What is the difference between copper sulfate and copper sulfate pentahydrate? [closed]








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I want to do copper plating and I have seen people using copper sulfate, but also there is copper sulfate pentahydrate.  

What is the difference and which one should I use for electroplating?




Copper (II) sulphate pentahydrate, $\ce{CuSO4.5H2O}$, indicates copper (II) sulphate in crystalline form (for ease you can say copper (II) sulphate whose crystals contain water).  

Copper (II) sulphate, $\ce{CuSO4}$, indicates anhydrous copper (II) sulphate (copper sulphate which has lost its water molecules).  

The difference is that $\ce{CuSO4.5H2O}$ has a blue colour due to the presence of water molecules in its structure (for same reason ferrous sulphate has a green colour), while anhydrous copper (II) sulphate, $\ce{CuSO4}$, is white.


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It really doesn't matter for your purposes: most commercial "copper sulfate" **is actually** copper sulfate pentahydrate (copper sulfate plus five molecules of water). Pure (anhydrous, i.e. without water) copper sulfate absorbs water from air to become the pentahydrate, so it's easier to ship the stable pentahydrate. 


You're paying for the extra mass of the unneeded water... c'est la vie.


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Copper Sulfate is $\ce{CuSO4}$, 159.609 g/mol, and Copper Sulfate Pentahydrate is $\ce{CuSO4\*5H2O}$, 249.685 g/mol. Either would work for copper plating. 


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