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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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