Aim - to find out which equation is correct by heating CuCO3 and seeing which oxide is formed to show which equation is correct between equation one and two.
Prediction
Background theory on Carbonate CO32- - Only the alkali metal and ammonium carbonates are water-soluble. Some carbonates (e.g. zinc, copper (II)) are basic carbonates and contain a proportion of the hydroxide in their structure
Heating decomposes all but the alkali and alkaline earth metal carbonates (at Bunsen temperatures) giving the oxide and carbon dioxide:
CuCO3(s) Heat→CuO(s) + CO2 (g)
Dilute hydrochloric acid gives vigorous effervescence with carbonates, evolving carbon dioxide:
CO32- (aq or s) + 2H+(aq) → H2O (l) + CO2 (g)
Bicarbonates also give this effervescence. The reaction of carbonates with acid is exothermic; bicarbonates react endothermically. The colour of CuO is Black and Cu2O is a reddish colour
Variable controls
To make this a fair test only one person is allowed to take the CuCO3 and weigh it because different people have different opinions on the mass of the amount of CuCO3 that is weighed present. A clean test tube, Gas syringe, delivery tube, weighing boat and Spatula must be used in each experiment to maintain a fair test because this will affect the mass of product produce, and it turn affect the hold experiment. I will also make sure that all the CuCO3 has reacted and that no more gas is produced and weight until the produce has cooled down before measuring the amount of gas produce, because this will also results in an unfair test, because gas expands in high temp. It is important to keep the heat on the copper carbonate constant and the heat also affects the volume of the gas by making it expand. Surface Area - Although this will not directly affect the experiment the surface area will affect the time that the experiment takes. So I shall use a solid lump of Copper Carbonate with as closer shape as possible to the other ones I shall be using. Pressure - I will not have the ability to keep the pressure constant all the time however I can perform all of the experiments within the same hour so as to reduce the risk of the outside air pressure changing and as this is a closed reaction the pressure will be constant throughout. This is important because the pressure will affect the amount of space that the gas occupies.
