How to Make Carbon Dioxide in the Lab - Easy Steps

Before we begin our experiment, we must first ensure we have all the necessary safety equipment and materials.Let's start with the required safety equipment. These items are essential for protecting yourself in the laboratory.For this experiment, we'll need several materials. Each must be handled with proper care and attention.All work with hydrochloric acid must be conducted in a properly functioning fume hood. The fume hood protects us from harmful vapors.Before beginning any experiment, it's crucial to review and follow these important safety rules.Let's review the proper techniques for putting on and checking our safety equipment.Always remember, safety is our top priority in the laboratory. Never skip any safety steps, no matter how simple the experiment may seem.Now that we have our safety equipment ready, let's set up our reaction apparatus.We'll start by adding several small pieces of calcium carbonate, or limestone, to our test tube.Next, we'll secure our rubber stopper with the attached delivery tube. This tube will help us collect the carbon dioxide gas that will be produced.Our hydrochloric acid solution has been properly diluted and is ready in this beaker. Remember to always add acid to water when diluting, never the reverse.When we combine the calcium carbonate with hydrochloric acid, a chemical reaction will occur producing carbon dioxide gas, calcium chloride, and water.The carbon dioxide gas will travel up through the delivery tube, allowing us to collect it for further testing in the next step.Now that our apparatus is set up, we'll begin adding the hydrochloric acid to the calcium carbonate.Using a dropper, we'll carefully add the hydrochloric acid solution.As soon as the acid contacts the calcium carbonate, you'll observe immediate fizzing as carbon dioxide gas is produced.The chemical equation for this reaction shows that calcium carbonate plus hydrochloric acid produces calcium chloride, water, and carbon dioxide gas.The carbon dioxide gas travels through the delivery tube and is collected in our test tube by downward displacement of air.To confirm we've produced carbon dioxide, we can perform the glowing splint test. When we insert a glowing splint into the test tube, the carbon dioxide will extinguish it.