Hook the copper wire onto the sample cup, so that one end of the wire is touching the bottom of the cup, and the other end is creating a "hook" on the outside of the cup.

Half-fill the cup with distilled water and stir in the blue copper (II) sulfate crystals until completely dissolved. The copper wire needs to touch the solution.

Attach the battery cap to the 9V battery. If you have not already done so from the Water Hydrolysis Lab, you will have to strip the ends of the wires attached to the battery cap.

Now, you will test individual combinations to see which provokes a reaction. (What will happen in each combination?

1-Touch the red wire/test lead to the copper wire in the sample cup and observe/record any reaction.

2-Touch the black wire/test lead to the copper wire in the sample cup and observe/record any reaction.

Attach the paper clip to the red test lead.

3-Place the paper clip, attached to the red test lead, into the solution and observe/record any reaction. Ensure that only a portion of the paper clip is submerged, not the wire coming from the red test lead (which must be kept out of the solution).

4-While the paper clip is in the solution (attached to the red lead), touch the wire coming from the black test lead to the copper wire in the cup. Observe closely any reaction or changes you see in the paper clip that is in the solution. You may have to allow it to remain for a few seconds/minutes in order for the reaction to proceed.

Take the paper clip off the red lead, and attach the paper clip to the black test lead.

5-Place the paper clip (attached to the black lead) into the solution, observe/record any reaction. Keep only the tip of the paper clip in the solution. Do not allow the wire from the test lead to be submerged in the solution.

6-While the paper clip (attached to the black lead) is in the solution, touch the red lead's wire to the copper wire hanging in the cup for one second.

7-Remove the paper clip from the solution, and observe/record any changes in the appearance of the paper clip.

8-While the paper clip that is attached to the red lead is in the solution, touch the black lead (bare wire) to the copper wire. Allow this connection to remain for at least five minutes, and observe any reaction at either end of either wire closely. Observe the paper clip, noting any changes.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

With the experiment We conclude that reaction will not take place when just the red lead or black lead is touched by the copper wire The main reason f... View the full answer