance was compared with a tube of clear
water after 5-10 minutes.
Test for Sulfates
1 mL of concentrated HNO3 was added to 5 mL of impure water. 5 mL of barium chloride (BaCl2)
solution was slowly added. Observations regarding precipitate formation were recorded.
III. RESULTS (DATA SHEET)

A. Chemical Properties of Water – Hydrate Formation

1. CuSO4 ∙ 5H2O
Color before heating Sky blue
Color after heating Whitish – blue
Resulting color after adding water to the residue Sky blue (returned to brighter color)

2. CoCl2 ∙ 6H2O
Color before heating Red – violet; mauve
Color after heating Sapphire blue; indigo
Resulting color after adding water to the residue Rose pink
Resulting color after drying the filter paper Bright blue (opaque)

B. Impurities in Water

Chemical Test Positive Visible Result Sample

Positive Negative
1. Soil Gelatinous precipitate 
is formed
2. Ammonia Color is produced  Brown at the top and bottom
3. Organic Matter Color is produced  Without H2SO4 – yellow-brown
 With H2SO4 – clear
4. Chlorides Precipitate is formed 
5. Calcium Precipitate is formed 
6. Sulfates Precipitate is formed 

IV. DISCUSSION OF RESULTS

By composition, both CuSO4 ∙ 5H2O and CoCl2 ∙ 6H2O are hydrates. As each hydrate was heated,
bonds between the water molecules and their respect compounds were broken, causing a color
change. The residue left after heating a hydrate is an anhydrous compound, meaning it contains no
water. Adding water to the residue rehydrated it, which is why the solutions returned to the initial
color of the crystals (Nuffield, 2016). The hydrates underwent the following reversible reactions:
 CuSO4 ∙ 5H2O(s) ⇋ CuSO4(s) + 5H2O
 CoCl2 ∙ 6H2O(s) ⇋ CoCl2(s) + 6H2O

In removal of the soil, an aluminum hydroxide (Al(OH)3) precipitate was formed when Al2(SO4)3
solution was made alkaline using NH4OH in the reaction below (PubChem, 2017):
 6NH4OH(aq) + Al2(SO4)3(aq) → 2Al(OH)3(s) + 3(NH4)2SO4(aq)
Once the precipitate was filtered out, the filtrate was used as the impure water sample for the other
tests.
In the test for ammonia, when HgI4K2 detects ammonia, the color of the solution will change to
yellow (Leonard, 2000). The opaque yellow-brown color change that occurred indicated that the
given sample of water had a high concentration of ammonia.

As stated by Clark (2016), the color change of KMnO4 depends on if the acidity or alkalinity of
the reaction. In combining the KMnO4 solution with sulfuric acid, it became colorless.
 4KMnO4 + 6H2SO4 → 4MnSO4 + 2K2SO4 + 5O2 + 6H2O
The other test tube only contained KMnO4 and the impure water. It still underwent a color change,
indicating that the solution was made alkaline by the presence of organic matter.

AgNO3 and chlorides yield a silver chloride (AgCl) precipitate. This precipitate is insoluble in the
presence of HNO3 (Riss, 2003). The formation of such precipitate confirmed the presence of
chlorides in the sample of impure water.
 XCl(aq) + AgNO3(aq) → AgCl(s) + XNO3(aq)

Per Cezar (2009), solutions of calcium salts will create a calcium oxalate (CaC2O4) precipitate,
that is insoluble in C2H4O2, when combined with C2H8N2O4. As a precipitate was not formed, one
source of error may have been the contamination of chemicals. The reaction below should have
taken place:
 C2H8N2O4(aq) + CaX(aq) → NH4X(aq) + CaC2O4(s)

The experiment also showed that the sample contained sulfates through production of a barium
sulfate (BaSO4) precipitate. This precipitate is insoluble in HNO3.
 BaCl2(aq) + XSO4(aq) → BaSO4(s) + XCl(aq)

Chemically pure water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen, containing nothing else. According
to Smith (2017), pure water has been stripped of all other impurities. The most recognized form
of pure water is distilled water. Distillation is a process by which water is boiled and the steam is
condensed into a sanitary container, while other contaminants are left behind. Deionization is
another way to create pure water, in which ion exchange resins remove mineral ions, effectively
purifying water. Chemically pure water is unfit for human consumption, as nutrients and minerals
that are vital to the body have already been removed (Kubala, 2018).

Pure water for drinking describes water that contains small quantities of harmless or consumable
substances. It is still referred to as “pure”, as it has been filtered or processed to remove
inconsumable or unsafe contaminants like bacteria, algae, fungi, parasites, metals, and other
chemical pollutants. This water is intended for drinking and is safe for human consumption (Smith,
2017).

Inorganic impurities are typically of mineral origin and contain no carbon atoms. These
compounds are non-biodegradable and persist in the environment. Common examples include:
mineral salts, chlorides, sulfates and nitrates. Presence of these compounds in water supplies may
be natural, or a result of human activities such as mining, industry or agriculture (Carag, 2012).

As stated in Bulbul and Rasel’s article (2013), organic impurities have biological origins and
always contain carbon. These impurities result from decomposition of plants and animals,
manufacturing wastes, sewage, and other organic matter. Organic compounds in drinking water
may be caused by anthropogenic contaminants such as farming, industrial or domestic waste.

V. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This experiment successfully determined and examined water’s chemical property of

hydration formation. Both hydrates, CuSO4 ∙ 5H2O and CoCl2 ∙ 6H2O, underwent a change in color
after being heated. The compounds were dehydrated, through the release of water as a gas, making
them anhydrous compounds. These anhydrous compounds could return to their original color by
rehydrating them through the addition of water.

This experiment also tested the different impurities in an impure water sample. The following
impurities of water were examined through chemical indication tests: ammonia, organic matter,
chlorides, calcium, and sulfates. From the sample suspension, the tests were positive for all except
calcium. As there was no indication of calcium salts, there may have been an experimental error.
The most probable error was the use of contaminated chemicals.

Should an individual decide to repeat this experiment to confirm the results, it is recommended
that the chemicals are sealed when not in use and that mixing of tools (droppers) that contact the
chemical containers is avoided. As this experiment was conducted in three hours, there was limited
time for testing for impurities. For future experiments, we recommend examining other
characteristics of water and testing for more impurities than the ones tested in this experiment.

REFERENCES

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https://nptel.ac.in/105105048/M10L12.pdf

4. Cezar, T. M. (2009). Synthesis of calcium oxalate. Retrieved from:

http://infohost.nmt.edu/~jaltig/CalciumOxalate.pdf

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https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Aluminium_sulfate

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