<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Arial, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76); text-align: justify;">
	<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">Materials (Figure 1)</strong></p>
<ul style="margin: 0px 0px 20px 34.1979px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: inherit; font-family: Arial, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Verdana, sans-serif; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; color: rgb(76, 76, 76);">
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		<span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-right" style="margin: 15px 0px 15px 15px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font: inherit; display: inline-block; position: relative; border-radius: 10px; float: right; height: 224px; width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="caption newsimage caption-processed" src="https://www.superfund.arizona.edu/sites/superfund.arizona.edu/files/copper_electrolysis_materials.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; font: inherit; width: 300px; height: 224px;" title="Figure 1: Materials needed for copper electrolysis hands-on activity." /><span class="image-caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: normal; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); display: block;">Figure 1: Materials needed for copper electrolysis hands-on activity.</span></span>Copper sulfate electrolyte solution (200 g CuSO<sub style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: xx-small; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">4</sub>&middot; 5H<sub style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: xx-small; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">2</sub>O + 25.0 mL concentrated H<sub style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: xx-small; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">2</sub>SO<sub style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: xx-small; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">4</sub>&nbsp;solution in enough distilled or deionized water to make 1.0 L of solution)</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Coin cleaning solution (1 tsp table salt dissolved in &frac14; cup vinegar)</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Pre-1982 penny (contains 95% copper, versus only 2.5% copper post-1982)</li>
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		Dime (any year)</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		9V battery (use a new 9V battery for each experiment)</li>
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		18-gauge copper wire</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Four alligator clips (2 each of red and black)</li>
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		Wire stripper and needle-nosed pliers</li>
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		Two 250-mL beakers</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Cardboard circle (approx. 15 cm diameter)</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Precision scale (optional)</li>
</ul>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Arial, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76); text-align: justify;">
	<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">Safety Precautions</strong><br />
	Gloves and goggles should be worn throughout this experiment. Sulfuric acid can cause burns so please handle with care. Although the power source is relatively weak, the electrodes and connecting wires should not be handled when the cell is operating. The 9V battery can become quite hot during use; use caution when handling it.</p>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Arial, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76); text-align: justify;">
	<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">Protocol</strong><br />
	(Download the Copper Electrolysis Hands-On Instructional Guide (PDF) and/or Presentation (PowerPoint) for a complete set of images demonstrating materials/set-up.)</p>
<ol style="margin: 0px 0px 20px 34.1979px; padding: 0px 0px 0px 1.2em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: inherit; font-family: Arial, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Verdana, sans-serif; list-style-position: initial; list-style-image: initial; color: rgb(76, 76, 76);">
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Clean the penny with salt/vinegar mixture; rinse with water and dry (dime does not need to be cleaned).</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		<span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-right" style="margin: 15px 0px 15px 15px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font: inherit; display: inline-block; position: relative; border-radius: 10px; float: right; height: 295px; width: 300px;"><img alt="" class="caption newsimage caption-processed" src="https://www.superfund.arizona.edu/sites/superfund.arizona.edu/files/copper_electrolysis_coin_assemblies.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; font: inherit; width: 300px; height: 295px;" title="Figure 2. Complete wire assembly: red and black wires pushed through cardboard with alligator clips attached and coins inserted." /><span class="image-caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: normal; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); display: block;">Figure 2. Complete wire assembly: red and black wires pushed through cardboard with alligator clips attached and coins inserted.</span></span>Prepare the wire assembly:
		<ol style="margin: 0px 0px 20px 31.5208px; padding: 0.5em 0px 0px 1.2em; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font: inherit; list-style: lower-alpha;">
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Cut a 33 cm length of 18-gauge copper wire.</li>
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Peel apart to separate red- and black-coated wires.</li>
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Use 1.6 mm gauge setting on wire stripper to remove ~1.5 cm length of rubber coating from both ends of each wire to expose the copper filaments, being careful not to sever copper filaments.</li>
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Twist filaments together tightly and fold in half.</li>
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Make two holes in the cardboard an inch apart from each other.</li>
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Push the red wire through one hole and the black wire through the other.</li>
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Insert each folded end of the wires into the handle of a matching alligator clip so that the wire touches the metal inside the clip handle (red wire should have a red alligator clip at each end; black wire should have a black alligator clip at each end).</li>
			<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
				Clip the penny into the red electrode and clip the dime into the black electrode (Figure 2). OPTIONAL step to be completed before inserting wires into cardboard: Weigh each coin/copper wire assembly (penny/red wire/red clip; dime/black wire/black clip) separately and record the mass.</li>
		</ol>
	</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		<span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-right" style="margin: 15px 0px 15px 15px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font: inherit; display: inline-block; position: relative; border-radius: 10px; float: right; height: 216px; width: 162px;"><img alt="" class="caption newsimage caption-processed" src="https://www.superfund.arizona.edu/sites/superfund.arizona.edu/files/copper_electrolysis_setup.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; font: inherit; width: 162px; height: 216px;" title="Figure 3. Electrodes immersed in the electrolyte solution." /><span class="image-caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: normal; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); display: block;">Figure 3. Electrodes immersed in the electrolyte solution.</span></span>Pour 150 mL of the copper sulfate electrolyte solution into the beaker.</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Place the wire assembly over the beaker so that the coin &quot;electrodes&quot; are immersed in the electrolyte solution as illustrated in Figure 3.&nbsp;<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">Note:</em>&nbsp;the two electrode assemblies must not touch one another.</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Clip each connecting wire to the terminals of the 9V battery: Clip the red to the positive terminal, and black to the negative terminal (Figure 4).</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Allow the&nbsp;<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">electrolytic cell</strong>&nbsp;to operate for 30-60 minutes. OPTIONAL: Record the length of time the cell was operating.</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		<span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-right" style="margin: 15px 0px 15px 15px; padding: 10px; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font: inherit; display: inline-block; position: relative; border-radius: 10px; float: right; height: 245px; width: 500px;"><img alt="" class="caption newsimage caption-processed" src="https://www.superfund.arizona.edu/sites/superfund.arizona.edu/files/copper_electrolysis_complete_setup.png" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 5px; padding: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: bottom; font: inherit; width: 500px; height: 245px;" title="Figure 4. A) Cross-section illustration of final complete copper electrolysis lab set-up; B) Actual photograph of complete copper electrolysis lab set-up." /><span class="image-caption" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 0.8em; line-height: normal; font-family: inherit; text-align: center; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); display: block;">Figure 4. A) Cross-section illustration of final complete copper electrolysis lab set-up; B) Actual photograph of complete copper electrolysis lab set-up.</span></span>Remove the cardboard with the coin/copper wire assemblies and hang to dry in an empty cup or beaker until it is dry (5-10 min), being careful not to touch the coins, so as not to lose any of the copper plating.</li>
	<li style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 1em; line-height: 1.6em; font-family: inherit;">
		Examine the coins for changes. OPTIONAL: Weigh each coin/copper wire assembly and record the mass. Calculate the difference in starting and ending mass.</li>
</ol>
<p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; font-family: Arial, &quot;Trebuchet MS&quot;, Verdana, sans-serif; color: rgb(76, 76, 76); text-align: justify;">
	<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: inherit; font-family: inherit;">Disposal</strong><br />
	Coins used in this experiment should not be reused as currency. Coin/copper wire assemblies may be discarded in the trash or recycled.&nbsp; Electrolyte solution can be reused; to dispose of the solution, it should be flushed down the drain with plenty of water. 9V batteries can be disposed of in the trash.</p>
