CUNY Hunter College

• CHEM 106.LB

• EXPERIMENT 13 Composition 2: Hydrates and Thermal Decomposition A. General Notes Although the hydration of inorganic salts is a fairly simple concept, generally students encounter such compounds before they know enough about structure and bonding to appreciate how water molecules may be tied up with metal ions in crystals in fixed proportions. In particular, students are usually concerned about the “dot” notation used to indicate the water molecules and are confused about whether the water molecules are to be considered in calculating a compound’s molar mass, and if so, in what way? The experiment has been expanded from the version found in previous editions, so you may find that you need to focus on just those parts that will accomplish your goals for your students. The first portion simply involves investigating the nature of