I am doing a Lab and one of the questions asks for two reasons why you wouldn't want to use heat to find the percent water in a hydrated crystal. I'm completely at a loss. I've searched 2 chemistry books and scoured the internet and all I see is using heat.
Working my way through it, I thought:
Maybe some are combustible at low temp?
Maybe some have a low boiling point and become gaseous?
Maybe some of them become highly caustic when the water is heated? It wouldn't eat through the beaker/dish would it?
I see some mention that over heating can break them down into other compounds, such as CuSO4 into CuO, which is decomposition? In terms of thermodynamics, I know appreciate that heat could supply the activation energy required for different products to the anhydrous compound we are after. So there is one reason.
Since we are looking at % water specifically, I don't think I can consider things that only release HCl when dehydrated? do some release other compounds in edition to H2O?
Please note, I would prefer being pointed in the right direction or resources than straight up answers, but will take what I can get.