Identifying Substances Experiment

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Title: Identification of Unknown Substances from Physical and Chemical Properties

Prepared for: Ms. E. McDonald

Stanley Ho, Wilton Chan

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Problem

Why I am conducting this experiment?

  I was given 5 unknown samples, which are sodium chloride, sodium thiosulfate, calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium nitrate and these samples are all white and solid. However, I don’t know which substance is which sample and I was only given some information about the physical and chemical properties of these substances.  In order to identify the 5 unknown samples, knowing which sample is which substance, I have to carry out this experiment, finding out the chemical and physical properties of these samples.  

How can we identify five unknown chemical samples that seem to look the same?

  By doing this experiment, I can know the physical and chemical properties of these samples. After I get my results about the physical and chemical properties of these samples, I can compare my results with the information given by the past student and identify the 5 unknown samples, finding out which sample is which substance.

Hypothesis

Hypothesis for this identify:

  After I finish this experiment, I suppose I can identify the 5 samples, knowing which sample matches which substance through finding the chemical and physical properties of the samples. Also, I will know what a chemical and physical property is and I will know how to find them out.

Materials

Refer to, Chemistry Lab #1 – What’s the substance? I didn’t change most materials when I did this experiment, but I added 4 materials, which are:

  • 5 test tubes
  • 2 stoppers
  • 1 large piece of paper

And I deleted 1 material, which is:

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  • Spatula

Methods

Refer to, Chemistry Lab #1 – What’s the substance? 

However, I changed some of procedures during my experiment, here is the changes I made in this experiment:

  • I only used the toothpick to place a small amount of each sample on a separate piece of paper, instead of the spatula.
  • I placed the 5 small pieces of paper that were with samples on one large piece of paper.
  • I fully filled the numbered wells with water, instead of adding 10 drops of water.
  • I fully filled the numbered wells with 5% hydrochloric acid, instead of adding ...

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