Preparing salts by neutralisation of oxides and carbonates

A close-up photograph of the crystals of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)

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Try these class experiments to illustrate the production of soluble salts from insoluble metal oxides and carbonates. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

In this practical, students prepare crystals of two soluble salts. First, they react copper(II) oxide with dilute sulfuric acid to produce blue copper(II) sulfate. They then react magnesium carbonate with dilute sulfuric acid, resulting in magnesium sulfate. Crystals are recovered by filtration and evaporation.

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