Copper – Silver Nitrate Reaction
Your company has acquired a quantity of silver nitrate at discount. You will react an aqueous solution
of silver nitrate with a coiled copper wire to produce elemental silver. By weighing the copper wire before
and after the experiment you will be able to determine the amount of copper reacted. We will assume that
all of the silver nitrate added reacts. Using these and other measurements you will be able to determine a
quantitative relationship between moles of products and reactants. You will also calculate the cost per gram
of silver produced (from materials only) and compare it to the current market price of silver to determine
whether your company can profit from this reaction.
The reactants in this experiment are copper and silver nitrate. The products are silver and copper
nitrate. In keeping with chemical practice, we will refer to the chemical substances by using appropriate
symbols. Copper is an element; it contains only one kind of atom. The symbol for copper in the balanced
equation is Cu(s) since it is a solid at room temperature. Silver nitrate is a compound and has the formula
AgNO3. It will be written as AgNO3(aq) in the balanced equation since it is in the aqueous state, having been
dissolved in water. The group of atoms NO3, consisting of one nitrogen and 3 oxygen atoms, is found in
chemical compounds known as nitrates. The products of this reaction are elemental silver and the compound
copper nitrate, Cu(NO3)2. All nitrate compounds are soluble in water.
Your lab report for this experiment should incorporate the use of a computer to prepare tables and
conclusion.
Copper/ Silver Nitrate Lab
Pre-lab: As always, your report should begin with a title, purpose, and flowchart procedure. Original
data and observations must be recorded in ink, during lab, on the left-hand page opposite the title and
purpose or within the flowchart procedure. Include the 5 figures with your procedure.
Lab Report
1. Organize all data into a data table. Table should be prepared using computer (Word or Excel)
2. Calculations: Perform the following calculations in your lab book on the lefthand page of your report.
Be sure to number and label all calculations, show all work, and round answers using sig. fig. rules.
A. Mass of AgNO3 reacted (assume that all silver nitrate used did react)
B. Mass of Cu reacted (how much Cu was removed from the wire?)
C. Mass of Ag obtained
D. Moles of AgNO3 reacted
E. Moles of Cu reacted
F. Moles of Ag obtained
G. Mole ratio of Ag to AgNO3 (moles of Ag divided by moles of AgNO3 -- experimental)
H. Mole ratio of Ag to Cu (moles of Ag divided by moles of Cu – experimental)
I. Determine cost of materials used in your experiment, assuming that the copper wire cost
$0.0082 per gram and the silver nitrate cost $1.02 per gram. Add these amounts and divide by
grams of silver produced to determine $ per gram of Ag.
J. Using the internet, find the current price of silver. Record the website address and the $/ amount
then convert it to $/gram.
3. Organize your calculated results into a results table. Table should be prepared using computer
(Word or Excel)
4. Conclusion: Your conclusion must be typed. Proper formatting of margins, subscripts,
grammar and spelling are expected.

At the top of the conclusion page, write the balanced equation, with phases, for the
reaction which occurred. See the introduction on page one of this lab handout for some
help with phases and formulas.

State your results for the moles of each reactant and moles of Ag produced.

Identify the limiting reactant (give its formula) and explain how you know this.

Compare your experimental mole ratios to the mole ratios from the balanced equation.
If they are not exactly the same, explain what your experimental values indicate (some
Ag lost, too much Ag, etc). Do your two experimental ratios support or contradict each
other?

Explain why the liquid containing the products was blue. What substance gives the
solution its blue color? How do you know this? (do a little research!)

Discuss your cost in materials and compare it to the current price of silver metal. Can
your company profit from using this reaction to produce silver?
Figure 2A: Coiled copper wire.
Figure 2B: Coiled copper wire stretched.
Figure 3: Coiled copper wire
in silver nitrate solution.
Figure 1: Test tube containing silver
nitrate solution clamped in place.
Figure 4: Rinsing the copper wire
using a wash bottle.
Figure 5: Decanting
the liquid from a solid.
Copper – Silver Nitrate Reaction

Silver nitrate
stains skin black.
Do not touch!
30 cm Cu wire
medium sized test tube
3 g AgNO3
20 mL distilled H2O
balance
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
NB: Use only distilled
water in this
experiment! Tap water
has components that
will react with AgNO3.
Weigh AgNO3 & vial, record ______________
Pour about 18 mL distilled water into test tube
Add all of AgNO3 to test tube
Weigh empty vial and record ______________
Return vial to teacher – Do not wash!
Ringstand with utility clamp
Test tube of AgNO3 solution (t.t.)
Stirring rod
Wash bottle of distilled H2O
100 mL beaker
6. Clamp test tube to ringstand (see Fig. 1)
7. Stir solution until all crystals are dissolved
8. Rinse all solution off of rod back into t.t.
9. Coil Cu wire by wrapping it around stirring rod (see Fig 2A)
10. Stretch coil at end to make about 2 cm longer than t.t. Leave
other end coiled. (see Fig 2B)
11. Weigh wire and record ________________
12. Place wire in t.t. so wire extends above rim. (see Fig. 3)
13. Record all observations of reaction
14. Weigh and record mass of empty 100 mL beaker ___________
15. Label beaker with partners’ initials and block
16. Allow reaction to run for about 30 minutes
Try to get ALL silver
into weighed beaker.
Once you are done
washing, waste liquid
can be poured down
drain.
Test tube with reaction products
Wash bottle of d-H2O (for rinsing)
Weighed beaker
spatula
Second beaker for waste
Drying oven
17. Shake crystals from wire. Scrape with spatula if nec.
18. Rinse wire into weighed 100 mL beaker using wash bottle. (see
Fig. 4)
19. Pour contents of t.t. into beaker. Rinse t.t. into beaker.
20. Decant liquid into another beaker. (see Fig. 5)
21. Wash silver 3-4 times with d-water and decant.
22. Label beaker and place in drying oven overnight
23. Allow wire to dry on paper towel, weigh, record__________
Beaker w/ silver
balance
24. Weigh beaker containing silver product, record __________
25. Remove product from beaker
26. Clean all equipment and lab bench. Wash hands and leave
lab.