Al + Na(OH)2 --> Al(OH)2 + Na
Materials:
Aluminum foil
Sodium hydroxide
Large beaker
Water
Procedure:
1. Gather about a tablespoon of sodium hydroxide and make aqueous by adding 100 to 150 ml of water.
2. Get a small amount of aluminum foil and crunch into a ball
3. Watch reaction and record observations
*Beaker will become fairly warm so be careful!
Observations:
Fizzy bubbles
Gas was released
Water turned grey and then continued to get darker gray
Beaker became warmer
Potential difficulties / suggestions:
Use small amounts of each chemical or the reaction will last a while.
Ours lasted over 20 minutes because we put quite a bit of each chemical in.
Use only about a teaspoon each.
Summary:
This specific reaction was a single replacement, meaning a stronger metal replaced a weaker metal. In this case, aluminum replaced sodium. Hydrogen gas was let off in the form of bubbles and the aqueous sodium hydroxide (sodium hydroxide dissolved in water) turned a gray color because the metals were trading places with one another.
Lab by : Samantha, Delaney, Evan, & Emily
