Making a pure dry sample of a soluble salt
I can carry out a multistage chemical procedure to make a pure dry sample of a soluble salt.
- Year 10
- AQA
Making a pure dry sample of a soluble salt
I can carry out a multistage chemical procedure to make a pure dry sample of a soluble salt.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- Reacting a metal oxide with an appropriate acid can form a desired salt and water.
- Adding metal oxide to excess ensures that the acid fully reacts to form salt and water.
- Excess metal oxide can be removed by filtration so that the filtrate contains only salt and water.
- Water can be removed from the salt by evaporation.
Keywords
Soluble - When a substance dissolves in a liquid, it is described as soluble in that liquid.
Excess reactant - any reactant present in a greater amount than is necessary to completely react with the limiting reactant
Filtration - a technique to separate insoluble solids from a liquid by passing the mixture it is in through a filter
Crystallisation - a process that forms solid crystals from a saturated solution by evaporating the solvent
Common misconception
Pupils often do not understand that observing excess metal oxide in the reaction mixture means that the acid has fully reacted.
Emphasise how to observe the end of the reaction and what these observations mean, i.e. excess metal oxide in the reaction mixture or using pH paper to indicate the solution is neutral. Both are evidence of the acid having fully reacted.
Equipment
dilute sulfuric acid, copper oxide, measuring cylinder, Bunsen burner, tripod and gauze, spatula, beakers, universal indicator paper, filter paper and funnel, conical flask and evaporating dish
Content guidance
- Risk assessment required - chemicals
- Risk assessment required - equipment
Supervision
Adult supervision required
Licence
Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.How can you increase the concentration of a solution?
Q2.What is the purpose of filtration?
Q3.Which of the following equations represent neutralisation reactions used for making salts?
Q4.Match each salt with the reactants that can be used to make it.
Q5.What is a saturated solution?
Q6.What happens during crystallisation?
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Reactions between an acid and a metal, or between an acid and certain metal compounds (like hydroxide, oxide or carbonate), are all types of reactions.
Q2.An insoluble metal oxide reacts with an acid to make a soluble salt. What are the main steps, in any order, needed to make pure crystals of the soluble salt.
Q3.An insoluble metal oxide reacts with an acid to make a soluble salt. Put each step in the correct order to describe how a metal oxide is reacted with an acid, making sure all the acid has reacted.

Q4.The undissolved impurity in a salt solution that remains in filter paper after filtration is called the .

Q5.Put each step in the correct order to describe how to obtain crystals of salt from a pure salt solution.
