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Eggshell Experiment - Title

This document describes a procedure to determine the percentage of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in eggshells through volumetric titration. Eggshells are dried and ground, then reacted with hydrochloric acid (HCl). Excess HCl is back-titrated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. The difference between initial and leftover HCl moles indicates the CaCO3 moles, allowing calculation of percentage CaCO3 in the sample. Drying the shells in an oven removes moisture before weighing. Eggshells are a good calcium source but raw shells should not be eaten due to risk of salmonella contamination.

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collin samuel
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109 views3 pages

Eggshell Experiment - Title

This document describes a procedure to determine the percentage of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) in eggshells through volumetric titration. Eggshells are dried and ground, then reacted with hydrochloric acid (HCl). Excess HCl is back-titrated with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution. The difference between initial and leftover HCl moles indicates the CaCO3 moles, allowing calculation of percentage CaCO3 in the sample. Drying the shells in an oven removes moisture before weighing. Eggshells are a good calcium source but raw shells should not be eaten due to risk of salmonella contamination.

Uploaded by

collin samuel
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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7/28/2014 Eggshell Experiment - Title

CHEM 1102

Determination of Calcium Carbonate in Eggshells

Purpose

To measure the percent by mass of CaCO3 in an eggshell.

Introduction

The major component of eggshells is calcium carbonate (CaCO3).


This analysis will be done volumetrically by using a characteristic reaction of carbonate
compounds, namely their reaction with acids. Calcium carbonate (limestone) is very insoluble in
pure water but will readily dissolve in acid according to the reaction

2HCl (aq) + CaCO3(s) ----> Ca2+ (aq) + CO2(g) + H2O + 2Cl- (aq)

This reaction cannot be used directly to titrate the CaCO3 because it is very slow when the
reaction is close to the endpoint. Instead the determination is achieved by adding an excess of
acid to dissolve all of the CaCO3 and then titrating the remaining H3O+ with NaOH solution to
determine the amount of acid which has not reacted with the calcium carbonate. The difference
between amount of the acid (HCl) initially added and the amount left over after the reaction is equal
to the amount used by the CaCO3. The reaction used to determine the leftover acid is

HCl (aq) + NaOH (aq) ----> H2O + Na+(aq) + Cl- (aq)

Stockroom: Things to borrow and return on the same day.

Buret and brush (~$75)

Procedure

1. Each group of two students should obtain one egg and the necessary glassware from the
stockroom.
2. Break the egg into a beaker. Add water to the egg and stir before pouring down the drain.
3. Wash the shell with deionized water and peel off all of the membranes from the inside of the
shell. Dry it with a paper towel and put into a labeled beaker.
4. Dry the shell for about 10 minutes in the oven.
5. Grind the shell to a fine powder in a mortar.

The rest of this experiment is done individually.

1. Accurately weigh between 0.450 and 0.550 g of dried shell into each of 3 labeled 125 ml

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7/28/2014 Eggshell Experiment - Title

conical flasks. Be certain you record the mass of shell for each flask in your notebook.
2. Add several drops of ethanol to each flask. This acts as a wetting agent and helps the HCl
dissolve the CaC03.
3. Slowly pipet 10.00 ml of 1.0 M HCl solution into each flask. Swirl the flask to wet all of the
solid. Any excess HCl should be disposed of in the sink by diluting with water.
4. Heat the solutions in the flasks until they begin to boil and allow to cool. Rinse the walls of the
flask with water from your wash bottle.
5. Add 3-4 drops of phenolphthalein (a.k.a PhPL) to each flask.
6. Using a funnel, partly fill a clean buret with 0.100 M NaOH solution to rinse it. Empty the buret
into the sink. Fill the buret with the NaOH solution. Run some solution out to remove all
bubbles from the tip. Replenish the solution in the buret if necessary. Read and record the
initial volume to +/- 0.01 ml.
7. Titrate one sample to the first persistent pink color. When you are close to the endpoint the
color will fade slowly. Add the remaining NaOH dropwise until the color remains for at least
30 sec. Read and record the final volume to + 0.01 ml.
8. Repeat the titration for the other two samples.
9. Calculate the percent calcium carbonate in each sample and the mean value. Calculate the
average deviation from the mean.
10. Wash the egg residue out of the conical flask with hot soapy water and a test tube brush.

Calculations

1. Calculate the number of moles of HCl added to each shell sample. This is given by the
expression:

moles HCl = (0.01000 l HCl)*(1.00 moles HCl/liter) = 1.00x10-2 moles HCl


.
2. Calculate the moles of HCl left in each sample after the reaction with CaC03.
moles HCl left = (vol. of NaOH in liters)*(concentration of NaOH in moles/liter)*(1 mole HCl/1
mole NaOH)
.
3. For each sample determine the number of moles of HCl that has reacted with CaCO3 by taking
the difference between the moles of HCl added and the moles of HCl remaining after the reaction
is complete.
.
4. The moles of CaCO3 in each sample is calculated by:
moles CaCO3 = (moles HCl)*(1 mole CaCO3 / 2 moles HCl)
.
5. Calculate the percent CaCO3 in each sample by using
% CaCO3 = [(moles CaCO3) *(100.09 g CaCO3/mole CaCO3)*(100)] / grams of sample
.
6. Calculate the mean value and the average deviation from the mean.

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7/28/2014 Eggshell Experiment - Title

Sample Calculation

Problem:

In an experiment, 0.500 g of eggshell is dissolved in 10.00 mL of 1.00 M HCl. The volume of 0.100
M NaOH required to neutralize the leftover HCl is 29.70 mL. What is the percent CaCO3 in the
eggshell?

Solution:

Initial moles HCl = VHCl MHCl


.
= 0.0100 L x 1.00 mole/L = 1.00x10-2 mol
.
moles HCl left = VNaOH MNaOH
.
= 0.02970 L x 0.100 mole/L = 2.97x10-3 mol
.
moles CaCO3 = moles HCl reacted x (1 mol CaCO3 / 2 mol HCl )
.
moles HCl reacted = 0.0100 - 0.00297 = 0.0070 moles
.
moles CaCO3 = 0.0070 mols HCl x (1 mol CaCO3 / 2 mol HCl ) = 0.0035 mols

% CaCO3 = ( 0.0035 mols x 100.1 g/mol ) / 0.500 g = 70.0% (report your answer to three
significant figures.)

Conclusion:
Using complete sentences, in paragraph form, restate the average percent calcium carbonate in
the eggshell and the average deviation. What sources of error occurred in this lab? Why did you
put the eggshells in the oven? Are eggshells a good source of calcium? Why would you want to
avoid eating raw eggshells?

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