Metal Carbonates and Acid

Aim
- To show that Carbon Dioxide is produced when a metal carbonate is used with acid.

Equipment 
- Two boiling tubes
- Delivery tube and bung
- Bunsen Burner
- Test Tube rack
- Wooden splint
- A bottle of acid (We used Hydrochloric Acid)
- Small amount of metal carbonate (We used small Magnesium strips)
- Test tube tongs
- Safety glasses

Method
- Light your bunsen burner
- Add a 'pea-sized' amount of the metal carbonate into one of the boiling tubes (We just put in one strip of Magnesium)
- Place this boiling tube into a test tube rack. Ensure you have the bung and delivery tube ready.
- Add 5mL of acid to the boiling tube and quickly insert the bung and delivery tube into the mouth of the boiling tube.
- Holding the other boiling tube with your tongs, capture the gas produced as shown in the diagram below.

- When you think the tube is full of gas, your lab partner should light a wooden splint.

- Carefully remove the boiling tube from under the delivery tube, taking care to keep it facing upright
- Insert the burning splint into the mouth of the test tube. 

Observations
- Gas was stored in the boiling tube that was being held, when the burning splint was inserted the flames were quickly put out by the carbon dioxide.

Results
- As we put in the burning splint we all noticed that the flames were slowly going out. This is how we found out that carbon dioxide was created. It was scary at first because we all didn't know what was going to happen but soon realised it was kinda fun.

Conclusion
- This Experiment was really fun, I would do it again but let more carbon dioxide rest in the boiling tube because the fire would've gone out really quickly because of all the carbon dioxide that was being contained. We first tried it out with limestone in the boiling tube that soon afterwards contained the carbon dioxide because it was supposed to boil up but that didn't happen. It was still fun and I would do it again if I had the chance.