Burning Magnesium Lab

Materials needed

• Safety goggles
• crucible
• Bunsen burner
• tongs
• distilled water
• batteries and cables to test electricity
• crucible holder
• magnesium strips

Procedure

1. With safety goggles on, mass the crucible and record the number.
2. Place two magnesium strips into the crucible and mass it again, record the results. The difference will show the mass of the magnesium.
3. Use the tongs to put the crucible with the lid on and with the magnesium strips onto the holder and ignite the Bunsen burner.
4. Wait a couple minutes then take the lid off the crucible.
5. Wait for the magnesium to light. If it doesn't light up, use the tongs to place the magnesium directly into the flame, one it lights, put it in the crucible without looking. (WARNING: DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE FLAME!)
6. Once the crucible cools off weigh in once again and record.
7. Fill the crucible with distilled water and stir.
8. Use the batteries and the cables to see if the water produces electricity.
9. Dump the contents into the water and clean up.

Analyze and Conclude

1. empty crucible = 22.06 g

crucible and Magnesium before heating = 22.14 g

Magnesium before heating = .08 g

Crucible and magnesium after heating - 22.13 g

Magnesium after heating = -.01 g ???????

(the magnesium was supposed to gain mass but for some reason my results lost mass. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that I had to use the tongs to hold the magnesium directly into the flame.)

2.