1. Ionic Compounds Lab

2. Introduction/Purpose
In this lab, you will combine a number of solutions of a cation with solutions of anions and observe which ones make a reaction. The reaction will be in the form of a change of color, or a solid substance (called a “precipitate”).
You will be able to write the formula of all the compounds that form using the rules for writing ionic compounds.

3. Paste/tape the following table into your lab notebook Prediction: Write the formula for the salts that could form from the anions and cations listed below.
BaCO3

4. Materials: well plate, pipets
Solutions (These solutions will contribute the positive ion.):
silver nitrate, barium nitrate, lead (II) nitrate,
strontium nitrate
Solutions (These solutions will donate the negative ion):
sodium carbonate, sodium chloride, sodium iodide, sodium phosphate, sodium hydroxide, sodium sulfate
Goggles will be worn at all times!

5. Procedures Clean reaction well plate thoroughly
Place 3-4 drops of each cation (positive ion) into each row of well plates in the order shown on your data table.
i.e… (each well in the first row will have 4 drops of Barium nitrate; each well in the second row will have 4 drops of Lead (II) nitrate)
***Use caution to avoid touching the pipet tip to the well plate….this may cause the pipet to become contaminated***
Add 4 drops of each anion (negative ion) in each of the 4 wells in the columns.
i.e. All wells in column 1 will have 4 drops of sodium carbonate (NaCO3) added. All wells in column 2 will have 4 drops of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) added.

6. continued
4. Place the reaction wells on a piece of white paper and make observations after 5 minutes. 5. Record change in color or phase of the solutions. You may stir the solutions with the toothpick (Be careful not to cross contaminate). Some reactions are slow, but if there is no change, write “NR” in the table (for “No Reaction”). 6. Clean up: Dump the solutions into the waste beaker in the fume hood. Rinse and clean the reaction plates with water thoroughly, dry, and put them back where you found them. Wash your hands.

7. Observations (Paste/tape into your lab notebook)

8. Analysis
Complete the balanced chemical equations for reactions that produced a product. For those that did not react write out the reactants and NR on the product side of the equation Ex X + Y  NR
Next to each product formed, write the name of the product.
Which cation(s) had the least number of reaction products? The most?
Which anion(s) had the least number of reaction products? The most?