Maggie Feng

Period 3
Title: How Temperature Affects the Volume of a Drop

Purpose
If the liquid used in the pipettes were at different temperatures, then the volume of the
drop would be greatest at a cold temperature because the slower movement of the particles
allows the drop to be less likely to separate and move apart than a warmer environment for the
particles.
At warmer temperatures, particles move faster than their counterparts in a colder
temperature. Using this as a foundation, it is hypothesized that the liquids at a colder
temperature, when dropped from the pipette, would have particles that are moving at slower
speeds, and thus less likely to scatter. The uncertainties for each variable will be calculated at
each step to demonstrate understanding of measurement and data processing.

Variables
Independent Variable: Temperature (in Celsius)
Dependent Variable: Volume of a drop (mL)
Control Variable: height at which pipettes are releasing water, pipette used, angle of
squeeze, liquid being used.

Materials
 1 1 mL pipette
 1 centimeter ruler
 1 stand
 1 roll of tape
 1 hot plate
 1 protractor
 1 Celsius thermometer
 250 mL beaker
 Room temperature water
 Ice and water mixture
  1 10 mL graduated cylinder with .2 mL increments

Procedure
1. Tape centimeter ruler vertically onto the stand. Attach a protractor at 16 cm.

2. Make 10°C water by pouring iced water into a 250 mL beaker of room temperature tap
water until the Celsius thermometer reads 10 °C.
3. Fill the 1 mL pipette until it is full from the 10 degree Celsius glass of tap water.
This pipette is used throughout experimentation.
4. Squeeze 30 drops into the 10 mL graduated cylinder at 14 cm height, vertical from the
graduated cylinder. This distance and angle is kept constant throughout experimentation.

5. Record the volume in mL indicated on the graduated cylinder.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 four more times for four more trials, while also making sure that the
temperature stays at the designated temperature.
7. Make 20 degree Celsius water by pouring iced water into a 250 mL beaker of room
temperature tap water until the Celsius thermometer reads 20 °C.

8. Repeat steps 3-6 for the 20 degree Celsius tap water.

 9. Pour 250 mL of water into the 250 mL beaker and set it over the hot plate, heating the
water to 30 °C

10. Repeat steps 3-6 for the 30 degree Celsius tap water.
11. Average the mL volume measurements for each temperature data group.
12. Divide the average by 30 in order to get the volume of one drop of water.
13. Analyze the data and compare results.

Data

Volume of 30 Drops of Water at Various Temperatures

10 °Celsius water +/- . 20° Celsius water +/- . 30° Celsius water +/- .
5° C 5° C 5° C
Trial 1 1.96 +/- .1 mL 1.80 +/- .1 mL 1.81 +/- .1 mL

Trial 2 2.00 +/- .1 mL 1.81 +/- .1 mL 1.80 +/- .1 mL

Trial 3 1.90 +/- .1 mL 1.81 +/- .1 mL 1.85 +/- .1 mL

Trial 4 1.90 +/- .1 mL 1.84 +/- .1 mL 1.80 +/- .1 mL

Trial 5 1.90 +/- .1 mL 1.80 +/- .1 mL 1.80 +/- .1 mL

Observations: Constants – 14 cm height from base of the stand, 180°, straight, vertical from
graduated cylinder opening. Water is the only liquid being tested.
Data Analysis

10 °Celsius water +/- . 20 °Celsius water +/- . 30 °Celsius water +/- .

5° C 5° C 5° C
a) Average volume of 1.93 +/- .1 mL 1.81 +/- .1 mL 1.81 +/- .1 mL
30 water drops
b) Average volume of 6.44 x 10-2 +/- .003 6.00 x 10-2 +/- .003 6.00 x 10-2 +/- .003
each drop mL mL mL

Sample calculations:
Conclusion

After using three different temperatures at specific 10°C increments, there was a trend
indicating that at lower temperatures, the volume of one single water drop is greater. The graph
visually depicts this as the average volume of a single water drop at 10°C is greater than the
average volume of a single water drop at both 20°C and 30°C, with the downwards sloping line
of best fit. This proves that the hypothesis was true, although there were plenty of errors present
in the experimentation process. During this experiment, a hot plate was used for the first time,
but was relatively easy to learn as equipment. Using a technique to completely fill up a pipette all
the way so that no air bubbles were present was a skill acquired in this experiment.
Possible sources of error include an immeasurable, inconsistent pressure used to squeeze
the pipette or the cooling or warming up of the water used at the various tested temperatures
whether it was the water in the beaker or the water in the pipette as each water drop was dropped
into the graduated cylinder. Inconsistent pressure can lead to different sizes of water drops
coming out of the pipette; varying temperatures ruins the validity of the testing, since
temperature is the independent variable that must be manipulated and kept constant in order to
find a consistent result with the dependent variable.
Human error consists of a large part of any weaknesses in this lab. The data was collected
over a two day period, so any equipment used could have altered results from the experiment.
For example, different graduated cylinders were used, and the pipette, although kept and was the
same pipette throughout, was transferred from place to place, adding variability to the results.
Because of these possible alterations, it is a much better decision to complete all the
experimentation on the same day rather than on two days. Also, the inconsistency of the
temperature that was the independent variable posed a huge weakness to the data; with
fluctuating temperatures, the results would not be as precise as it should. There needs to be a
mechanism such as refrigeration or a hot plate that could maintain constant temperature so that
the water in the beakers could retain a specific temperature without changing.