Flame From A Bunsen Burner example essay topic

Classes of Chemical Reactions Whenever a reaction takes place, energy is changed as well when the substances react chemically. Scientists have taken these changes in energy and generalized them. Scientists can take these generalizations and discover more about the nature and tendencies of matter. In this lab, the purpose was to perform seven reactions, write down their equations, and identify the type of reaction. In this lab report, several methods of displaying this information will be applied. Synthesis 1.

A piece of Magnesium was obtained at about two centimeters in length. The strip was thin and easily bent or twisted. It had a metallic surface and was brittle. It was silver in color.

A flame from a Bunsen burner was held to the Mg, and it ignited, giving off a brilliant white light. Looking directly into the light resulted in temporary blindness, which would explain the warning on the procedures that strongly suggested not looking directly into the light. After the flame had extinguished itself due to lack of fuel, the Mg had turned from a metallic strip to an off-white powder, which crumbled at the slightest irritation. The magnesium had bonded with the oxygen gas in the air from the energy that was applied to it and formed magnesium oxide. The type of reaction was a synthesis reaction, as is shown by this equation. 2 Mg (s) + O 2 (g) = 2 MgO (s) 2.

A piece of copper was obtained. It was a small, rounded wire that could be bent, although with a greater difficulty than the Mg strip from the previous account. It was copper in color (never saw that one coming, did ja) and had a metallic luster. The copper was put in the flame of a Bunsen burner and after several seconds, it began to blacken. The flame was applied to it for about a minute and a half, and the copper appeared silvery under intense heat, but when it was removed from the flame, the silver color quickly faded. The copper strip was now black all over, and the change in color suggested that a chemical change had occurred.

The Cu had reacted with the oxygen in the air and formed copper oxide. The black color could be scraped off, but only in small slivers. It would crumble when it was irritated with a great deal of pressure, respectively. It was a synthesis reaction as displayed by the equation here. Cu (s) + O 2 (o) = CuO 2 Decomposition 3. Being a splint is not easy.

We come out of production and are shipped to laboratories across the country. Luckily for us, we are made from wood that possesses the very "useful" quality of maintaining a flame. Once we make it to the lab, someone decides they need to light some infernal gas on fire, and that's the end of us. It really isn't as bad as it sounds, because burning is one thing we are quite good at. To put a silver lining on it, we haven't got it nearly as bad as those wretched toothpicks. Anyway, here I am, the splint selected to test some awful gas that was produced after a green, clumpy powder was dropped into a test tube.

I overheard the name copper (II) carbonate, and some one talking about keeping it off their skin because it is poisonous. Anyways, it looks like the copper carbonate is about as well off as I am, because it looks like the "scientists" are holding a burning pillar of death they refer to as a "Bunsen burner". I can't wait until it is my turn. The copper carbonate is turning black now, and someone mentions my name and the word "burning". My heart skips a beat as I am lifted from the table and drawn closer to the flame.

My tip catches fire, and they stuff me, burning end first, into the test tube that was placed above the copper carbonate. I brace myself for the impending explosion. If I had eyes, I can guarantee that they would be tightly closed and if I had sweat glands, I would be perspiring bullets. I am drawn closer and closer into the test tube. My heart is pounding (yes, I have a heart) and I can almost feel the little flame on the end of my legs bursting into a roaring inferno. But wait!

The flame has gone out! I'm still preserved! My feelings of sublime euphoria are quite the opposite of the kids staring at me. One of them mentions something about a non-combustible gas.

Those are the sweetest words I have ever heard. Non-combustible. What a beautiful world. Cuso 3 (s) = Cu + CO 3 (g) 4.

If you could be any object in a laboratory, can you imagine being anything better than a Bunsen burner? I've got the best role out of any piece of equipment in the lab. I get to spout fire through my mouth just as soon someone hooks me up to a flammable gas source. Once I've got the fire going on, I get to burn things. Maybe not all of you would enjoy it, but you could describe me as a pyromaniac. You wouldn't believe what I did today.

I was a key part to one of the grandest reactions I have ever seen. This blue powder, pretty uniform in texture, was placed into a test tube. Someone called it CuSO 4 5 H 2 O. This is where I come in. I was held up to the test tube and began heating the blue powder. It started turning white, especially around the edges, until it looked like a big blue eye. Eventually it all turned white.

Then, someone added some distilled water, and it started to fizz like crazy and release gas. I guess you could say it was letting off some steam. (Bunsen burners are not known for their sense of humor.) Then the powder turned blue again. Maybe they " ll let me burn it again. CuSO 4 5 H 2 O (s) = CuSO 4 (s) + 5 H 2 O (g).