EXPERIMENT 5

Empirical Formulas of Compounds

Name: ------------------------------------ St. Id.: ----------------------------------

Section: ---------------------------------- Date: -----------------------------------

Objectives
 To determine the empirical formula of magnesium oxide
 To gain practical experience in developing techniques using a crucible.
 To correlate empirical and molecular formulas.

Experiment
Determine empirical formula of Magnesium oxide.

Theory

During the late 1700s, chemists experimented with elements to see how they reacted to form
compounds. In particular, they were interested in the reactions of metals as they combined with
oxygen in the air. By measuring the mass of a metal before reaction and the mass of metal oxide after
reaction, chemists were able to determine the formulas of metal oxide compounds.

The simplest whole number ratio of atoms in a compound is referred to as the empirical formula.
Mendeleev placed an element in a particular group in the periodic table based on the empirical formula
of its oxide. For example, he placed magnesium, calcium, strontium and barium in Group II A/2
because they react with oxygen to give similar empirical formulas; that is, MgO, CaO, SrO and BaO.

Since transition metals can combine with nonmetals in different ratios, we cannot always predict the
empirical formula of transition metal compounds. For example, iron can combine with oxygen to form
either iron (II) oxide, FeO, or iron (III) oxide, Fe2O3.

In this experiment you will ignite magnesium ribbon in a crucible and convert the metal to an oxide
product.
Procedure

Empirical formula of Magnesium oxide:

1. Support a crucible and cover with a clay triangle, and place on a ring stand. Fire the crucible
and cover to red heat using the tip of the flame from a laboratory burner.
2. Remove the heat and allow the crucible and cover to cool for 10 minutes. Weigh the crucible
and cover
3. Cut a 25cm strip of magnesium ribbon and roll the metal into a flat coil. Place the coil of
magnesium at the bottom of the crucible. Reweigh the crucible, cover and metal.
4. With the cover off, fire the crucible and magnesium to red heat. When the metal sparks and
begins to smoke, immediately remove the burner and place the cover on the crucible using
crucible tongs.
5. After the smoke has ceased, continue to heat the crucible and cover until the metal has
completely converted to grey white residue. The progress of the reaction can be checked by
lifting the cover with crucible tongs.
6. When the metal no longer sparks, turn off the burner and allow the crucible to cool for 10
minutes. Using a dropper pipette add drops of distill water until the gray white residue no
longer fizzes.
7. Cover the crucible, and heat for 5 minutes. Turn off the burner and allow the crucible to cool
for 10 minutes. Weigh the crucible and cover containing the magnesium oxide.
8. Clean the crucible and repear the procedure
9. Calculate the empirical; formula of each trial.

2
Calculations:
Mass of crucible and cover + magnesium metal ____________ g
(before heating)
Mass of crucible and cover ____________ g
Mass of magnesium metal ____________ g
Mass of crucible and cover + magnesium oxide ____________ g
(after heating)
Mass of combined oxygen ____________ g
(after heating - before heating)

The empirical formula is determined from the moles of each reactant.

Mol of Magnesium:
Mass of oxygen = mass of product – mass of magnesium metal
Mol of oxygen:
Mole ratio of elements; Mg : O

Result:- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3
Exercise
Q.1 Why is distilled water added to the crucible after igniting the magnesium metal?

Q. 2 Refer to the periodic table and predict the empirical formula for each of the following
oxides given the formula of aluminium oxide, Al 2O3

a) B? O?

b) Ga? O?

c) In? O?

d) Ti? O?

Q.3 A 1.000 g sample of lead shot reacted with oxygen to give 1.077 g of product. Calculate the
empirical formula of lead oxide.

Q.4 A 0.500 g sample of tin foil reacted with oxygen to give 0.635g of product. Calculate the
empirical formula of tin oxide.