Investigation to find out the empirical formula of magnesium oxide.

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... n it when lifting up the lid. If I were to do this experiment again I would carry it out in a fume cupboard to make sure nothing but pure oxygen will be allowed to come in contact with the burning magnesium.

Potential reasons for error

Hot Magnesium will react with Nitrogen in the air if there is insufficient O2 forming Magnesium Nitrate (Mg3N2).

When magnesium metal is burned in pure oxygen, the only product is magnesium oxide. If a sample of Mg is weighted before and after combustion, then the increase in mass is equal to the mass of oxygen that is combined with Mg. From a knowledge of the mass of Mg and the mass of combined O, the empirical formula of magnesium oxide can be calculated.

There is only one problem with this straight forward approach. It is more usual to burn things in air than in pure oxygen ...

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