The activity is suitable for both first and second-year courses. In a second part of the experiment, the reactions between copper, iodine, and ammonia are examined. The activity will probably require three lab periods if performed by students. One lab period might be sufficient for teacher demonstration. Removal of the zinc casing from a battery should be done with caution and safety protection only by a teacher.
Batteries contain caustic mixtures of chemicals.
Iodine causes skin irritation and can produce stains on clothing or skin. Goggles must worn throughout this experiment. All chemicals used in this experiment are available from consumer products. Prepare solution of the zinc ion by cutting up a battery casing into small pieces to accelerate the rate of the reaction, dissolving 2.00 grams of the casing in dilute HCl, neutralizing the solution with NaOH, using phenolphthalein as an indicator. Metal activity series Pb, Mg, Cu, and Zn metals should be cleaned with steel wool immediately prior to use.