Quantitative Determination of Sulfate by Gravimetric Analysis Essay

1. SynopsisThis report is written about determining the quantitative amount of sulfate inside atomic number 56 sulfate, BaSO, utilise the method of gravimetric analysis. This quantitative determination is done by the addition of a thin solution of barium chloride slowly to a hot secret sulfate solution slightly acidified by unvoiced hydrochloric acid, HCl. The white precipitate of barium sulphate is filtered off, washed with urine, oven-dried, and weighed as barium sulphate. The quantitative amount of sulphate is deduced from mathematical calculations. The results of the experiment, however, did not defer positively, probably due to inadvertent human error over the course of the experiment. The percentage yield of sulphate inside barium sulphate attained from our results was not up to expectations. The percentage yield of sulphate was expected to be at least 90% and higher up, with 90% as a approximate percentage yield. Instead, we attained 54% percentage yield of sulphate. 2. ObjectiveThe purpose of the experiment is to determine the quantitative amount of sulphate inside barium sulphate exploitation the method of gravimetric analysis.3. Theory3.1 SummaryThroughout the duration of the experiment, there are many influences, techniques, chemicals, and instruments used to produce the results of the experiment. There are a total of three simple manages of procedures take aimd, in the gravimetric analysis method, in order to create the results of the experiment. The first procedure is the precipitation of BaSO, barium sulphate, followed by the south procedure, the washing and filtration of BaSO precipitate. The third and final procedure is the drying and weighing of the dry sample of BaSO precipitate. From there, the results are gathered by methodical mathematical calculations. 3.2 Technique gravimetric synopsisGravimetric analysis is a series of methods in analytical chemistry for finding the quantitative amount of a certain analyte based on a sampl e of solid. To perform gravimetric analysis, one of the most common land methods is to convert the analyte into a solid via the use of precipitation with the appropriate reagent chemicals. After that, the precipitate is dispassionate via filtration, washed, dried, off all moisture content, and weighed. Then, the quantitative amount of analyte in the sample is calculated from the mass of the precipitate and its chemical composition. There are many advantages using gravimetric analysis. It allows for extremely precise analysis, such as the determination of many elements atomic masses up to six decimal places. It also does not require expensive scientific equipment to perform such analysis and, furthermore, it can even be used to calibrate scientific instruments in lieu of international graphic symbol standards.3.3 ChemicalsDuring the experiment, some chemicals were used to obtain the barium sulphate, BaSO4, from which the quantitative amount of sulphate can be found from within. Th e chemicals used were dilute 10% barium chloride solution, BaCl2, dilute 0.5% atomic number 11 sulphate solution, (Na)2SO4, and concentrated hydrochloric acid solution, HCl. In order to obtain barium sulphate, a chemical process, known as the fault reaction, was utilised. In the displacement reaction, the cations and anions switch places from their original compounds to form entirely different compounds. In this experiment, 10% barium chloride solution is added to 0.5% sodium sulphate solution (which is slightly acidified by adding concentrated hydrochloric acid), resulting in the formation of soluble barium sulphate.3.4 InstrumentsIn the experiment, various scientific instruments were used in the determination of the quantitative amount of sulphate. The following instruments were used, were the 250ml beaker, the bulb make freight and vacuum-clean-assisted pipette, the measuring piston chamber, the watch glass, the laboratory crucible, the vacuum meat, the hot atmosphere oven, the desiccator, and the digital analytical weighing balance. The 250ml beaker is a cylindrical container with a flat bottom, which is used as a simple container to stir, heat, or mix various liquids. The vacuum-assisted pipette is a hollow narrow piston chamber that has a large bulge with a maven graduation mark as it is calibrated for its specific volume, primarily between 10ml, 25ml, and 50ml. The bulb filler is the simplest form of the pipette dispenser, using pinch valves to draw air within to create a vacuum within the vacuum-assisted pipette. The two pieces of laboratory equipment are generally used in conjunction with one another.The bulb filler is carefully inserted on top on the vacuum-assisted pipette. The pinch valves can be manipulated to draw the liquid inside the pipette. The measuring cylinder is a narrow cylinder with a flat base that is used to measure amounts of liquid with the corresponding markings along the cylinder. The watch glass is a circular, slightly co nvex-concave piece of glass that is generally used to evaporate a liquid, hold solids being weighed, or as a cover for the beaker. The laboratory crucible is a cup-shaped piece of laboratory equipment make to contain chemical compounds as they are heated to extremely-high temperatures. The hot air oven is an electrical oven used to dry chemical compounds or sterilise articles. The desiccator is a sealable border that is used to preserve items sensitive to moisture in the open air, such as cobalt chloride base. The digital analytical weighing balance is type of electronic balance made to measure small amounts of mass up till several decimal figures.4. ProceduresIn order to determine the quantitative amount of sulphate, the procedure that is split up into three smaller variances. The first section is the precipitation of barium sulphate. The second section is the washing and filtration of the barium sulphate precipitate. And, the third section is the drying and weighing of the bari um sulphate precipitate.4.1 Precipitation of BaSO21. Use the bulb filler and vacuum-assisted pipette to pipette 25ml of the 0.5% sodium sulphate solution into a 250ml beaker. 2. Add 50ml of water and 5 drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid into the beaker. Note Concentrated hydrochloric acid is highly corrosive. Add the concentrated hydrochloric acid into the beaker while handling it in the fume yobo with protective gloves and goggles. 3. Heat the beaker until it is boiling. Use a glass rod to stir the solution vigorously, while adding 10ml of 10% barium chloride solution from a measuring cylinder drop-by-drop. 4. Use a watch glass to cover the beaker and adjust the heat to just below temperatures. Leave it there to digest for 20 minutes. 5. To test for plump precipitation, add a few drops of barium chloride and observe to see if there is clear supernatant liquid.4.2 Washing and Filtration of BaSO4 Precipitate1. Take two pieces of filter paper and place them at the base of the d ry and weighed laboratory crucible. Ensure that the filter paper pieces cover the base of crucible completely. Then, use the vacuum pump to rain buckets the clear supernatant liquid by filtration into the crucible. 2. Dislodge any particles in the beaker and rinse it with warm deionised water. Empty the contents into the crucible while the vacuum pump is at work. Make sure that all the solids in the beaker have been transferred to the crucible. 3. Wash the barium sulphate precipitate further with warm deionised water at the vacuum pump twice more. 4. Discard the filtrate.4.3 Drying and Weighing of BaSO4 Precipitate1. Place the crucible, containing the BaSO4 precipitate, into the hot air oven. Set the temperature to 150C and leave it for half an hour. 2. Use the desiccator to change the crucible and precipitate for 10 minutes. 3. Once the crucible has cooled down, weigh it using the digital analytical weighing balance. 4. The weight of the BaSO4 precipitate is calculated from the d ifference between this weight and the weight of the empty crucible including the filter papers. If there is still sufficient time, you may repeat the above Steps 1-4 until a constant weight of the precipitate is successfully obtained.5. Results and Calculations 1st Drying 2nd DryingMass of Crucible + Filter Paper + seek 31.9078g 32.0188g Mass of Crucible + Filter Paper 31.7975g 31.9071gMass of Sample (BaSO4) 0.1103g 0.1117gThe mathematical calculations to attain the results of this experiment are listed below 0.5% of sodium sulphate (NaSO4) = 5100 25g = 0.125g Composition by mass of SO42- = Molecular weight of sulphate ionMolecular weight of sodium sulphate 0.125 = 0.0845g (4 significant figures) Composition by mass of SO42- prepared = Molecular weight of sulphate ionMolecular weight of barium sulphate 0.1103g = 0.04544g (4 significant figures) Percentage yield of sulphate = 0.045440.0845 100%= 53. 775% 54%6. DiscussionsThe objective of this experiment was to determine the quanti tative amount of sulphate using the gravimetric analysis method. The quantitative amount of sulphate was measured in percentage yield, which we attained 54% sooner of the expected percentage yield of 90% and above. It became obvious that somewhere along the way, in conducting the experiment, a significant error had been committed. After much analysis, it was found that there had been some sources of error that accounted for the less-than-satisfactory results. One major source of error could be the contamination of the think precipitate through the use of laboratory instruments and vessels that were not cleaned the right way. When the instruments and vessels are unclean, any left-over remains of chemicals and compounds could be unintentionally released to the intended precipitate and polluted it through a process known as co-precipitation.The foreign species could have reacted with the intended precipitate and resulted in the loss of much of the sulphate ions, leaving only 54% ins tead of the intended 90% and above. To avoid any possible error of contamination, one must keep in mind to properly clean the instruments and vessels to use in the experiment. One way to minimise the co-precipitation of substances would be leaving the solution, containing the soluble precipitate of barium sulphate, in the process of forming the precipitate, to digest longer than the standard 20 minutes. another(prenominal) source of error could be the decomposition of the precipitate itself during the process of removing moisture content in the hot air oven. The ignition can result in the losses via decomposition of the potentially-volatile precipitate.7. ConclusionIn conclusion, the results were not up to expectations due to a few sources of error that caused the less-than-satisfactory results. Gravimetric analysis is a proven set of methods to use in the field of analytical chemistry. It allows for extremely precise results, if the procedures were followed very carefully, and no e rrors were committed over the course of the experiment. However, we did not attain 90% and above for the percentage yield of sulphate as we committed some errors unknowingly. Contamination was a major issue in the experiment that would have been avoided if only we hadproperly cleaned the instruments before performing the experiment. In short, the objective of the experiment was fulfilled by attaining sulphate using the gravimetric analysis method, although not all of it was attained.8. ReferencesOnline ReferencesTheory1. Wikipedia Gravimetric AnalysisAvailable from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gravimetric_analysis Accessed from 20th June 20132. Wikipedia InstrumentsAvailable from http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaker_(glassware) http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipette http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Measuring_cylinder http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watch_glass http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucible http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hot_air_oven http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desiccator http//en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Analytical_balanceAnalytical_balance Accessed from Accessed from 20th June 20133. R.L. Watters, Jr, 1997, Gravimetry as a Primary Method of Measurement Available from http//www.rminfo.nite.go.jp/common/pdfdata/4-002e.pdf Accessed from 20th June 2013