Lab 8: The Synthesis of Oxygen

October 31, 2008 The Synthesis of Oxygen Julie Anne A. Day 1, Prd 4

Purpose: To observe what happens to the glowing splint when it's placed in a test tube with oxygen.

Materials:
-glowing splint
-candle
-H2O2---Hydrogen Peroxide
-KI----potassium iodide
-test tube
-dishwashing liquid

Procedure:
1. Put the catalyst for the experiment in the hydrogen peroxide which is in the test tube.
2. Then, light the splint and wave it in the air so that you'll get a glowing splint.
3. Insert the glowing splint inside the test tube where the catalyst and the hydrogen peroxide are. Don't let the splint touch the test tube contents.
4. Observe what happens.
5. Then, put in a drop of dishwashing liquid.
6. Observe.
7. Insert another glowing splint in the test tube.

Data and Observations:

1. Hydrogen Peroxide
-Before:
it was an odourless, clear liquid.
-After:
when the catalyst was added to it, it turned yellow and there were bubbles forming, too.

2. Catalyst
-Before:
the look rocky
-After:
they sunk to the bottom and i didn't see a lot of them at the bottom of the test tube.


Dishwashing Liquid
-Before:
an orange, very viscous liquid, with a soapy odor. It was really hard to manage it because of its viscosity.
-After:
it created big bubbles in the potassium iodide. Also, it's strong colour didn't affect the colour of the compound.


Glowing Splint
-Before:
it was glowing and a little bit burnt on the sides of the glowing part.
-After:
when it was put in the oxygen-filled test tube, it relit.

***Also, when the dishwashing liquid was combined with KI, the compound formed when the catalyst and H2O2 was combined, the compound in the test tube started to overflow. However, the only thing that overflowed were the bubbles, not the liquid.

Questions:

1. What happens to a glowing splint when it is placed in pure oxygen?

The glowing splint relights when it is placed in oxygen.

2. If you have practiced the burning splints test for hydrogen in a previous investigation, compare the test for oxygen with the test for hydrogen, using a lit splint for both.

a) How are the procedures different?
The procedures are different by the splints that are used. In the oxygen test, a glowing splints is used. In the hydrogen test, on the other hand, a burning splints is used.

b) How do the observations differ?
For the hydrogen test, a pop was produced when the burning splint was placed with hydrogen. In the oxygen test, the glowing splint relit.

Conclusion:
I have observed that when the glowing splint is put in with oxygen, it relits. It's because in order to have fire, little amounts of oxygen must be present. For example, when one lights a candle, the candle holds flame because there are little concentrations of oxygen around it.

Photos:
Putting in the glowing splint in the test tube. As you can see, it relit.







**When the catalyst was put in the hydrogen peroxide.

***Glowing splint relighting.

***Picture when the dishwashing liquid was put in.