3 of 11

Notes for teachers

In this lab, you will extract copper from Copper (II) Sulfate using Iron. Students will balance the equation, label the equation, calculate molar mass, calculate the limiting reactant and excess reactant. From this information they should be able to calculate the amount of reactants to use, then predict how much product they should be making from the lab. Discuss all safety precautions, including dangers of these chemicals. Do a check for understanding to ensure students are aware of how to safely perform the investigation

List of Materials

Each Student group will need

Balance
Copper (II) sulfate (CuSO₄)
Hot plate
Iron Filings (Fe)
Beaker 100 mL
Beaker 250 mL
100 mL graduated cylinder
Glass stirring rod
Tongs

4 of 11

Standards

Arizona State Standards

HS+C.P1U1.7: Use mathematics and computational thinking to determine stoichiometric relationships between reactants and products in chemical reactions.

Next Generation Science Standards

HS-PS1-7. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.

Standards

Science and Engineering Practices

Carrying Out an Investigation

Analyzing and interpreting data

Using mathematics and computational thinking

Engaging in Argument from Evidence

Disciplinary Core Ideas

All matter in the Universe is made of very small particles.

Chemical processes, their rates, and whether or not energy is stored or released can be understood in terms of the collisions of molecules and the rearrangements of atoms into new molecules, that are matched by changes in kinetic energy.

Cross Cutting Concepts

Scale, Proportion and Quantity

Structure and Function

5 of 11

Objectives:

The student will be able to:

ascertain the ratio of moles of a reactant to moles of product.
determine the limiting reactant and excess reactant in this experiment.
calculate the percent yield of copper.

6 of 11

Agenda

Prelab (30 minutes)

Students will review the Arizona “C’s” and answer questions. Safety issues are reviewed.

Data Collection (60 minutes)

Students will make an aqueous solution of copper (II) sulfate and mix it with iron filings. Then they will decant the Iron (II) sulfate solution and separate from the copper. They will let the copper dry out overnight.

Data Analysis (30 minutes)

Students will be able to calculate their percent yield based on the amount of copper made. Students will finalize their laboratory report and submit for review.

7 of 11

Intro/Driving Question/Opening

Description

Discuss the Five C’s of the Arizona economy – copper, cotton, cattle, citrus and climate – have played pivotal roles in the early economy of Arizona. They attracted people and capital to the state and provided the basis for the early mining-agriculture-tourism economic nexus. Although the economy of Arizona has transformed into high-tech manufacturing and service industries, all five C’s are still on the list of Arizona’s export commodities. Exports of copper, cattle, cotton and citrus are customarily traced in the trade statistics.

Fe (s) + CuSO₄ (aq) → FeSO₄ (aq) + Cu (s)

8 of 11

Questions to answer in notebook/on paper:

Looking at this equation, what type of reaction is this?
Why would Iron react with Copper (II) sulfate?
Why can we separate the Copper and the Iron (II) sulfate at the end of the reaction?
How would we separate the Copper from the Iron (II) sulfate?
What evidence will you look for to verify if this is a chemical or physical change?

9 of 11

Hands-on Activity Instructions

This investigation would work best after students know percent yield, reaction types, limiting reactants specifically displacement reactions and understand stoichiometry

Students are best placed into groups of 3-4 students

Link to Student Lab

Link to Teacher Copy/Key

10 of 11

Assessment

Component of the Lab Report	Point Value	0	1	2	3	4
Introduction (Asking Questions)		Unable to complete with support given	Extra support needed	Some support needed	Minimal support needed	Students ask specific questions. Students’ questions are scientific and testable. (i.e., answerable through gathering quantitative or qualitative evidence about the natural world to determine relationship between variables.)
Investigation (Planning an Investigation)		Unable to complete with support given	Extra support needed	Some support needed	Minimal support needed	Students design and conduct investigations that will gather relevant data to answer the empirical question. Students make decisions about experimental variables, controls, and investigational methods (e.g., number of trials) that will produce accurate and reliable data.
Investigation (Carrying out an Investigation)		Unable to complete with support given	Extra support needed	Some support needed	Minimal support needed	Students carry out investigations with replicable procedures, using appropriate tools, trials, and safety procedures. The student takes full and relevant data/observations, and when possible manipulates variables to ensure the most valid investigation possible.
Analysis and Conclusion (Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information)		Unable to complete with support given	Extra support needed	Some support needed	Minimal support needed	Students read and evaluate text from multiple resources to independently obtain scientific information. Students produce scientific writing, or presentations that accurately communicate these ideas, using evidence and rationale for the implications. Students consider the validity and reliability of claims, methods, and designs, verifying the data when possible.
Total Score		Notes:

11 of 11

Differentiation

Circulating as groups work on their data collection and analysis of their results will allow the teacher to provide additional assistance to groups that may need it. This might include inspecting tables to make sure data quality will yield good results and that students have any necessary support while working through calculations in the chosen application.

For issues that perplex multiple groups, a whole-class discussion can help, especially if suggestions for solutions come from the other groups in the classroom instead of the teacher.

Remediation

Extension/Enrichment

Have students read the article HERE.

Have students discuss pros and cons of each.

Silent Sustained Writing:

If they were chemical engineers in charge of mining for copper, how would these calculations apply to their process?

1 of 11

2 of 11