The Home Scientist 004 - Making Copper Ore from Root Killer and Baking Soda

Illustrates how to synthesize copper(II) carbonate, an ore of copper, from copper(II) sulfate root killer and sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). We'll use the pure copper carbonate produced in this video in later videos as a basis for producing various copper compounds, including copper(II) chloride and copper(II) acetate.

More information: http://blog.makezine.com/science_room/chemistry/laboratory_63_recrystallizati...

Material sources:

Roebic K-77 Root Killer (99% copper sulfate) is widely available in hardware stores.

Sodium bicarbonate is ordinary baking soda, available in any supermarket.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• copper ore
• copper carbonate
• chemistry
• biology
• physics
• forensics
• earth science
• home science
• MAKE
• Maker Shed
• Make: Science Room
• makemagazine
• home scientist
• robert bruce thompson

[dang3rousgoldfish]

Just wondering but why did you use sodium bicarbonate when you could have avoided the bubbling by using sodium carbonate?

[TheHomeScientist]

@dang3rousgoldfish

Because I had a 12-pound (5+ kilo) bag of baking soda handy and was running short on sodium carbonate. Of course, I could simply have heated the baking soda in an oven to convert it to sodium carbonate, but that wasn't necessary.

[labmaster49]

where to do you get root killer? is the root killer pure or does it have other compounds mixed in?

[TheHomeScientist]

@labmaster49

The stuff I used in the video is from Home Depot or Lowes. The label claims 99% copper(II) sulfate. I assayed it as about 99.6% pure. Nearly all of that 0.4% was insoluble impurities, which appear to be copper oxide.

[XxWearsMexX]

this is for a science project: where did you get that manual vacuum pump?

[TheHomeScientist]

@XxWearsMexX

I think I got it from Cynmar, but it may have been another vendor.

[PyroPudding]

Why do you not have a water aspirator, I find this not only gives a much higher pressure differential it also can be left for long amounts of time without the laborious task that the the hand pump demands. This is also true for many other youtube chemists, they either have a wimpy hand pump or a very expensive used lab pump(and the expensive glassware that goes along with that), so far no youtube chemist that I know of has an aspirator, the best "vacuumer" for your money.

[Deoxyribonucleon]

I don't think copper sulphate based root killer is readily available in my country. I just oxidised some copper pipe joints using a mixture of conc. H2SO4 and dilute H2O2 (pirahna solution). Bubbles started forming on the copper metal instantly but it was a very slow and mild reaction so I let it react over night and the next morning I had about 20g of copper (II) sulphate.

[98JMA]

@99Chemicals

CuCO3 is green when dry, but a bluey-colour when damp. Copper carbonate is well, just copper carbonate, but basic copper carbonate is the same compound but with hydroxide ligands attached.

[98JMA]

@TheHomeScientist

Is yours made of plastic or metal?

[99Chemicals]

I thought copper carbonate was a green solid not a sky blue type color.

Sorry but what is the difference between copper carbonate and basic copper carbonate i heard in another comment??

[youmakeitwhatitis]

The sound is gone, or messed up, or something >.<

[KISSMYSHITE]

he had his glasses upside down..... i cant troll this series is too good. wish hed make more though :(

[FPengu1n]

I attempted a roundabout method of this - by using copper (II) acetate I got from dilute acetic acid [vinegar] and hydrogen on normal pennies; and adding baking soda to the resulting solution. My first attempt with it yielded the intended product,

But when I added vinegar and H2O2 back to the pennies I got a very dark green solution and a noticable percipitate in, and on the bottom of the container.

Do you have any idea what went wrong with the second solution before I throw it out?

~FP