Question

I tried to make copper carbonate by mixing copper acetate with a sodium carbonate solution. I was expecting to see a light blue solid form at the bottom of the beaker and instead I found a green powder distributed throughout the solution. I filtered it through a coffee filter and it started turning orange. The entire coffee filter is now covered in a bright orange powder. I need to know whether the green powder and/or the orange powder is toxic or corrosive and also what it is.

Answer 1

The green powder you obtained is likely a basic copper carbonate, and the orange powder formed after filtering is possibly copper(II) oxide. Both copper compounds can have low to moderate toxicity, so it's important to handle them with care.

Step-by-step explanation:

When attempting to synthesize copper carbonate (CuCO3) by reacting copper acetate with sodium carbonate, you should expect a light blue precipitate of CuCO3 based on solubility rules.

The fact that you observed a green powder instead could be due to impurities in the reactants or formation of a basic copper carbonate such as copper(II) hydroxide carbonate.

Upon filtering, the powder turned orange, suggesting a possible conversion to copper(II) oxide (CuO), a reaction that can occur as the hydrated copper compound loses water and carbon dioxide when dried on a filter paper.

Regarding toxicity and corrosiveness, while copper compounds are not highly corrosive, they can be toxic when ingested in large amounts.

Copper carbonate is generally considered to be of low to moderate toxicity, but care should always be taken to avoid ingestion, inhalation, or prolonged skin contact with such compounds. Copper oxide can also be toxic if ingested.