How are crystals of copper sulphate prepared?

Answer 1

You need to start with a copper compound and react it with an acid to get the salt you want. If you use hydrochloric acid you will get a chloride; if you use nitric acid you will get a nitrate. You asked for copper sulphate so can you decide for yourself which acid you need? You will need to put this in a conical flask and heat it - if you're heating acids you must wear protective goggles - and add some copper oxide. This is black. It will react and form a blue solution. You need to be sure you have used up all your acid so you must use enough copper oxide to have some left over. Stop heating and filter it to get rid of the rest of the copper oxide. You want to get rid of the water now - if you want to be quick you can evaporate it by placing it in an evaporating basin on top of a beaker of boiling water. If you have time you can just leave it to evaporate slowly at room temperature. If you do it this way you will get nicer, bigger crystals. Why do you think this is? Look carefully at your crystals to see what shape they are.