2. Experimental Techniques Flashcards
What can time be measured with?
Time can be measured using a stopwatch or stop-clock which are usually accurate to one or two decimal places
What unit is used for time?
The units of time normally used are seconds or minutes although other units may be used for extremely slow reactions (e.g. rusting)
What can temperature be measured with?
- Temperature is measured with a thermometer which can normally give readings to the nearest degree Celsius
- Digital thermometers are available which are more precise than traditional thermometers
How do traditional thermometers work?
Traditional thermometers rely upon the uniform expansion and contraction of a liquid substance with temperature;
Is a traditional or a digital thermometer more accurate?
Traditional thermometers tend to be more accurate than digital thermometers which often need to be re-calibrated
What unit is used for temperature?
degrees Celsius (ºC)
What can mass be measured with?
Mass is measured using a digital balance which normally give readings to two decimal places. These must be set to zero before use
What unit is used for mass?
The standard unit of mass is kilograms (kg) but in chemistry grams (g) are most often used
What can the volume of a liquid be measured with?
The volume of a liquid can be determined using several types of apparatus, depending on the level of accuracy needed
What apparatus can be used for approximate volumes?
For approximate volumes where accuracy isn’t an important factor, measuring cylinders are used. These are graduated (have a scale so can be used to measure)
What is the most accurate way of measuring a fixed volume of a liquid?
Using a pipette
What is the most accurate way of measuring a variable volume of a liquid?
Burette
How can a the volume of a gas be measured?
The volume of a gas sometimes needs to be measured and is done by collecting it in a graduated measuring apparatus
What apparatus is used in measuring the volume of a gas?
A gas syringe
What determines whether the graduated cylinder is inverted or can be used upright?
- A graduated cylinder inverted in water may also be used, provided the gas isn’t water-soluble
- If the gas happens to be heavier than air and is coloured, the cylinder can be used upright
When is paper chromatography used?
This technique is used to separate substances that have different solubilities in a given solvent (e.g. different coloured inks that have been mixed to make black ink)
How is the paper set up?
paper chromatography
A pencil line is drawn on chromatography paper and spots of the sample are placed on it.
Why is pencil, not pen used to draw a line? (paper chromatography)
Pencil is used for this as ink would run into the chromatogram along with the samples
What is the paper lowered into?
paper chromatography
The paper is then lowered into the solvent container
What is important to remember when lowering the paper into the solvent?
(paper chromatography)
making sure that the pencil line sits above the level of the solvent so the samples don’t wash into the solvent container
How does the solvent travel up the paper?
paper chromatography
The solvent travels up the paper by capillary action, taking some of the coloured substances with it
What causes the different substances to travel at different rates and what does this from?
(paper chromatography)
Different substances have different solubilities so will travel at different rates, causing the substances to spread apart.
What correlation is there between the solubility of a substance and the distance it travels?
(paper chromatography)
Those substances with higher solubility will travel further than the others
What does paper chromatography show?
This will show the different components of the ink / dye
If substances are the same, will they produce the same chromatograms?
YES
If two or more substances are the same, they will produce identical chromatograms
What will happen to a substance during paper chromatography if it is a mixture?
If the substance is a mixture, it will separate on the paper to show all the different components as separate spots