Chemical Monitoring and Management Pracs

Question 1

whats the procedure for measuring the percentage of sulfate in lawn fertiliser?

Answer 1

1. Zero an electronic scale with a piece of filter paper on it and weigh 1g of ammonium sulfate
   fertiliser on the filter paper.
2. Pour the fertiliser into a 250mL beaker, adding 25mL of distilled water.
3. Add 10 drops of concentrated hydrochloric acid into the beaker.
4. Using a hotplate with a magnetic stirrer, bring the solution to boil.
5. Measure out 50mL of a 5% barium nitrate solution using a 250mL beaker, and bring to boil
   using a hot plate.
6. Stirring consistently with a glass stirring rod, add the barium nitrate solution into the ammonium
   sulfate solution. Allow the solution to cool.
7. Add 5mL of acetone to the cooling solution.
8. Weigh a sintered glass funnel.
9. Filter the solution through the sintered glass funnel. Rinse once using distilled water, and again
   using a small amount of acetone.
10. Dry the sintered glass funnel in a desiccator.
11. Weigh the funnel and accompanying precipitate, and calculate the mass of the remaining
    precipitate (barium sulfate).