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need some chemisty help

S

spazo

Senior member
So I have this lab where we're given some samples of metals and we need to figure what they are by doing various sorts of tests with them. Figuring out what to do with this kind of stuff is my weakness when it comes to Chemistry so I guess I'm capitulating that I'm all knowing in chemistry and am asking for help 😛
 
does it conduct electricity? compare its conductance to known materials. rule out ceramics.
does it corrode/oxidize? is it reversible?
can you electroplate it?
does it refract light or absorb it?

tons of experiments...
 
Density is the first choice.

If you have a spectrograph, you could heat it up really hot and look for the absorbtion/emission lines.
 
If you are just trying to distinguish different metals apart, not metals from nonmetals. Then yes, density is the easiest to do.

mfbf
A Chem Prof.
 
If the samples are pure, then probably the easiest thing to do is measure the density (i.e. weigh it, then measure the amount of water it displaces).
 
Originally posted by: flashbacck
If the samples are pure, then probably the easiest thing to do is measure the density (i.e. weigh it, then measure the amount of water it displaces).
Click to expand...
I sure hope he doesn't have a sample of potassium. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Howard
Originally posted by: flashbacck
If the samples are pure, then probably the easiest thing to do is measure the density (i.e. weigh it, then measure the amount of water it displaces).
Click to expand...
I sure hope he doesn't have a sample of potassium. 🙂
Click to expand...

or sodium!
 
They should have given you some kind of flow chart which has various tests on it, and which elements get sorted out into increasingly specific categories based on the results.

If not, do a search for "analytical chemistry".
 
If it's a lab, it gives you the physical properties, and information on how the substance you have reacts with certain solutions.

Noones gonna know unless you do the test.
 
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