How to Make a Chemical Reaction
Chemical reactions, by definition, create new products from the initial reactants. This process can be exciting; heat, bubbling and color change are all possible signs of a chemical reaction. Chemical reactions are written in equation form. For example, if we start with reactants A and B and form product AB, we would write the reaction this way:
A + B -> AB
Many chemicals can be mixed together to make a chemical reaction. You probably already know that mixing vinegar and baking soda together results in a very bubbly reaction. The new products formed in this reaction are sodium acetate, water and carbon dioxide. This explains the bubbles: They are just bubbles of carbon dioxide gas.
In the reaction described below, we will form solid copper. Of course, to form copper means we must start with copper as a reactant. The reactants we will start with are iron and copper sulfate, and the new products formed are copper and iron sulfate. The chemical equation for this reaction is:
Fe + CuSO4 -> Cu + FeSO4
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Things You'll Need
- • a glass jar • water • a spoon (or something to stir with) • sandpaper • filter paper (a coffee filter will work) • an iron (or steel) nail • copper sulfate Some info about copper sulfate: Copper sulfate is also called copper (II) sulfate and is usually in the form copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate. All of these are the same chemical. This chemical is found in products that kill algae and tree stumps, so check with a pool store or a hardware store if you want to buy it locally. Also, you can find it available for purchase by going to amazon.com and searching for copper sulfate.
Instructions
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Making a Chemical Reaction between Iron and Copper Sulfate
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1
Prepare the nail:
If the nail is not shiny, sand the nail with sandpaper to make it shiny. This removes any oxide layer from the nail and exposes the iron. You will need the nail in step 3, so set it off to the side.
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2
Prepare the copper sulfate solution:
Dissolve the copper sulfate, which is probably a blue solid at the start. Pour water into your jar (enough water so that the nail will be submerged when you place it in the jar in the next step) and add several spoonfuls of copper sulfate. Stir your solution until the copper sulfate is dissolved. Remove the spoon.
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3
Start the chemical reaction:
Place the nail into the jar of copper sulfate solution. Within a few minutes, you will see signs of a chemical reaction as the nail starts to darken in color. Leave the nail sitting in the jar overnight, although you can look at the nail at various times to see how the reaction has progressed.
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4
Examine the products of the chemical reaction:
The next day, you should be able to see that a reaction has occurred. There should be new solid copper in the jar; some of it will be in the bottom of the jar, and some will be on the nail. You may notice that the solution is less blue than it was the day before.
If you want to collect the copper that formed, you can remove the nail (shaking off any loose solid) and pour the solution with the solid through a filter. The solid should collect in the filter. You can dispose of the liquid that passes through the filter.
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Understand what happened:
What are the reactants? The iron is in a solid form initially. The copper sulfate is a blue solid. When copper sulfate is dissolved in water, this breaks apart the structure, forming dissolved copper and sulfate ions. The copper, however, is not in the solid form as we think of it.
What is the reaction? This is an example of a single replacement reaction. The iron takes the place of the copper ions in solution, forcing the copper ions to form solid copper, which settles out on the nail and in the bottom of the jar.
What are the products? Iron sulfate (dissolved in the water) and solid copper.
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Tips & Warnings
Copper sulfate is used in experiments to form crystals, so if you buy a large amount of this chemical, you might want to also try this.
Copper sulfate is moderately toxic, so this experiment should not be done by small children. Small amounts of copper sulfate solution can be poured down the drain with a lot of water, but you would never want to pour large amounts down your drain. Flinn Scientific Inc. recommends that you not pour copper sulfate solution down a drain if it empties into a septic system and to not dispose of more than 100 grams per day. They also recommend that you check with local regulations for waste disposal. As with all chemistry experiments, you should avoid contact between the chemicals and your skin, and you should wash your hands when you are finished. Follow all general safety rules for conducting a chemistry experiment.
