An Investigation into theReaction Between Powdered Zinc Metal and Copper Sulphate Solution

Zinc Metal + Copper Sulphate Solution                 Copper Metal + Zinc Sulphate Solution

In this experiment, I predict that as I increase the mass of the zinc, the temperature will rise until I have reached a point where the amount of zinc is more than the copper sulphate solution which will then stop the temperature from rising.  This is because when the amount of zinc is the less or the same as the amount of copper sulphate solution then this means the zinc particles have a lot of the copper sulphate particles to react to in the reaction and when the particles collide with each other they give out heat energy which we can calculate with this formula:-

Heat energy   =  Mass of Water  x  Specific Heat Capacity  x  Temperature Rise

       (J)                        (g)                             (J/°Cg)                     (°C)

 When it reaches a point where the copper sulphate can only react with the maximum amount of zinc it can have then there will be no more reactivity since there will be no more copper sulphate particles for the zinc particles to collide with so the temperature should stay where it was when the copper sulphate and zinc reach their optimum temperature. Also I know that when a reaction gives out heat, it is exothermic. Therefore this reaction will be exothermic. In detail, it is exothermic because the atoms rearrange themselves to form new molecules and new bonds are made which gives out heat energy i.e. it is exothermic.