Leslie Medina

Liz Schibuk
Chemistry 10
April 4, 2014
COPPER MINING LAB

Background
Copper is found in its ionic form mixed with other things in a rock. The rock is known as an ore. An ore is
any rock that has metals such as copper inside it. But people just want copper so they need to extract it from the ore.
The ore also known as rocks are taken out from the ground. One of the most common ores is called malachite. The
ore is usually found in an open pit mine. The copper wont be found in the beginning people must dig and will get a
lot of useless rocks until they reach the copper. Once the ore has been mined from the pits it must be crushed so it
can turn into a powder known as tailings. Tailings are just crushed ores. Once we have tailings we must extract the
copper. The most common way to extract the copper is by using a chemical solvent. A solvent is a substance that
dissolves a material to form a solution. The copper ions will be dissolved usually with sulfuric acid. In order to
make copper the copper ions are left to dry and smelt in order to get the metal. It is then mixed with a chemical
called flux and put in high temperature to chemically change the material. After that the molten copper is made into
shapes known as ingots. The ingots are then placed into vats that have stainless steal plates. The ingots will receive
chemicals that will turn them into copper (O Resome Resources Minerals and Energy Education).
The most common way that people get copper from crushed ore known as tailing causes environmental
risks. When people take the ore out of open pits it eventually turns into tailings. The copper must be extracted from
the tailings; in order to it they use chemical solvents. The most common chemical used is sulfuric acid. The
problem with using sulfuric acid is that its a toxic chemical. The sulfuric acid can leach into the environment,
which is dangerous. It can travel into the ground and water and will pollute it. This is dangerous because it can
cause danger to animals that live in the water. Furthermore the ore also has other chemicals in them like lead and
arsenic, which are highly toxic. These chemicals can leave the mine that can end up in soil and water and it will
contaminate them.
Industrial waste trade is a problem that is hurting many people. Industrial waste trade is when one country
will pay another country to take their waste. For example the United States and United Kingdom have been paying
Africa to take their waste. The problem is that the waste piles up in other countries and in many occasions the waste
is toxic. The United States as well as any other country giving their waste away benefit from industrial waste trade.
They benefit from it because the waste doesnt stay in their country but leaves and harms another country. Even
though countries who will take the waste know they are harming their country they do it, because they are usually
third world countries in need of money. Industrial waste trade is not ethical. It isnt ethical because the people
getting rid of their waste are only thinking of themselves. When the United States pays another country to take their
waste theyre only thinking of keeping their country clean. Yet the U.S neglects to see that in order to get what they
want they are harming another countries environment and the people who live there.
Many people mine for copper because it is a metal that is both valuable and useful. It is bright,
shiny, a great conductor of heat and electricity, malleable and rust resistant (Copper). Since copper is
an excellent conductor of energy its used for numerous reasons. Copper is used in used in electrical
generators and motors. Copper is especially useful in electrical wiring and cabling. Although many people
dont realize that copper is useful for items they use it is. Copper can be found in electronics such as a
television and phone. Since so many people own phones mining for copper has become more important.
Furthermore copper also causes heat, which is why its used in car radiators, air conditioners, and home
heating systems. Even though copper is useful for energy and heat its also used for much similar reasons.
Copper is used to make jewelry and coins that many people own but dont realize it has copper.












Part 1: Building a Copper Mine

PROCEDURE
Assemble the following materials in a beaker, in the following order.
You must wear safety goggles and gloves at all times.

Layer 1: Add about 0.5 cm of Copper Sulfate (CuSO
4
) crystals (Root Killer)
Cover with water
Cover with filter paper
Layer 2: Add about 0.5 cm of Sodium Chloride crystals
Cover with water
Cover with filter paper
Add a few dashes of iron fillings
Add a small layer of pebbles.
Cover with parafilm, but pierce with a few holes.
Cover with water
Record initial observations.




















Cleaning
Up
industrial
waste
Turning
copper
ions into
metal.
Extracting
copper
from
crushed
ore.
Creating a
copper
Mine.
OBSERVATIONS

Day 1 Day 2








Day 3 Day 4










Brown pebbles seem to have lost color
There is more powder on the bottom of the
beaker (looks like dirt)
The liquid is still green/ blue but its not as
clean

Blue crystal rocks at bottom of beaker
Green crystals on top of blue ones
A large amount of pebbles on top of
blue and green crystals
Pebbles are brown/ orange
The blue and green crystals have disappeared
Brown powder on bottom of beaker that may be
from crushed pebbles
Liquid is a green/ blue color possibly from the
green and blue crystals
ANALYSIS

1. Write the dissolution reaction for the root killer (CuSO
4
) in the bottom layer of the beaker.
H20
CuSO
4(s)


Cu
(aq)


SO
4 (aq)




2. Write the dissolution reaction for the sodium chloride (NaCl) in the second layer of the beaker.
H20
NaCl
(s)


Na
(aq)
Cl
(aq)








3. Write a balanced single replacement reaction for what is happening between the CuSO
4
solution and the
iron (Fe) metal.


CuSO
4 (aq)


Fe
(S)
FeSO
4(aq)
Cu
(S)





Part 2: Extracting Copper Metal from Malachite Ore

PRE-LAB NOTES:
1. Apparatus:


2. Safety:
Sulfuric Acid
FILTRATE

DIRECTIONS:
DAY 1:
1. Record your observations of the crushed malachite ore.
2. Find and record the mass of your sample of crushed malachite ore on top of it.
3. Add the crushed malachite to a beaker.
4. Cover the malachite with sulfuric acid.
5. Record your observations.
DAY 2:
6. Place a beaker under the funnel to collect the filtrate, as shown in the diagram on the previous page. Filter
the malachite pieces out of the reaction mixture by pouring it through a piece of filter paper sitting inside of
a funnel.
7. Remove the filter paper, and set it out to dry. Use a permanent marker to put your initials on the filter
paper.
8. Take about half of your filtrate, and pour it into one of the two flasks that I have labelled as copper
mining waste. We will need some of this filtrate for part 3 of the lab!
9. Separate your remaining filtrate into 2 test tubes.
10. Add a few dashes of Fe (iron) to one of the test tubes with filtrate. Record your observations.
11. Add a few pieces of Zn (zinc) metal to the second test tubes with filtrate. Record your observations.
12. Cover your beaker with parafilm, put your names on it, and leave it on the back table.
DAY 3:
13. Determine and record the mass of the dried malachite waste.
14. Take a second set of observations of your filtrate in each of the two test tubes.
15. Throw out your malachite waste.
16. Thoroughly clean your lab supplies.
DATA TABLE:
Observations Mass
Crushed Ore
Big rocks
Small rocks
Teal Powder
Orange/ Brown colored rocks


69.0 grams
Malachite powder
and sulfuric acid
Thick blue liquid that doesnt allow you to see anything
After a few minutes the thick liquid turns into a light blue
color and you can see rocks
There are bubbles all through the container and sitting on the
rocks

Malachite solid
waste
A big rock with blue and orange powder
Small pebbles

64.9 grams
Filtrate
Transparent blue liquid
Filtrate plus iron
(Fe)
OBSERVATION 1
Calm bubbles floating and popping
Black rocks/pebbles on bottom (iron)

OBSERVATION 2
Has black iron on the bottom which looks like a rock
Liquid looks like water at the beginning
The liquid turns brown and has some brown stuff floating

Filtrate plus zinc
(Zn)
OBSERVATION 1
There are numerous bubbles floating around fast
Big rocks that are black

OBSERVATION 2
Liquid is a clear not blue even though the waste we put
in was blue
Black stuff on the bottom


ANALYSIS
Below are the chemical reactions that take place in this lab: The first is the reaction that occurs when you
mix sulfuric acid with the malachite. The second is the reaction that occurs when you add zinc to the
filtrate. The third is the reaction that occurs when you add zinc to the filtrate. The third is the reaction
that occurs when you add iron to the filtrate.
1) The first reactions are already balanced, without needing to add any coefficients.
2) Balance the third reaction. Show your work.

CuCO
3(aq)
+ H
2
SO
4(aq)
CuSO
4 (aq)
+ CO
2(g)
+ H
2
O
(l)

CuSO
4(aq)
+ Zn
(s)
Cu
(s)
+ ZnSO
4 (aq)

3 CuSO
4(aq)
+ 2 Fe
(s)
3 Cu
(s)
+ 1 Fe
2
(SO
4
)
3(aq)


REACTANTS PRODUCTS
Cu
1 3 1 3
SO
4

1 3

3 3
Fe
1 2 2 2












Part 3: Treating Acidic Runoff


1. Determine the pH of your acid waste, using pH paper. Record the pH here: Ph3.
2. Add 3-4 drops of universal indicator solution. Note the color: Pink/Red Color.
3. Pour a little bit of NaOH into your beaker.
4. Determine the pH of your NaOH, using pH paper. Record the pH here: Ph12.
5. Add 3-4 drops of universal indicator solution to the beaker. Note the color: Purple/blue color.
6. Slowly start adding NaOH to your acid waste, until the solution has been neutralized.
7. Once your waste is neutralized, double check the pH with pH paper. Note the pH: Ph7-7.5.
Once youre done, pour the waste down the drain with lots of water.

DISCUSSION

1. What did you do to clean up the acidic waste produced in this lab?
In order to clean up the acid waste produced in the lab we needed to neutralize it. In order to neutralize the
waste we added a base to it. For example if an acid had a ph2 it was toxic it needs to be ph7 so that it isnt
toxic. In order to make it neutral we add a base like NaOH. We keep adding NaOH until the acid will
increase from ph2 to ph7.




2. How could you tell when your waste was fully neutralized?
To tell when the waste was fully neutralize we had to add universal indicator solution. Universal indicator
solution is ph. paper but in a liquid form. The color that the waste turned would determine the ph. number.
We added the base NaOH to the waste so it would neutralize. The color then started to change. Once the
color was red/pink color it meant it was ph7. Ph7 is the neutral number on the ph. scale.


3. The acid in your toxic waste is leftover H
2
SO
4
(sulfuric acid). You neutralized the waste by adding NaOH
(sodium hydroxide). Write the balanced neutralization reaction for mixing sulfuric acid with sodium
hydroxide.
H
2
SO
4
2NaOH Na
2
SO
4
2 H
2
O



Conclusion:
Today all around the world the lifestyle that many humans are living is damaging the world.
Weather we notice it or not the things that surround us can have been made in a way that will harm the
world. So many people use phones without them knowing that the phone has harmed the planet. Phones
have copper inside them, but many people dont know that. Since many people are not informed that
phones have copper inside them they arent aware that the copper that has been mined for has damaged
the planet. Learning about chemistry can inform people specifically how the copper used in phones harms
the environment. When we mine for copper we produce toxic waste that is harmful for the environment.
The waste that copper uses has sulfuric acid in it. An acid that is extremely harmful. Since the waste is
useless once the copper is removed people dont need it anymore. But, most people get rid of the waste
inaccurately. They get rid of the waste allowing it harm the planet. The waste in copper can pollute into
the ocean and into the water pipes. Due to the fact that the waste goes to these places our life is put in
danger and the animals in the ocean as well. The lifestyle so many people live is damaging to the planet
but it cant be solved because people arent even aware of it.
The information that chemistry offers shows how we can change our lifestyle from damaging the
planet. Although copper that is used in phones, tablet, computers, etc. is toxic there is a way for it to be
safe. We produce tons of waste from mining for copper but that toxic waste can be turned into a non-toxic
waste. Chemistry shows that to make an acid non-toxic you can add a base to it. For example the waste
produced from copper has sulfuric acid in it which highly damaging to the environment. By adding an
acid like NaOH we can neutralize it so that it not longer will hurt the environment when it is thrown
away. Even though chemistry allows us to understand how our modern lifestyle is damaging to the planet,
it also allows us to see how we can make it not damage it as much.