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Sound technical content, curated with aloha by
Ted Mooney, P.E. RET
Pine Beach, NJ

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Why dilute copper sulphate with vinegar for electroplating?

what effect does vinegar ⇦in bulk on eBay or Amazon [affil links] have on electroplating [since most experiments ask us to dilute copper(II) sulphate with vinegar?

Charlene
student - Singapore
2005

It's hard to guess what the textbook author may have had in mind, especially when we haven't seen the experiment, but vinegar is a very mild acid and will help the copper stay dissolved and help provide conductivity as the copper sulphate ⇦ this on eBay or Amazon [affil links] is diluted.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2005

It would normally be used because it is significantly safer for students to use than sulfuric acid. A plus is that it will form a copper acetate complex and tend to give you a tiny bit more uniform plating in the low current density areas.

James Watts
- Navarre, Florida
2005

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