36g - 15.88g = 20.12g CuSO4 --> calculate how many moles CuSO4 this is.
15.88g/18g = 0.88 mole H2O
divide 0.88 mole H2O through # moles of CuSO4 et voila...ionic bond - 22-7-2004 at 09:59
Hi
but we don't know if all of the CuSO4.xH2O will react!!
[Edited on 22-7-2004 by ionic bond]chemoleo - 22-7-2004 at 10:08
Oh, if you heat it up enough, surely all the CuSO4x xH2O will decompose.
I would also do it vulture's way- you want the ratio of the moles H2O versus the # of moles CuSO4 .Magpie - 22-7-2004 at 17:26
That all the water leaves the salt is implied in your statement of the problem:
Quote:
CuSO4.xH2O --------> CuSO4+ xH2O
vulture - 23-7-2004 at 06:39
If you don't heat the reaction untill it's completed, it's impossible to calculate it.
Furthermore, completion of the reaction can be easily observed visually.ionic bond - 23-7-2004 at 16:43
Don't you see that the results are the same!vulture - 24-7-2004 at 01:30
Indeed, you are right, 7 is the result.
I didn't calculate it through because this is in the beginnings section.
I'm not aware of the existance of a heptahydrate, but it could be possible.
Another possibility is that your pentahydrate was wet, eg not properly dried/crystallized.
It would be a fluke though to get a nice seven if it was residual water.
