Reaction of Zinc and Iodine - Lab Report Example

This paper details the results of an experiment to produce zinc iodide from the reaction of zinc with iodine, making use of the laboratory setup given to investigate aspects of the reaction relating to the conservation of mass, the identification of the limiting reagent, and the observations on the physical characteristics of the solution as it underwent the reaction (Spatafora, 2010; Nuffield Foundation, 2013). 600 mL of boiling water was prepared for use as a boiling bath with the use of a boiling chip.

2 grams of granular zinc and 2 grams of solid iodine. A setup consisting of zinc metal, iodine and boiling tube was weighed and tared, and 3 drops of 6.0 M acetic acid was added to 5.0 mL of water that had been deionized. This is acidic water that was then placed into the zinc, iodine and boiling tube setup. This is the key reaction for the experiment. The team waited for 15 minutes to let the reaction come to completion, with the boiling tube swirled until the completion of the reaction. This solution is then decanted via the pouring of the solution to a 50 mL beaker with a boiling chip, weighed.

3 mL of water that has been made acidic and used to rinse the boiling tube This washings were also decanted into the beaker. The water in the solid is then evaporated making use of a hot water bath. In the same way, the solution that had been decanted into the beaker was also rid of water via the use of a hot plate heated to 300 degrees Celsius. This led to the formation of the precipitate. The mass of the solid and the boiling tube was measured as well. The observations with regard to the color changes are as follows.

In the beginning the color is dark brown. The color transitions to a reddish hue, and converts to a light brown. The color then transitions to a light yellow. The color gradually transitions to paler and paler yellow, until in the end the color