Determining the Number of Water Molecules in a Hydrate Essay Example

moles of the water would leave more molecules of water per molecule of the dehydrated compound, or a larger n value. 4) The beaker was wet at the beginning of the experiment. If the beaker was wet at the beginning of the experiment, that means that extra water deed mass at start but evaporated quickly.

This adds mass to the water and takes mass from the dehydrated compound.

Thus there are more moles of the water and less of the dehydrated compound than if the beaker was dry. In the formula there will be more molecules of water per molecule of the dehydrated compound, or a larger n. 5) You cooled the beaker in the air instead of a desiccators. A desiccators in used, in most cases, to keep moisture-sensitive compounds dry or preserved. If the beaker was cooled in the air rather than a desiccators, then the compound would have been exposed to the outside environment.

The compound would have become hydrated from the moisture in the atmosphere. Because the compound was hydrated by the air, then the mass of the dehydrated substance would be higher than if it were in the desiccators and the mass of the water would be lower. Thus there would be more moles of the dehydrated compound and less moles of the water. Dividing a larger number of moles of the dehydrated compound from a smaller number of moles of the water would leave an expression with less water for every molecule of the compound, or a lower n value.