Stoichiometry Lab #1 - Magnesium Oxide

Purpose: To experimentally determine the yield of product, magnesium oxide, in

comparison to the calculated theoretical yield.
Materials: Magnesium ribbon
Balance
Crucible and lid
Clay triangle
Crucible tongs
Bunsen burner
Ring stand and ring clamp
Procedure:
1. Set up a Bunsen burner on a ring stand beneath a ring clamp holding a clay triangle.
2. Adjust the height of the ring clamp so that the bottom of a crucible is about 1 cm above the
burner. This will ensure that the crucible will be in the hottest part of the flame.
3. Find the mass of a crucible and lid. Record.
4. Measure about .24 g of magnesium. Record actual amount.
5. Place the magnesium ribbon in the bottom of the crucible and measure the combined mass of
magnesium, crucible and lid. Record this total.
6. Place the covered crucible with its lid on the clay triangle. Light the Bunsen burner as
instructed. Brush the bottom of the crucible with the flame for 2-3 minutes to slowly heat the
crucible and its contents.
7. Place the burner on the ring stand and heat the crucible in the hottest part of the flame for 3
minutes.
8. Remove the Bunsen burner from the crucible. Carefully lift the lid a small amount. This will
allow air to enter the crucible. Caution: Do not open too far, because doing so might cause
the metal to ignite. There will be some smoke produced. Do not inhale the smoke. Do not lean
over the crucible. Keep the crucible at arms length at all times.
9. Replace the lid and continue to heat the crucible. After 3 minutes, repeat the procedure above
(step 8). This again allows more air to enter the crucible. Replace the lid immediately if the
metal starts to burn or the amount of smoke increases greatly.
10. Continue heating the crucible for a total of 12 minutes. Approximately every three minutes,
remove the Bunsen burner and lift the crucible lid to allow air to enter.
11. After 15 minutes, turn off the gas source and remove the burner.
12. Using tongs, remove the crucible lid and place it on a wire gauze on the bench top. With the
tongs, remove the crucible from the clay triangle and put it on the wire gauze as well.
13. Allow everything to cool for at least 10 minutes.
14. Measure the combined mass of the crucible, crucible lid, and magnesium oxide. Record the
mass in the data table.
15. Dump the contents of the crucible into the wastebasket.

Complete on a Separate Piece of Paper

Data table: Create your own with ALL data collected qualitative and quantitative
Calculations:
1. Write the equation for the reaction:
magnesium (Mg) + oxygen (O2) magnesium oxide (MgO)
(Remember: oxygen is diatomic)
2. From the mass of magnesium metal calculate the theoretical mass of oxygen
that should react.
3. From the mass of the magnesium metal, calculate the theoretical mass of
magnesium oxide produced.
4. Show the calculation for your experimental yield of magnesium oxide.

experimental
x 100 %
theoretical
a. Calculate the percent yield of magnesium oxide in your experiment.

5. The formula for percent yield is:

Questions:
1. What could you do experimentally to make sure that all of the magnesium had
chemically changed into magnesium oxide?
2. Why do you think it was acceptable to assume that the magnesium reacted
with excess oxygen?
3. Why do you think that your percent yield was not exactly 100%? Explain
where the difference might have come from.
Vocabulary:
Stoichiometry
Mass

Theoretical yield

Law of Conservation of