Science: Oxygen

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about two experiments I did in Science where we tested for Oxygen. 

Experiment 1: Making a Metal Oxide 

Aim: To make a metal oxide and observe the difference in the properties of the product compared to the reactants.

Method: 

1. Light your Bunsen burner.

2. Hold a piece of magnesium in scissor tongs. Ensure you are holding onto the very tip of the magnesium. 

3. Place the other end of the magnesium into the Bunsen flame (at the top of the blue flame).

4. When the magnesium begins to burn, do not look directly at it, as the light emitted can permanently damage your eyes. 

Results:

Discussion:

Like most Science experiments, there is a chemical equation. For this experiment, the generic equation is:

Metal + Oxygen ---> Metal Oxide

So, for this experiment the chemical equation was: 

Magnesium + Oxygen ---> Magnesium Oxide

From this equation we learn that when a metal reacts with oxygen it produces a metal oxide. Also we learn that when a substance burns, the burning process is actually reaction with oxygen, So when you are burning something you're actually adding oxygen to it. 

Conclusion: 

The experiment worked, we successfully added oxygen to a metal and created a metal oxide. I would like to try this experiment with different metals and see if the results will be different. 

Experiment 2: Testing for the Presence of Oxygen

Aim: To carry out a test for the presence of oxygen gas (O2).

Method: 

1. Light your Bunsen burner.

2. Add manganese dioxide to the boiling tube and place it in your tube test rack.

3. Add 2mL of hydrogen peroxide.

4. Light a splint and let it burn for a while.

5. Blow the splint out and insert the glowing embers into the mouth of the boiling tube. 

Results: 

The hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide bubbled together, when the glowing splint was placed into the boiling tube it reignited. 

Discussion:

The chemical equation for this experiment was:

Metal + Hydrogen Peroxide ---> Oxygen

For the experiment I conducted, the chemical equation was:

Manganese Dioxide + Hydrogen Peroxide ---> Oxygen

The end outcome will still remain as oxygen. So, when we place a recently blown-out splint into a tube where oxygen is being produced the splint will reignite. The splint reignites because fire requires two "ingredients" to come alive, air and oxygen. Because of this the splint had the perfect environment and ignited again. 

Conclusion:

The experiment worked well, I really enjoyed it and I wouldn't do it any differently. 

Thanks for reading!