Comparing Zinc Sulfate And Barium Iodide Divided

This experiments goal was to successfully produce ZnI2 by using Zinc Sulfate (Heptahydrate) and Barium Iodide Dehydrate, which Jessica and I did with acceptable success. The definition of acceptable success for this experiment is measured by how close our percent yield was close to the ranges provided (0-2% being considered excellent precision and etc). Our percent yield was 92 % meaning that it was an acceptable, but not exactly as close to what we wanted it to be. In order to try and figure out what the mistake was that caused us to get 92% we had to evaluate how well we did our experiment. We followed all the instructions as close as possible and double read the step that would come next. When beginning the experiment we observed and recorded the appearance of the materials in use like instructed. We weighed our materials out on a tared scale and placed them all in their corresponding test tube. We mixed and centrifuged our solution all three times for the appropriate times and decanted them accordingly. After getting all our liquid we heated up until a white solid formed, waited for it cool …show more content…
While the manual stated we should get .45 (plus or minus) .03 grams it could be possible that we in fact put less than that into the test tube. The scale could have given the wrong weight or we could have accidently not put all of the .44 grams into the test tube. Some of the ZnSO4 could have stayed stuck tot eh weighing paper without us noticing or could have just fallen on the tabletop when being transferred. Another possible area of error could be the heating portion at the end. If the product is heated too much it beings to turn yellow and decompose, thus giving you less product than expected. While heating the product we could have forgotten to really check the state of the white solid and slightly decomposed it by