Question

After completing an experiment to determine gravimetrically the percentage of water in a hydrate, a student reported a value of 38 percent. The correct value for the percentage of water in the hydrate is 51 percent. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this difference?

a) Strong initial heating caused some of the hydrate sample to splatter out b) The dehydrated sample absorbed moisture after heating c) The amount of the hydrate sample used was too small d) The crucible was not heated to constant mass before use e) Excess heating caused the dehydrated sample to decompose

Answer 1

b) The dehydrated sample absorbed moisture after heating

Step-by-step explanation:

a) Strong initial heating caused some of the hydrate sample to splatter out.

This will result in a higher percent of water than the real one, because you assume in the calculation that the splattered sample was only water (which in not true).

b) The dehydrated sample absorbed moisture after heating.

Usually inorganic salts may absorbed moisture from the atmosphere so this will explain the 13% difference between calculated water percent the real content of water in the hydrate.

c) The amount of the hydrate sample used was too small.

It will create some errors but they do not create a difference of 13% difference as stated in the problem.

d) The crucible was not heated to constant mass before use.

Here the error is small.

e) Excess heating caused the dehydrated sample to decompose.

Usually the inorganic compounds are stable in the temperature range of this kind of experiments. If you have an organic compound which retain water molecules you may decompose the sample forming volatile compounds which will leave crucible so the error will be quite high.