Mass of Product found = 0.0995g of Mg Oxide (Mass of crucible, lid and product 23.1894g - Mass of crucible and lid 23.0899g)
Mass of O used in reaction =0.0359g (Mass of Mg used 0.0636g - Mass of Product found 0.0995g)
Ratio of Mg to O by mass…
Mg mass used 0.0636 Ratio Mean Mass of O used 0.0359
Atomic Mass 24 Atomic Mass 16
=0.00265 =0.00224375
Divide the smallest by the largest (0.00265/0.00224375) gives the ratio number of mole.
Mg: 1.18105 O: 0.08466
Conclusion
Oxygen is a very good oxidizing agent. In the process, oxygen is reduced to O2- ions. Burning magnesium ribbon produces MgO in the presence of oxygen:
2Mg(s) + O2(g) 2MgO(s)
Thus, my results should have shown Mg1: O1.
These results have not shown a yield exact (simple) ratio. So these calculations show my results not to be entirely accurate. There may be several causes for this. The most obvious cause may have been due to experimenters error. The crucible lid may have been lifted to often allowing too much oxygen to react with the magnesium. The atoms are rearranged - diatomic oxygen molecules are split apart so that one oxygen atom combines with one magnesium atom.
References
http://www.chem.lsu.edu/htdocs/people/jchogan/CHEM_1201/Notes/Chapter_3.html
27/10/2004 (picture)
