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The diagram shows a piece of magnesium ribbon being heated - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2012 - Paper 1

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The diagram shows a piece of magnesium ribbon being heated. During the heating, the magnesium reacts with oxygen from the air. The lid of the crucible was raised sl... show full transcript

Worked Solution & Example Answer:The diagram shows a piece of magnesium ribbon being heated - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2012 - Paper 1

Step 1

4(b)(i) Plot the graph

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Answer

To plot the graph, take the mass of magnesium used as the x-axis and the mass of magnesium oxide formed as the y-axis. Each point will represent the respective values from the table. A line of best fit should be drawn to show the relationship between the two variables.

Step 2

4(b)(ii) Explain why not all magnesium reacts

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Answer

There could be several reasons why not all magnesium reacts during the experiment. First, some magnesium may not have burned or reacted completely, leaving leftover magnesium. Additionally, if there is not enough air or oxygen available, the reaction will be incomplete. Furthermore, if the lid of the crucible is not lifted properly or if it is left off for too long, some magnesium oxide might escape or there could be smoke loss.

Step 3

4(c) Write a balanced equation

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The balanced chemical equation for the reaction between magnesium and oxygen is:

ightarrow 2MgO$$ In this equation, 2 moles of magnesium react with 1 mole of oxygen to produce 2 moles of magnesium oxide.

Step 4

4(d) Calculate the empirical formula

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Answer

To determine the empirical formula, first, calculate the moles of magnesium and oxygen:

  • For magnesium, use the values 0.414 g and convert to moles:

extMolesofMg=0.41424.31 ext{Moles of Mg} = \frac{0.414}{24.31}

  • For oxygen, use the values 0.064 g:

extMolesofO=0.06416.00 ext{Moles of O} = \frac{0.064}{16.00}

Next, calculate the ratio of moles: Ratio=Moles of MgMoles of O\text{Ratio} = \frac{\text{Moles of Mg}}{\text{Moles of O}}

If the ratio approximates 1:2, then the empirical formula is MgO2MgO_2. If it approximates 1:1, then it would be MgOMgO.

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