Nigel Baldwin | Making copper (II) sulfate VID 1569332021623 @nigelbaldwin3184 | Uploaded September 2019 | Updated October 2024, 2 minutes ago.
High School Chemistry

A smaller scale experiment

0.35g copper (II) oxide
20ml 0.1M sulfuric acid

Both copper (II) oxide and copper (II) sulfate are harmful chemicals and are also toxic to aquatic life. Appropriate safety precautions should be employed when using them in the school laboratory.

In this video copper (II) sulfate is prepared following a procedure commonly carried at school using small amounts of reactants in order to reduce environmental impact.

A sample of copper (II) sulfate crystals were produced of reasonable size to be a rewarding exercise for students.

The crystals seen at the end are not 100% pure and would need to be recrystallised if purity is important.

The copper (II) oxide probably contained considerable amounts of moisture (high lab humidity and no desiccator) and the sulfuric acid concentration was suspect (standard off the shelf lab reagent bottle).

Thanks for Bob Worley for the inspiration and encouragement to develop small and micro scale chemistry experiments at school for a safer, more sustainable future.

Bo can be found on

Twitter at UncleBob @UncleBo80053383

and microchemuk.weebly.com