Combustion Practical 1: candle burning in a jar

In your write-up, remember to be CLEAR in your presentation and LOGICAL in your discussion.
Title

Testing for bi-products of combustion

Aim

What do you want to test or prove? OR What question(s) are you trying to answer?
(For example: To determine the boiling point of water in degrees Celsius.)

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Safety/Risks

What danger could there be in doing this experiment? Consider electric shock, burns,
chemical contamination etc.
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Equipment

List the equipment you need to conduct the experiment. If applicable, draw a labelled, 2dimentional diagram clearly showing what the equipment is and how it is used. Use a
pencil and ruler.

Method

Gas jar and lid

Candle
Tray
Heat-proof mat
Limewater
Blue cobalt chloride paper

List the steps you follow to conduct the experiment.

(Example 1: In part I, ice was placed in a beaker and warmed until approximately 50% had melted. The
temperature of the ice/water mixture was then measured with a thermometer. This was followed by a similar
measurement of our solid unknown. In part II, water was heated until boiling and the temperature of the
liquid/gas mixture measured with a thermometer. This was followed by a similar measurement using our
unknown compound.)
(Example 2: The surface tension of tert-butanol solutions was measured using the procedure presented in
Shoemaker, et al.1 with the following exceptions: the procedure in the manual was modified by repeating each
trial three times.)

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Results

Results may include written observations in a list or table, sketches, diagrams, photos,
etc. Draw up a table to record results, if numerical data is obtained. All tables, graphs
and charts should be labeled appropriately.
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Conclusion

Have you tested or proved what you had as your aim? Say that you have done so in a clear,
logical statement.
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Discussion

Is the result what you expected? EXPLAIN how you have tested or proved what you had as
your aim. Discuss possible errors that could have occurred in the collection of the data
(experimental errors): How did you ensure that the measuring was accurate? What
mistakes were made? How could this improve?
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FYI:
Cobalt chloride is an interesting kind of salt in that it changes color as it absorbs moisture. Strips of dry
cobalt chloride test paper go from blue to pink as they soak up water.
Limewater turns milky in the presence of carbon dioxide due to formation of calcium carbonate, a process
called carbonation:
Ca(OH)2
+
CO2

CaCO3
+
H2O
calcium
hydroxide(l)

carbon
dioxide(g)

calcium

water

(l)

carbonate(s)

Can you work out what type of reaction this is?

Extra Activity:
The formula for candle wax is C25H52. Can you balance the following equation for burning a candle?

C25H52 + _____O2 _____CO2 + _____H2O

Combustion Practical 2: bunsen and watchglass

Title

Observing complete and incomplete combustion

Aim

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Safety/Risks

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Equipment

Method

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Bunsen burner
Gauze mat
Tripod
Watchglass

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Results

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Conclusion

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Discussion

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Important information and activity:

When complete combustion is occurring with a bunsen burner, the hole is open/closed and the flame burns
yellow/blue (cross out wrong answer).
The equation for the complete combustion of methane is:

CH4

2O2

CO2

2H2O

methane(g)

oxygen(g)

carbon

water(l)

dioxide(g)
When incomplete combustion is occurring with a bunsen burner, the hole is open/closed and the flame burns
yellow/blue (cross out wrong answer).
The equation for the incomplete combustion of methane is:
2CH4
methane

+
+

3O2

2CO2

oxygen

carbon
monoxide

+
+

4H2O
water

+ C (soot)