Copper Compound Conundrum, Part 3

Copper Compound Conundrum Part 3: Testing the Precipitate - the exciting conclusion!

Now that I had determined the identity of the solution, it was time to figure out what the blue precipitate was. Remember from Part 2, this is what my mystery concoction looked like (in the beaker on the right).

Copper Compound Conundrum, Part 2

Copper Compound Conundrum Part 2: Testing the Solution

If you remember from my last post, my reaction scheme for this was the following:

1) CuSO4 + 2NaHCO3 == CuCO3 + Na2SO4 + CO2 + H2O
2) CuCO3 + 2HCl == CuCl2 + CO2 + H2O
3) CuCl2 + 2NaOH == Cu(OH)2 + 2NaCl
4) Cu(OH)2 + H2SO4 == CuSO4 + 2H2O

After performing step 3 and filtering and drying the precipitate, I ended up with a dark green powder which was likely a mix of copper(II) hydroxide, oxide, and carbonate. All three of these compounds should react with sulfuric acid to form copper sulfate, so I figured I'd go ahead with the last step in my video's reaction scheme anyway. I should have ended up dissolving all the solids into a nice blue solution of copper sulfate like I started with. Here's what actually happened.

Copper Compound Conundrum, Part 1

If you've been following my blog, you've probably realized I like to write a lot. Well this one's no exception. I like to provide as much detail as possible so others can replicate my results and in reading it get the same enjoyment out of the experience as I did (hopefully). Enjoy!


In the process of filming a new video on copper compounds for my channel, I ran across a bit of a snag that ended up taking me down a different path that was both fun and instructive.

New Glassware

I just got in a sizable order of some fancy new glassware! I got a number of specialized pieces that will allow me to do many new and more advanced experiments, and I'm very excited to try them out!

Potassium Iodide and Radiation

This old post serves as the Video Companion to my Potassium Iodide video, linked at the bottom to make sure you read the post first!

This is another rather long post, but I feel it is warranted because of the importance of the content.

Because of the recent earthquake and tsunami tragedy in Japan, there's been a lot of interest recently in an otherwise ordinary chemical compound called potassium iodide. I'll get to that in a minute, but first a brief summary of the situation.

The Long Road to Copper (I) Iodide

It's been a while since my last post, because I've focused more on my YouTube account (linked on the main page). However, recently I did a rather long chain of experiments that I haven't taken video of, and so I thought would work better as a blog post with a few photos. This post, as the title suggests, is long. You were warned.

Update

It's been a while since I last posted here, so I thought I should give everybody an update. My YouTube page has really taken off since I started it back in March, and I already have over 130 subscribers! That being the case, I'm going to focus more on making videos than writing blog posts. I'll still put up things here, but it's hard to shoot video, take photos, and do an experiment all at the same time!

In other news, I bought my first home! Because of this, I won't be doing much science for a bit while I get settled in to my new place. The good news is that I've set aside the third bedroom for my lab space, so I'll have an entire room dedicated to my hobby. I'm very excited to get that all set up! In the meantime, stay tuned to both this blog and my YouTube page and remember to follow and subscribe to both using the links on the main pages.