Chemistry--Unit 5: Stoichiometry
Ag Metal Minilab
Name_______________________________
Title: The Silver Nitrate/Copper Reaction
Date:
Partner:
Objective: In this experiment you will weigh a piece of copper wire, place it into a prepared solution of silver
nitrate, and observe its behavior. By weighing the copper wire at the end of the experiment, you will be able to
quantitatively investigate the changes that occur.
Procedure – Day 1
1. Obtain a length of copper wire. Your piece of wire should weigh approximately 0.5 g (cut off some or get
a longer piece if not close to 0.5 g). Weigh the copper wire to the nearest 0.01 grams and record your
data. Form the wire into a flat coil with spaces between the coils. The coil needs to rest on the bottom
of a 250-mL beaker.
2. Label a clean, dry, 250-mL beaker with your initials and weigh it to the nearest 0.01 gram.
3. Using a 100-mL graduated cylinder, add approximately 80 mL of 0.10 M silver nitrate solution to the
labeled beaker. Record the exact amount of silver nitrate solution used. Make sure the copper coil is
submersed. Observe for several minutes and describe here the changes that take place.
4. Cover the beaker with a watch glass and place it in the hood.
Procedure – Day 2
5. Carefully bring your beaker back to your lab station. Describe here your observations.
6. Shake the crystals off the copper coil and, using forceps, lift it from solution. Use your wash bottle to
rinse into the beaker any crystals that adhere to the coil. Set the coil aside to dry. Once dry, weigh the
coil to the nearest 0.01 gram.
7. Let the crystals settle in the beaker. Carefully decant the solution (decant means to pour off the liquid,
leaving the solid behind).
8. Wash the crystals with 10 mL of distilled water and carefully decant. Repeat this step at least three
times. You may neglect the few particles that may float over the wash water since the amount is usually
insignificant.
9. After the final washing, place the beaker and silver metal in the lab oven to dry overnight.
Procedure – Day 3
10. Using the same balance you used previously, record the mass of the beaker + silver metal to the nearest
0.01 gram.
11. For clean-up, place your crystals in the collection beaker and rinse out all the glassware. Return all
materials used in the experiment to their proper location and clean your lab station.
Data Summary (be sure to include the data from the group across the table):
When?
What?
Copper wire
Day One
Clean, dry beaker
0.10 M silver nitrate solution
How much? (label!)
Other group’s data
Chemistry--Unit 5: Stoichiometry
Ag Metal Minilab
Day Two
Remaining copper wire
Day Three
Beaker + silver metal
Results (be sure to neatly show your work for all calculations):
1. Write the balanced chemical equation for the reaction between copper and silver nitrate. Then determine
by calculation which substance is the limiting reactant.
2. Explain from your observations which substance is the limiting reactant.
Discussion of Error:
1. Determine the actual yield for the mass of silver.
2. Determine the theoretical yield for the mass of silver.
3. Determine the percent yield for silver metal.
4. Discuss the accuracy of your results (1-estimate accuracy, 2-tell what the estimate is based on, 3-give
reasons for this accuracy).
Suggestions for Improvement (make a specific, reasonable suggestion):