Silver nitrate reacts with sodium hydroxide

PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENT

The purpose of the experiments were to observe chemical changes on various chemicals. The experiment was to distinguish between burning and heating.

PROCEDURE

A few drops of hydrochloric acid were dropped in a product labelled sodium hydrogen carbonate. Silver nitrate solution was also reacted with aqueous sodium hydroxide solution.

Magnesium metal, zinc metal, copper carbonate and copper nitrate were heated in one experiment separately and then burned.

OBSERVATIONS

When sodium hydrogen carbonate was reacted with hydrochloric acid, there was no color change. However, bubbling and fizzling occurred. The test for starch with IKI indicator resulted in a blue-black color of the solution. Reaction of potassium iodide with lead nitrate solution produced a yellow color. When phenolphthalein indicator was added to a solution of sodium hydroxide, there was a color change to bright pink. The indicator did not result in any color change when it was added to hydrochloric acid.

Reaction of silver nitrate and sodium hydroxide resulted into a light brown, black starches. Silver nitrate reacted with aqueous ammonia, and the observation was a white and cloudy solution formed. When the solution was absorbed into a paper towel and exposed to sunlight, color changed to brown and rusty. When aqueous ammonia was reacted with copper (II) sulphate, a blue solution was formed.

Reactant A

Reactant B

Observation

sodium hydrogen carbonate

hydrochloric acid

No color change

bubbling and fizzling

Starch

IKI indicator

a blue-black color

potassium iodide

lead nitrate solution

yellow color

phenolphthalein indicator

sodium hydroxide

color change to bright pink

phenolphthalein indicator

Hydrochloric acid.

No color change

silver nitrate

sodium hydroxide

light brown, black starches

Silver nitrate

aqueous ammonia

a white and cloudy solution. When the solution was absorbed into a paper towel and exposed to sunlight, color changed to brown and rusty

copper (II) sulphate

aqueous ammonia

blue solution

Magnesium metal was silver and shiny. After heating, it glowed bright red and became a white ash. Zinc metal which is rock-like and silvery melted into liquid after heating. Copper carbonate turned black upon heating while copper (II) nitrate melted and turned green, and lots of fizzing and gas were released, it finally turned black, however.

Substance

Heating

Burning

Magnesium metal

glowed bright red and became a white ash

Glowed red, then turned into a bright white flame, then turned into ash

Zinc metal

melted into liquid

Melted into a liquid, glowed red

Copper carbonate

turned black

The flame glowed blue and the powder turned black

copper (II) nitrate

Melted and turned green, and lots of fizzing and gas were released, it finally turned black, however.

The flame glowed green, and the crystals bubbled and turned black

LAB ANSWERS

Exercise 1.

1. In order to test whether a lab product contained sodium hydrogen carbonate, a few drops of hydrochloric acid would be added. If there is fizzing and bubbling of a gas, the household product is then sodium hydrogen carbonate.