Final answer:
To determine the hydrate of magnesium sulfate from the given data, subtract the mass of anhydrous MgSO4 from the initial hydrated mass to find the mass of water lost,
Step-by-step explanation:
The student is asking how to determine the hydrate of magnesium sulfate (MgSO4 * xH2O) from the data given, which involves finding the value of 'x' in the formula. The initial weight of the hydrate is 5.018 grams, and after heating, the weight of the anhydrous magnesium sulfate is 2.449 grams. To find the number of water molecules (x) in the original sample, the mass of the hydrated water is calculated by subtracting the final mass from the initial mass. The difference in mass represents the mass of the water lost upon heating.
Mass of water lost = Initial mass of hydrate - Mass of anhydrous MgSO4 = 5.018 g - 2.449 g = 2.569 g
Next, we calculate the moles of water lost using the molar mass of water, which is approximately 18.02 g/mol. The gravimetric analysis technique is used in this process to obtain the hydrate formula. Then, we compare the moles of water to the moles of anhydrous magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) to determine the ratio and the value of x, which gives us the formula of the hydrated compound.