Dehydration of Hydrated Copper(II) Sulfate
- Reversible reactions can be seen in some hydrated salts
- These are salts that contain water of crystallisation which affects their shape and colour
- Water of crystallisation is the water that is included in the structure of some salts during the crystallisation process
- A common example is copper(II) sulfate which crystallises forming the salt copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate, CuSO4.5H2O
- Water of crystallisation is indicated with a dot written in between the salt and the surrounding water molecules
- Anhydrous salts are those that have lost their water of crystallisation, usually by heating, in which the salt becomes dehydrated
- When anhydrous copper(II) sulfate is added to water, it turns blue and heat is given off so the reaction is exothermic
- When hydrated copper(II) sulfate crystals are heated in a test tube, the blue crystals turn into a white powder and a clear, colourless liquid (water) collects at the top of the test tube
- The equation for the reaction is:
CuSO4.5H2O (s) ⇌ CuSO4 (s) + 5H2O (l)