Empirical Formula Lab

Purpose:

Find the Empirical Formula for Magnesium Oxide.

Procedure:

1. After cleaning and drying crucible, weigh it and record the result.

2. Crumple up 2 inches of Magnesium ribbon, place it in the crucible and weigh it. Record the result.

3. Heat magnesium in crucible until it is completely burnt. 

4. Once cool, weight the crucible again and record the mass.

Data:

Mass of crucible: 19.5656g

Initial mass of crucible with magnesium: 19.7415g

Mass of magnesium: .1759g

Mass of crucible after burning:19.8494g

Mass of Oxygen: .1079g

Calculations:

.1759g(1mol/24g)=.00733mol magnesium

.1079g(1mol/16)=.00674mol Oxygen

.00733mol/.00674mol=1.09

(1-1.09)/1=.09% error

Conclusion:

After burning a hunk of magnesium, magnesium oxide was formed. By weighing and calculating the masses of each oxygen and magnesium were found, and there was a .09% error made in calculating the empirical formula. The ratio should have been one to one, but in the experiment an erro in weighing or duration of burning was made and got a ratio of one to one point nine.