Inquiry Into Bonding Lab
Inquiry into Bonding Lab
Purpose: to figure out if each unknown powder has an ionic bond or covalent bond. To do that we are testing if each unknown has conductivity and if its melting point is high or low.
Background Info: The properties of ionic compounds can be explained by the strong attraction of ions, high melting point, if you broke a crystal you would get the same shape, if the substance conducts electricity when dissolved but not when solid.
The properties of covalent substances can be explained by the weak attraction between molecules and their neutral charge. Low melting point, relatively easy to break, irregular crystal shapes and non-conducting of electricity when solid and dissolved in solution.
Hypothesis: N/A
Materials:
• Quantitative conducting probe.
• Test tube.
• Bunsen burner.
• Distilled Water.
• 250 ml flask
• . 1600 ml beaker.
• Test tube holder.
• 10 ml graduated cylinder.
• scooper
Procedure:
Conductivity: Unknown I. We measured 3 ml, using a 10 ml graduated cylinder, of the unknown powder. We measured 50 ml of distilled water in a 250 ml flask. We kept both of these measurements constant throughout the lab for each unknown substance. We then poured the 3ml of powder into the 50ml of distilled water in the 250 ml flask; we mixed the two substances by simply shaking the flask. We then used the quantitative conducting probe to measure the substance’s conductivity. To use the probe we washed the metal bar off with distilled water until the reading on the scale was zero we then put the metal bar into our substance and we waited for the reading to stop. We then recorded this reading in our data table.
Melting Point: Using a test tube and a scooper, we scooped the unknown powder out of its beaker into the test tube we then walked over to the Bunsen burners and proceeded on figuring out the substance’s melting point. Using the test tube holder we put the test tube over the Bunsen burner flame for 3 minutes to figure out if the substance's melting point is high or low. If the substance doesn’t change its melting point is said to be high. If the substance does change to a new substance its melting point is said to be low.
Conclusion: Since we know, by using our notes that we took in class, if a substance has conductivity and if its melting point is high then the substance has an ionic bond. If the substance has no conductivity and its melting point is low the substance has a covalent bond. Our results came out to be that unknown powder 1 has an ionic bond, unknown 2 has an ionic bond, unknown 3 has an ionic bond, and unknown 4 has a covalent bond.
Data table:
Unknown Substance Conductivity Melting point Ionic/Covalently bonded
1 24986 high Ionic
2 6371 high Ionic
3 62387 high Ionic
4 none low Covalently