Experiment nº2: Investigation about the characteristics of different elements and compounds.

Objective:

The aim of this experiment is to look for 18 characteristics of 3 different elements or compounds per pair and create a table which includes this information.

How to obtain this 18 characteristics:

Materials:

• 6 test tubes 
• Spatula
• Litmus paper
• Water
• Organic solution(ethanol)
• Magnet
• Bunsen burner
• Lighter
• Stirring rod
• Electrical circuit
• Acid(pure HCl)
• Microtitration plate 
• Test tube rack

Procedure:

First select the materials that would be needed in order to fulfil the experiment.

Follow the following instructions in order to create your own tables:

1.  Name: we look the name in the label of the bottle.
2.  Element/Compound: we must know from previous concepts.
3.  Chemical representation: for a compound we must look it in the bottle and for an element we look it in the periodic table.
4. Smell; strong/mild: we smell it, but we need to ask firstly to our teacher and we must be careful with the acids.
5. Colour: we can see it.
6. Shine: we also can see it.
7. Aggregation state: we also see it.
8. Melting point: we look it on the internet.
9. Boiling point: we look it on the internet or we can obtain it by heating it with the use of a bunser burner and a thermometer.
10. Magnetism: we can test it with a magnet.
11. Combustibility: we can know it by burning a small amount of the substance.
12. Solution in water: we can get it by pouring in a test tube water and some substance and see if it has dissolve.
13. Solution in organic solvent: we can get it by pouring in a test tube any type of organic substance and some of our substance, and see if it has dissolve.
14. Reacting in water: we can know it by pouring in a test tube water and a bit of our substance and see if its reacts.
15. Reaction in organic substance: we can know it by pouring in a test tube any type of organic substance and a bit of our substance and see if its reacts.
16. Reaction in acid: we can know it by pouring in a test tube any type of acid and a bit of our substance and see if its reacts.
17. PH of organic solution: we get it by wetting a little piece of PH paper with our substance, and see the reaction.
18. Conductivity: we can test it with a small circuit which contains a bulb in it. We use our substance as a bridge. If the substance conducts electricity the bulb will give light, if not it will stay the same. 

Practical procedure: Testing for the  characteristics:

Aluminium

Conductivity

Magnetism

Introduce into an organic solvent

Pour into an acid

Adding pure HCL into the aluminum.

Aluminum in water.

   Aluminium in a 2 M concentrated acid.

General Evaluation by Marina Bayón Rueda:

Melting and boiling point by Elisa Millán Chica:

In order to fulfil this part of the experiment you should take a series of precautions. First you should tilt the test tube a little bit. Then you should make sure it is not pointing t any of the person who are in the lab and are near you. And finally you should shake the test tube in and out the flame frequently. 

Boiling point by Carmen Lérida Borrero:

Results obtained:

In the fourth row you can observe the element which we have been working with in this experiment (Aluminium) and the result obtained after testing for all the characteristics. Also you can observe another two substances and their characteristics (Ethanol and Sodium Chloride). In order to see it clearer click once in the image.

                                               Conclusion by Claudia Falcón Morales: