If a student used an iron scoopula, instead of a plastic one, to add the unknown metal to the HCl solution, will it affect the calculated molar mass of the unknown metal? If so, how? Justify your answer with an explanation.

Answer 1

If the iron scoopula is clean, not oxidized, and is finely polished so that no unknown adheres to it I don't think it will make any difference. However, if there is rust on the iron scoopula and some of that falls into the HCl solution the results may be affected. You don't give the procedure so I don't know if the results will be high or low (or no change).