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Oxidation-Reduction Experiment Outline

Oxidation-Reduction Experiment

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azaelpaquiul
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9 views2 pages

Oxidation-Reduction Experiment Outline

Oxidation-Reduction Experiment

Uploaded by

azaelpaquiul
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Azael Paquiul

4 Industrial Studies Advance


January 10, 2025
Chemistry
Title: Oxidation-Reduction Experiment

Date:

Skill assessed: Analysis and Interpretation (AI)

Aim: To determine whether the reaction between zinc metal and copper (II) sulphate solution is a
redox or non-redox reaction.

Materials and apparatus: 100 ml beaker, thermometer, measuring cylinder, granular zinc
metal, copper (II) sulphate solution, spatula, stirring rod, polystyrene cup

Diagram:

REACTION BETWEEN ZINC METAL AND COPPER(II) SULPHATE SOLUTION

Procedure:

1. Measure 60 ml of copper (II) sulphate solution and place it in a 100 ml Pyrex beaker.
2. Use a thermometer to measure the initial temperature of the solution.
3. Add a spatula full of granular zinc metal to the solution in the beaker.
4. Stir the mixture.
5. Record the temperature at 5 minute intervals for 30 minutes.
6. Record all observations in the table provided below.
Results:

REACTION OF ZINC METAL AND COPPER (II) SULPHATE SOLUTION


Time (Minutes) Temperature(°C) Observations over the
Twenty-five minute period.

0 25 Over the course of time a


gray-black solid began to
5 26 form
10 25
Copper (II) sulphate solution
15 24 Little by little began to to go
from dark blue to light blue
20 24
The temperature of the the
25 24
beaker got a little warmer
27 24

30 24
Azael Paquiul
4 Industrial Studies Advance
January 10, 2025
Chemistry
Discussion:
A redox reaction is a chemical process in which oxidation and reduction occur simultaneously.
Oxidation involves the loss of electrons and an increase in oxidation number, while reduction is
characterized by the gain of electrons and a decrease in oxidation number. In this experiment, the
reaction between solid zinc and aqueous copper(II) sulfate resulted in the formation of zinc
sulfate and solid copper, as shown in the balanced chemical equation:
Zn (s)+CuSO4(aq)→ZnSO4(aq)+Cu (s)
This is a redox reaction because both oxidation and reduction processes occur. Oxidation is
observed in zinc, which loses two electrons to form zinc ions (Zn2+) in zinc sulfate. This
increases the oxidation number of zinc from 0 to +2, as shown in the half-equation:
Zn (s)→Zn2++2e−
Reduction is evident in copper ions (Cu2+), which gain two electrons to form solid copper. This
decreases the oxidation number of copper from +2 to 0, as represented in the half-equation:
Cu2++2e−→Cu (s)
The reaction was exothermic, as indicated by a rise in temperature during the process. The
temperature increased from 25°C to 26°C, releasing heat energy into the surroundings. However,
it later dropped to 24°C which indicates insulation issues, not the nature of the reaction itself.
This reaction is also a displacement reaction. Zinc, being more reactive than copper in the
reactivity series, displaces copper from copper(II) sulfate, forming zinc sulfate. This
displacement caused a color change in the solution, transitioning from blue (due to CuSO4​) to
colorless (from ZnSO4) and the appearance of a reddish-brown precipitate (solid copper).

Conclusion:

The reaction between zinc metal and copper(II) sulfate solution was determined to be a redox
reaction, as it involved the simultaneous oxidation of zinc and reduction of copper ions.
Limitation:

1.​ Due to the lack of appropriate equipment, the polystyrene cup used for insulation was
inadequate, preventing accurate and consistent results.
2.​ Thermometer had air bubbles in them so the readings were slightly off.

Source of Error:
1.​ The experimenter was reading the thermometer at eye level during the recording the
initial temperature reading, thus it had to be read and recorded again.
2.​ Inconsistent stirring during the experiment may have caused uneven mixing, leading to
inaccurate results and variability in the reaction rate.

Reflection:

From this experiment, I learnt that redox reactions are characterized by simultaneous oxidation
and reduction, involving both electron transfer and changes in oxidation numbers. The reaction
between zinc and copper(II) sulfate demonstrated this, as zinc oxidized by losing electrons to
form zinc ions, while copper ions were reduced by gaining electrons to form solid copper. This
was evident through the observable color change and the formation of a precipitate. An
application of redox reactions is in the extraction of metals, such as the use of carbon in the
reduction of iron ore in a blast furnace. In this process, iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) is reduced to iron
metal by carbon monoxide, which acts as the reducing agent:

Fe2O3+3CO→2Fe+3CO2

Carbon monoxide is oxidized to carbon dioxide in the process. This application is essential in the
steel industry, where the redox reaction enables the production of iron, a critical material for
construction and manufacturing.

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