Making Salts
Ever wondered how table salt is actually made in a lab? This practical shows you how to create pure crystals from scratch using a simple acid-base reaction. You'll be combining sulphuric acid with copper oxide to produce beautiful blue copper sulphate crystals.
The process is quite straightforward: heat dilute sulphuric acid gently, then add copper oxide powder until no more fizzing occurs (this means all the acid has reacted). Filter out the leftover copper oxide, then evaporate your solution slowly using a water bath until crystals begin forming.
The key to success is patience during the crystallisation process. Leave your solution in a cool place for at least 24 hours to get proper crystal formation. Pat them dry carefully with filter paper, and you'll have created your first pure salt sample.
Top tip: Add the copper oxide in excess - you'll know you've added enough when the fizzing stops completely. This ensures all your acid has reacted.
