The determination of copper in brass

A close-up photograph of spiral-shaped brass turnings

Source: © Shutterstock

Try this microscale class practical to investigate how much copper there is in brass using nitric acid. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

In this experiment, students determine the copper content in brass (an alloy of copper and zinc) by dissolving brass turnings in nitric acid and comparing the colour of the solution with that of solutions of various concentrations of copper.

The practical should take approximately 25 minutes, and may be used as an assessed experiment.

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