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Alchemy Lab - Golden Penny, Lab Reports of Chemistry

Alchemy lab activity, a penny is turned golden due to a chemical reaction

Typology: Lab Reports

2020/2021

Uploaded on 06/17/2021

nicenice
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Student Name_______________________________
Partner’s Name______________________________
Date_______________________________________
General Chemistry I 2045C
Alchemy Lab-SL
Objective: In this lab, you will use qualitative analysis to decipher the truth behind an
alchemist’s claim of being able to turn copper into silver, then into gold.
Materials:
Evaporating Dish Tongs Penny
Zn Metal Bunsen Burner Distilled Water
3M NaOH Wire Gauze Ring Stand
Iron Ring Salt Vinegar
Small Beakers Triple Beam Balance Weighing Boat
Background:
Many of the process and substances that we know today were discovered by the
alchemists. They discovered alcohol, hydrogen, phosphorous, and gun powder. They
also discovered the processes of distillation, evaporation, and filtration.
Alchemy was a strange mixture of science, medicine, magic, astrology, religion, and
philosophy. One of the main goals was to change a base metal such as lead into gold.
Producing gold would not only make them rich, but alchemists felt it would be a major
step towards finding the elixir of life – the liquid that would make one immortal (or at
least prolong life and give one good health). Eventually this was renamed the
philosopher’s stone.
Procedure:
Part A Experiment:
1. Weigh out 2.5 g of salt into a small clean dry beaker. Add 15 ml of vinegar to the
beaker. Using tongs, clean a copper penny by carefully immersing it in the solution of
2.5 g of salt and 15 ml of vinegar in a small beaker for a few seconds. Remove the
penny with the tongs and place it in another clean, small, beaker filled with water. Then
rinse the penny thoroughly with running water.
2. Dry the penny and weigh it to the nearest milligram (0.001 g). Note the feel of the
coin in your lab notes.
3. Place a small amount (about 0.6 – 0.7 g) of zinc in a large evaporating dish. Add your
clean penny and enough 3M NaOH (about 10-15 ml) to thoroughly cover the zinc
and your penny and gently heat with a Bunsen burner until it begins to steam. It is
important to have the penny and zinc completely covered by the NaOH
solution.
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Student Name_______________________________ Partner’s Name______________________________ Date_______________________________________ General Chemistry I 2045C Alchemy Lab-SL Objective: In this lab, you will use qualitative analysis to decipher the truth behind an alchemist’s claim of being able to turn copper into silver, then into gold. Materials: Evaporating Dish Tongs Penny Zn Metal Bunsen Burner Distilled Water 3M NaOH Wire Gauze Ring Stand Iron Ring Salt Vinegar Small Beakers Triple Beam Balance Weighing Boat Background: Many of the process and substances that we know today were discovered by the alchemists. They discovered alcohol, hydrogen, phosphorous, and gun powder. They also discovered the processes of distillation, evaporation, and filtration. Alchemy was a strange mixture of science, medicine, magic, astrology, religion, and philosophy. One of the main goals was to change a base metal such as lead into gold. Producing gold would not only make them rich, but alchemists felt it would be a major step towards finding the elixir of life – the liquid that would make one immortal (or at least prolong life and give one good health). Eventually this was renamed the philosopher’s stone. Procedure: Part A Experiment:

  1. Weigh out 2.5 g of salt into a small clean dry beaker. Add 15 ml of vinegar to the beaker. Using tongs, clean a copper penny by carefully immersing it in the solution of 2.5 g of salt and 15 ml of vinegar in a small beaker for a few seconds. Remove the penny with the tongs and place it in another clean, small, beaker filled with water. Then rinse the penny thoroughly with running water.
  2. Dry the penny and weigh it to the nearest milligram (0.001 g). Note the feel of the coin in your lab notes.
  3. Place a small amount (about 0.6 – 0.7 g) of zinc in a large evaporating dish. Add your clean penny and enough 3M NaOH (about 10-15 ml) to thoroughly cover the zinc and your penny and gently heat with a Bunsen burner until it begins to steam. It is important to have the penny and zinc completely covered by the NaOH solution.
  1. As soon as the solution starts to produce steam, (in less than a minute), large bubbles of hydrogen gas will start to escape and the coin will change to silver right before your eyes! You may need to turn your penny over with your tongs to be sure both sides have turned to silver. You may stop heating at this point. Remove the penny with tongs. Place it on your tile and when it cools; remove, wash, dry, and weigh the coin. You must take the dry coin to your instructor or lab tech so that she/he can initial your report sheet. DO NOT Put your face over the solution as it is heating.
  2. Use tongs to hold the coin in the outer cone (cool part of the flame) of a Bunsen burner. It is very important that you heat only in the outer orange portion of the flame. Otherwise you will ruin the experiment and have to start over from Step 1. Gently heat (moving the coin in the flame) for just a few seconds and “poof,” the coin will change from silver to gold. Heat the coin for 1 – 2 seconds after the change and then cool it by immersing it in water.
  3. After the coin cools, dry and weigh the coin. You must again take the dry coin to your instructor/lab tech, so that she/he can initial your report sheet.
    1. (Aside): If you wish to preserve your coin at either the silver stage or the gold stage, you can coat it with clear nail polish or by spraying it with a coat of clear acrylic varnish or lacquer. To do this, you must bring the nail polish or spray and an extra penny to lab class.
  4. Clean-up. Wash the remaining zinc solution into the large beaker of waste marked “Zn” by rinsing it with water. Nothing should go down the drain! Clean your lab area, being especially careful to clean up any NaOH that may have splattered out while you were heating. You must wash your bench area with clean wet paper towels, and all glassware must be cleaned prior to putting away. Data: Weight of Original Coin __________________ How does the coin feel after cleaning? ______________________________________________

Weight of Silver Coin ________________________ How does the silver coin feel?___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Instructor’s Initials __________________ Weight of Gold Coin ___________________________

research. Do a google search for info on these reactions. Cite your sources properly and completely. You may NOT USE WIKI sources. Instructor’s Initials _____________________________