Reducing Silver Ions With Dextrose
The goal for our lab activity was to make a silver mirror by reducing silver ions with dextrose. The materials that we used were acetone, 5 mL of 1.5 M ammonium nitrate solution (NH4NO3), 5 mL of 0.5 silver nitrate solution (AgNO3), 10 mL of 5% dextrose solution (C6H12O6), 10mL of 10% sodium hydroxide solution (NaOH), a 50 mL beaker, a 250 mL Florence flask with a rubber stopper, a 10 mL graduated cylinder, a waste beaker, and distilled water.
The first thing we did was rinsed the beaker, cylinder, and flask with acetone. To start, we poured the 10 mL of 5% dextrose solution into the flask. Next, we measured 5 mL of 1.5 M ammonium nitrate solution and poured it in the 10 mL beaker. Then we measured 5 mL of 0.5 M silver nitrate solution and
poured that too in the beaker, and then we mixed those two solutions together. After combining them and pouring them into the flask, the 10 mL of 10% sodium hydroxide solution was also put into the flask and it was stoppered. When the last of the solutions was poured with the rest, the color changed from being clear to having a light brown shade. Finally, we had to shake the flask to mix all the solutions together and make them stick to the inside of the flask. The color changed from light brown to black to silver, to the point where we couldn’t see the inside of the flask and the outside was a silver mirror.
When we took off the stopper, we could see that there was still liquid in the flask. One of us had to empty the flask into the waste beaker and then rinse out the flask with distilled water. We also had to rinse the beaker and cylinder out with distilled water.
We had learned that Tollens’ reagent is an alkaline solution of ammoniacal silver solution and is used to test for aldehydes. However, we did not really go over how we can use it in creating a silver mirror, so I was unsure of what to put in the conclusion. I did have fun doing the lab with my group, though.
The first thing we did was rinsed the beaker, cylinder, and flask with acetone. To start, we poured the 10 mL of 5% dextrose solution into the flask. Next, we measured 5 mL of 1.5 M ammonium nitrate solution and poured it in the 10 mL beaker. Then we measured 5 mL of 0.5 M silver nitrate solution and
poured that too in the beaker, and then we mixed those two solutions together. After combining them and pouring them into the flask, the 10 mL of 10% sodium hydroxide solution was also put into the flask and it was stoppered. When the last of the solutions was poured with the rest, the color changed from being clear to having a light brown shade. Finally, we had to shake the flask to mix all the solutions together and make them stick to the inside of the flask. The color changed from light brown to black to silver, to the point where we couldn’t see the inside of the flask and the outside was a silver mirror.
When we took off the stopper, we could see that there was still liquid in the flask. One of us had to empty the flask into the waste beaker and then rinse out the flask with distilled water. We also had to rinse the beaker and cylinder out with distilled water.
We had learned that Tollens’ reagent is an alkaline solution of ammoniacal silver solution and is used to test for aldehydes. However, we did not really go over how we can use it in creating a silver mirror, so I was unsure of what to put in the conclusion. I did have fun doing the lab with my group, though.