EXPERIMENT No.

5
Steam Calorimeter

OBJECTIVE:
1. Measure, calculate, and correctly use the terms heat,
temperature, specific heat, reaction enthalpy,
endothermic reaction, and exothermic reaction.
2. Understand the relationship between heat and specific
heat capacity. • Understand the relationship between
enthalpy and heat.
3. Calculate the amount of heat needed to heat a portion of
a hand, and set up a dissolution reaction that will
deliver that amount heat.
4. Determine Kcal and the specific heat of certain metals
namely Brass and Copper.

Learning Outcomes:
Students will be able to;
• Identify reactions as exothermic or endothermic.
• Perform calculations involving change in temperature,
specific heat capacity, and heat.
• Use scientific reasoning skills (such as observing,
measuring, inferring, and predicting) to problem-solve a
solution for a simulated real-world situation.
• Relate ∆H and q.

THEORY and ANALYSIS

Calorimetry measures the energy that a reaction produces

or consumes. For example, the major difference between
gasoline grades is the octane number. Unleaded gas has an
octane of 86, while Super Unleaded gas has a higher octane.
Calorimetry could be used to measure the heat or energy
produced when gasoline is burned. More heat (energy) would be
produced by the super unleaded gas so it would have a higher
enthalpy compared to just unleaded gas. Calorimetry could be
Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2
Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
used to see if a gasoline station is selling the grades of
gasoline it advertises. The calories in food have also been
measured by Calorimetry (hence the term calories). Usually
this is a measurement of calories (cal) per gram of food.
Remember that calories are easily convertible to joules (J)
and grams can be converted to moles if it is a pure chemical.
Enthalpy, represented by the symbol H, is a property chemists
use to describe the heat flow into or out of a system in a
constant-pressure process. This is often the case since most
processes that are carried out are exposed to the atmosphere
as are the reactions carried out in this course. The enthalpy
of a reaction, ΔHrxn, is defined as the difference between the
enthalpies of the products and the enthalpies of the
reactants. In other words, it is the change in energy for a
given amount of a given reaction. The enthalpy of formation,
ΔHf is defined as the enthalpy or heat change that results
when one mole of a compound is formed from its elements. The
standard enthalpy of formation is defined as the enthalpy of
formation measured at 1 atm such that the elements are in
their standard state. If a reaction is exothermic, heat will
be released, and the temperature of the system or reaction
mixture will rise. (In this experiment the heat and
temperature rapidly increase and then slowly decrease as heat
is lost to the surroundings.) For endothermic reactions heat
will be absorbed or used and the temperature will decrease. In
this experiment we will use the experimentally measured
enthalpy of reaction for a series of exothermic A-2 Revised
6/2016 reactions and Hess' Law to determine the heat of
formation for magnesium oxide (MgO). We will also determine
the enthalpy of reaction for an unknown metal oxide with an
acid. For this experiment pressure will be constant so
Enthalpy of Reaction and Heat of Reaction (ΔHrxn) are assumed
to be the same. The enthalpy of reaction, ΔHrxn, can be
calculated using the equation: ∆H

Where n is the moles of limiting reagent, ΔT (ΔC) is the

change in temperature in of the calorimeter’s contents, and Cp
Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2
Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
(kJ/ΔC) is the heat capacity of the calorimeter. The value for
n can be determined knowing the amounts of starting material.
The ΔT for a reaction can be calculated using the temperatures
before and after the reaction or the initial and final
temperatures. The heat capacity, Cp, of the calorimeter has to
be experimentally determined by doing a reaction where the
ΔHrxn is known. The heat capacity of the calorimeter is
primarily due to the solution in the cup. Heat capacity (Cp)
has units of kJ/ΔC. Physically, this means that it takes the
value of the Cp in energy to raise the calorimeter by ΔC. For
example, if a calorimeter has a Cp of 0.200 kJ/ΔC, the
calorimeter, including its contents, must absorb 0.200 kJ of
energy to increase ΔC. A 20 kJ/ΔC calorimeter increases ΔC
with one hundred times more energy, or 20 kJ. Cp varies
depending on the substance or system and describes how much
energy is needed to change the temperature of that substance
or system. The Cp of an ocean is huge (compared to a drop of
water) such that the oceans of the world maintain the earth at
temperatures that support life. In this experiment, the
calorimeter is defined as two nested Styrofoam cups, the lid,
magnetic stir bar, and the temperature probe tip, plus the
60.0 mL of the reaction mixture (mainly water). In order for
the heat capacity of the calorimeter to remain constant, all
of these must be present.

Figure A-1 Calorimeter Apparatus (ignore B-1)

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
NOTE: If less than 60 mL of reaction mixture was added, it
would take less energy to increase the calorimeter and
contents by ΔC. In other words, the heat capacity would
decrease. If more than 60 mL of the mixture was added, more
energy would be needed to increase the calorimeter and
contents by ΔC. The heat capacity is then increasing.

List of EQUIPMENTS and AFFARATUS:

•one Lab-quest Data Collector with a thermal probe
• one 250-mL beaker
• one 50-mL beaker
• one 18 mm ⨯ 150 mm test tube
• one test tube rack
• one crucible tongs
• one small beaker or watch glass
• one calorimeter with its lid
• one magnetic stirrer
• one magnetic bar
• one 100-mL graduated cylinder or larger
• six 13 mm ⨯ 100 mm test tubes
• one ruler that measures cm
• one thermometer
• stand and utility clamp

PROCEDURE:

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
 This experiment will require most of the time allocated
to the lab period. If you are not well prepared and do not use
your time wisely, you will not be able to complete this
experiment. Points will be deducted for areas not completed.
You will need to deal with deadlines and crunch times when you
work in private industry. Preparation is key, as well as time
management and proper coordination with your team member(s).
1. One team member should collect a Lab-quest Data Collector
with the thermal probe and instructions sheet and proceed
to set it up following the instructions sheet. Set the
“Interval” to 5 s/sample and the “Duration” 1000 s. Re-
enter these settings before each new run. (Ignore the rate;
the Lab-quest automatically adjusts it when the interval is
entered.)
2. Meanwhile, the other team member should:
a. Collect a 250-mL beaker, an 18 mm X 150 mm test
tube, a test tube rack, crucible tongs, and one Vienna sausage
(use the tongs to place it in a small beaker to transport it
to your area - don’t squish it).
b. Measure the mass of the Vienna sausage (do not place
it directly on the balance). Record this value in Data Table 1
c. Create an ice slush in the 250-mL beaker: fill the
beaker approximately 2/3 with ice and add just enough water to
produce a slush (see Fig. 3). The goal IS NOT to make ice
water, but to make packed ice with water between the pieces of
ice.
d. Add tap water to the test tube until it is
approximately ¾ full and leave it in the test tube rack (it
will be used later to return the probe to room temperature
before placing it in the calorimeter).
3. Insert the temperature probe through the Vienna sausage,
lengthwise (see Fig. 4). Submerge the Vienna sausage and
probe in the ice slush. If the ice slush melts into ice
water during the experiment, remove some water and refill
with ice to recreate the slush. Leave it there until the
sausage is at constant temperature (the Lab Quest is
displaying the sausage’s temperature). Monitor the time –
Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2
Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
 you want it to be in the ice slush for at least 12 minutes
to achieve a temperature near that of the ice bath.
Meanwhile, continue with the next steps.
4. Obtain a calorimeter with its lid and a magnetic bar. (If
using two coffee cups, place the cups in a 250-mL beaker
for stability).
5. Weigh the calorimeter with its lid.
6. Using the graduated cylinder, measure 100.0 mL of deionized
water. Pour it into the calorimeter and reweigh the
calorimeter with its lid. Calculate the mass of the water.
7. Setup the equipment as shown in Figure 1, minus the
temperature probe (do not remove it from the sausage yet):
a. Place the magnetic bar in the calorimeter.
b. Place the magnetic stirrer on the stand (if using a
magnetic stirrer/hot plate unit, make sure the heating
feature is off).
c. Place the calorimeter on the magnetic stirrer and turn
the stirrer on so that the magnetic bar is gently
stirring the water without splattering. Place the
calorimeter lid on the calorimeter.
d. Place a utility clamp on the stand and position it is
slightly above the outer hole of the lid.
8. Has it been at least 12 minutes since you placed the
sausage in the ice slush? If so, record the temperature of the
sausage, which is being measured by the LabQuest Data
Collector, in Data Table 1 item 10 - Ti initial temperature of
sausage.
9. Remove the temperature probe from the sausage (leave
sausage in the ice bath), wipe it with a paper towel and
insert it into the test tube containing water to restore it to
room temperature (wait until its temperature stops increasing
as displayed on the LabQuest).
10. Remove the temperature probe from the test tube and dry it
with a paper towel. Suspend it from the clamp and insert it
through the outer hole on the lid. Adjust the clamp so that
the probe is submerged as low as possible in the water but

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
high enough above the lid so that you can open the lid by
rotating it without lifting the probe (see Fig. 5)
Figure 5.

11. Wait until the temperature probe equilibrates with the

temperature of the water. Record this temperature in Data 1
item 5 - Ti, initial temperature of water.
12. Press “play” on the LabQuest Data Collector to begin data
collection. After obtaining three or four readings (after 15-
20 seconds) at the same temperature, rotate the lid and
quickly transfer the sausage from the ice slush into the
calorimeter. To transfer, pick up the Vienna sausage with
crucible tongs, and quickly shake any ice pieces and excess
water from the sausage before putting it into the calorimeter.
Be careful not to splash any water out when you put the
sausage in the calorimeter. Replace the lid. (While the data
is being collected, one of the team members should start
collecting the chemicals stated in steps B1 and B2.) Note 1:
To adjust graph size during the run, select “Graph” from the
top tool bar of the LabQuest Data Collector (see Figure 6),
then select “Auto Scale Once”. Note 2: If the data collection
stops too soon, hit play again and select “Append”. The graph
may have a little gap, but since you want the general trend of
the slope it will be okay.
13. Stop data collection once the temperature starts
increasing at a steady pace or reaches a plateau. Save the
run.
14. Dispose of the Vienna sausage in the regular trash can.
Pour the water in the calorimeter down the drain and invert
the calorimeter over a paper towel. Meanwhile, the other team
member should print the graph (print one copy for each team

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
member) following the instructions sheet located next to the
laptops.
15. Using a pencil, draw two lines on the graph similar to the
ones shown in Figure 2: draw a vertical line parallel to the
y-axis at the mixing point draw a trend line for the data
collected in the region of increasing/decreasing slope due to
heat gain/loss of the water; extend it until it intersects the
mixing line The “y” value of this intersection point
corresponds to Tf for the sausage and for the water.
16. Complete Data Table 1, including calculations.
17. The average size of an adult person’s hand is
approximately equivalent to 16 Vienna sausages. Based on the
mass of the Vienna sausage you weighed, estimate the mass of
an average adult person’s hand. Then calculate how much heat
would be required to raise the temperature of an average adult
person’s hand from 15.0 °C to 37.0 °C. Record these values in
Data Table 2.

DATA:

Specific Heat for Selected Substances

Substance Specific Heat Capacity
(J/g∙ ℃)
water 4.18
air 1.01
aluminum 0.897
granite 0.897

Table 1: Mass of both Copper and Brass

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
Table 2: Temperatures obtained every 30 seconds for Kcal

Table 3: Temperatures obtained to determine specific heats of

brass and copper

DISCUSSION:

Figure 1: Graphs of the Logarithmic of T vs Time for Trials 1

and 2

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
 Both graphs show a linear trend with R squared values of
0.9721 and 0.9726 for trials 1 and 2 respectively. These were
obtained from table 1 of the appendices. Further analyzing the
data, the initial temperature upon mixing was obtained by
getting the exponential of the y-intercept of both graphs.
This value was then used for the ∆T experienced by the
calorimeter. Using the volume, specific heat of water (4.184
J/g-Co), initial and final temperatures of both tap and water
(from the appendix), the heat capacity of the calorimeter,
Kcal, was obtained using equation 2 given to be 14632.74 J/g-C
and 9611.79 J/g-Co for trials 1 and 2 respectively. The final
Kcal that would be used in order to determine the specific
heats of brass and copper is the average of both values given
to be 12122.67 J/g-C.
From the R squared values, we note of the roughly 3%
percent error in this part of the experiment. This shows the
consistency and precision done with respect to both trials.
However, we found that there is a difference of 5020.95 J/g-C
between both trials. One possible explanation for this would
be the unevenness of the heat distribution within the
calorimeter. This might have affected the temperature readings
obtained by the thermocouple. Also, the calorimeter set-up may
not be optimal for well-insulated environments due to the
Styrofoam material or its lack of security.
Figure 2: Graphs of Logarithmic of Temperature vs. Time of
Copper and Brass Inside the Calorimeter

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
Again, both graphs show an increasing linear trend with R
squared values of 0.9207 and 0.933 for copper and brass
respectively. The initial temperature upon placing the heated
metal was obtained by getting the exponential of the y-
intercept of both graphs. Using the same quantities stated
previously and as shown below in the appendices, the specific
heats of both metals was calculated with the modification of
equation 2 given to be

q (lost by hot metal) = q (gained by tap water) + q (gained by

calorimeter)

CONCLUSION:

QUESTION:

1. How much heat is needed to raise the temperature of 5.00 g

of granite from 25.0 °C to 40.0 °C?
Ans.

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
2. A 55.0 g piece of metal was heated in boiling water to 99.8
°C and then dropped into a calorimeter containing 25.0 mL
of water with an initial temperature of 23.4 °C. A graph
similar to the one shown in Figure 2 was obtained. Using
the graph, the final temperature of the metal and water was
determined to be 26.1 °C. What is the specific heat of the
metal? (Density of water is 1.00 g/mL).
Ans.

3. Determine the enthalpy absorbed by the dissolution of 125.0

g of solid ammonium nitrate in water.
Ans.

4. When 3.005 g of solid MgSO4 were dissolved in 100.0 mL of

water, the temperature of the water rose from 21.0 °C to
24.3 °C. This reaction is being considered by another team
as a possible source for the heat pack. The heat needed to
warm the surroundings is 2238 J. How many grams of MgSO4
should be dissolved in 100.0 mL of water to generate 2238
J? Assume that the density of water is 1.00 g/mL.
Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2
Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña
Ans.

Name: Judel M. Lazaro BSME-4 Subject: ME Lab 2

Professor: Engr. Mary Fortune Daisy O. Date: Oct 12, 2022
Espiña