1. Weigh a clean, empty evaporating dish and record the mass on the data sheet.  Leaving the evaporating dish on the balance, add between 2 - 4 grams of the hydrate into the dish and re-weigh. Record the mass on the data sheet. 
2. Place the dish on a hot plate and heat (medium high heat) until the blue color is gone or mostly gone (avoid burning the sample). Remove dish with crucible tongs and set on a wire gauze to cool. After cooling, reweigh the evaporating dish with the anhydrous compound. Record the mass on the data sheet. 
3. Dispose of the anhydrous in the waste container in the hood. Empirical Formula of zinc chloride:
4. Weigh a 100 mL beaker and record the mass on the data sheet.
5. Add approximately 0.5 grams of zinc to the beaker, re-weigh, and record the mass on the data sheet.
6.  Measure 10 mL of 3 M HCI into a 10 mL graduated cylinder.
7. Slowly add HCI to the beaker and stir. Stir and react for 5 minutes.
8. Place the beaker on the hot plate (medium heat), occasionally stirring, careful