Question

In the experiment, a hydrate is heated to form an anhydrate. The masses of the before and after are measured and the percent of the water in the hydrate is calculated. If some of the hydrate spatters out of the crucible and isnt noticed, how will this affect the calculated percent of the water in the hydrate?

Answer 1

You have less mass when you weigh it, so the apparent mass of the hydrate will be less, so the apparent mass of the water will be greater.

Answer 2

This will decrease the second measurement, the mass of the anhydrate. Therefore, it will seem like more water evaporated, thus this will increase the apparent percent of water in the hydrate, leading you to believe the hydrate had more waters of hydration

Answer 3

you beat me to it

Answer 4

will the anhydrous mass be less as well?

Answer 5

I assume you are only measuring the total weight of the system each time. So on the second measurement you assume that you have completely dehydrated the anhydrate. So you can't tell if you actually lost any anhydrate (unless you know you did).

Answer 6

A similar thing happened to me !!!!! thanks for the help

Answer 7

And Btw - for me we had to find the emperical formula for CuSO4 . H2O and after doing the experiment I found out that the value that i got was CuSO4 . 6H2o when the correct answer should be CuS04 . H2o