Should we mine this Ore - Essay Example

Should we Mine this Ore? Aim The main aim of this experiment is to determine the concentration of copper from Cu(NO3)2.2.5H2O. The experiment determines whether the ore should be mined or not, depending on the amount of pure copper it has. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy3M Sulphuric Acid is used to dissolve this ore to obtain Copper (II) sulfate solution. The CuSO4 solution has the deepest blue color that absorbs more light than a solution of lower concentration, for example, Copper (II) acetate.

Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) technique is used to determine the absorbance of the solutions. Five standard solutions of Copper (II) sulfate were prepared, and transferred to rectangular cuvettes that were placed into the spectrometer. The amount of light that passed through the solutions to the photocells is used to determine the absorbance of each solution (Reynolds & Thompson 26). Beer’s Law The equation of the standard curve is given by y =mx + b. Plotting a graph of absorbance against concentration for the standard solutions produces a curve that has a direct relationship with the equation of the standard curve (Bartlett 159).

The direct relationship between concentration and absorbance for a solution is referred to as Beer’s law. Concentration of unknown compound can be determined from the graph by measuring its absorbance. Its absorbance is located on the x-axis of the graph, and its corresponding concentration is determined on the y-axis. Concentration of the unknown solutions can also be established from the slope of the Beer’s law curve (Bartlett 159).Beer’s law is given by: A = ε l cMaterialsSpectrometerOne cuvetteTwo 100 mL beakersTwo 10 mL graduated cylindersFive test tubesTest tube rackPipet pumpStirring rodCu(NO3)2.2.5H2OCopper (II) sulfate unknown solution0.

04 M copper (II) sulfate solution Distilled waterProcedureFive standard solutions of 0.40 M CuSO4 and distilled water were prepared in clean, dry test tubes and mixed thoroughly with a stirring rod in accordance to the table below. Test Tube0.40 M CuSO4 (ml)Distilled H2O (ml)Concentration (M)1280.0802460.163640.244820.3251000.40A blank solution was then prepared by filling the cuvette with distilled water to a volume of ¾ full. Care was taken not to contaminate the cuvette while filling it. Spectrometer was then calibrated by placing a blank cuvette into the cuvette grove of the spectrometer (Reynolds & Thompson 160).

In order to determine optimal wavelength for plotting this standard curve, 0.4 M standard solution was placed in the cuvette slot. The cuvette was then rinsed twice with 1 mL solution in Test Tube 1, and then refilled to ¾ of its volume. The outside was wiped with a tissue paper and placed into the cuvette, and absorbance of the solution was measured (Bartlett 159). This process was repeated for solution 2-5 until their absorbances were obtained. The absorbance of each solution was recorded in the data table.

The data recorded was used to draw a graph of absorbance Vs concentration. The concentration of Copper (II) sulfate was obtained from the graph by determining its corresponding reading on the y-axis. Discussion Among all the acids and bases that were available for dissolving the copper ore, 3 M sulfuric acid was the best solvent, because it produces copper (II) sulfate solution with the deepest blue color. Deep colors absorb more light in the ASS that produces quality wavelengths depending on the absorbance spectrum of solutions.

Standard solutions of CuSO4 are used to draw the Beer’s law curve, from which the concentration of other unknown solutions can be determined after establishing their absorbance (Reynolds & Thompson 160).ConclusionAtomic Absorption Spectroscopy technique is used to determine the concentration of more than 68 metals in their naturally occurring ores. The ore used in this experiment is Cu(NO3)2.2.5H2O. The experimental results indicated that there was a sufficient amount of copper (more than 1%) in this ore.

This ore is, therefore, worth mining since it contains a significant amount of copper than it wastes. Works CitedBartlett R. W. Solution Mining: Leaching and Fluid Recovery of Materials. London: Routledge, 1998.PrintReynolds R. J, Thompson K. C. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy: A Practical Guide. New York: Barnes & Noble, 2008. Print