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Stoichiometry: Reaction of Iron with Copper(II) Sulfate

Stoichiometry: Reaction of Iron with Copper(II) Sulfate
Contributors
Dean Campbell
Professor | Bradley University
Beyond Benign
Beyond Benign, Inc.
Learning Objets
Summary
Students use stoichiometry to deduce the appropriate equation for the reaction between solid metallic iron and a solution of copper(II) sulfate. This reaction produces solid metallic copper, which is precipitated as a finely divided red powder in a single displacement reaction. During the reaction, atoms from a solid metal exchange with different metal ions in a salt solution. The iron produced could be either Fe2+ or Fe3+. Students use stoichiometric principles to determine which of these ions is formed in the reaction. An excess of copper(II) sulfate (to make sure that all the iron is reacted) will be added to a known mass of iron. The metallic copper produced will be weighed. The masses of the iron and copper metals will be used to calculate the moles of iron used and the moles of copper formed.

This lesson plan was developed and written by Tamara Fitzgarrald at Bradley University.
Keyword Tags
Redox Reactions
12 Principles of Green Chemistry
File (PDF, PPT, image, etc)
greener_cuso4_w_fe_final_231001.docx
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.59877/TZOL3846
Learning Goals/Student Objectives
In performing this experiment, a student will…
● Operate the laboratory equipment such as balances
● Demonstrate effective use of PPE
● Calculate reaction stoichiometry
● Discuss the Principles of Green Chemistry and the UN Sustainable Development Goals in the context of recovering copper from waste compounds and selecting iron as the reducing agent.
Object Type
Laboratory experiment
Audience
Introductory Undergraduate
Common pedagogies covered
Hands-on learning
Green Chemistry Principles
Waste Prevention
Designing Safer Chemicals
Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries
Design for Energy Efficiency
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Quality Education
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
List of chemicals used in this lab:

Iron 7439-89-6
Copper(II) sulfate 7758-98-7
Copper 7440-50-8
Acetone 67-64-1

All solution containers should be clearly labeled. Precautions, including proper personal protective equipment such as goggles and gloves, should be used when working with the aqueous solutions and acetone. Avoid spilling the solutions on clothing.
Always wash your hands after completing the experiments and demonstrations. DO NOT pour the metallic solids into a sink; they may be discarded into the trash.
Teacher Recommendations or Piloting Data (if available)
We have run this in our Gen Chem 1 Lab courses in past years, after stoichiometry and redox reactions have been covered in lecture. Some of the tips and tricks are given in the lab directions themselves. Possible connections to copper mining, problems with sulfide-based ores (acidification resulting from oxidation to sulfates).

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Submitted by

Beyond Benign
Published on
Moderation state
Published
Collection
Greener General Chemistry Labs
Time required (if applicable)
One 3-hour lab session should be sufficient. The lab is a mix of active and passive, any down time in the activities (e.g., while waiting for reaction completion) can be utilized by students to answer questions.
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.