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Specific Heat Lab

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21 views3 pages

Specific Heat Lab

Uploaded by

brendsriverasy
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Specific Heat of a Metal

Background:
Specific heat capacity is the amount of energy, measured in calories or joules, needed to raise
the temperature of 1 g of the substance by 1 °C. Water was chosen as the standard and
assigned a specific heat of 1.00 cal/g °C. The specific heat capacities of all other substances
are compared to water. The value for q can be changed to Joules by the conversion factor, 1
calorie = 4.184 Joules; thus, the equation which we will use is:
q = (mwater )(∆T)(4.184 J/g °C)
To measure specific heat in the laboratory, a calorimeter is used. A calorimeter is a well-
insulated container used in measuring energy changes. The calorimeter contains water and is
insulated to reduce the loss or gain of energy to or from the surroundings. Energy always flows
from a substance at a higher temperature to a substance at a lower temperature. The heat
gained by the cooler substance equals the heat lost by the warmer substance, if we assume no
loss of heat to the air outside the calorimeter.
heat lost by "system" = heat gained by water

Target:
In this experiment, you will determine the specific heat for a given metal. The metal sample will
be heated to a high temperature then placed into a coffee cup calorimeter containing a
known amount of water. If you can find out how much heat was gained by the water in the
calorimeter than you will know how much heat was lost by the metal.
Heat lost by the metal, qmetal = - (Heat gained by the water, qH2O)
You will be able to solve for the specific heat capacity of the metal (cmetal) because everything
else in the equation will be measured or known.

Prelaboratory Assignment
Read the Introduction and Procedure before you begin. Answer the Prelaboratory Questions.
1. Since the specific heat of water is given in units of joules per gram degree Celsius why do
we measure the volume of water in the calorimeter instead of its mass?
2. A 22.50-g piece of an unknown metal is heated to 100.°C then transferred quickly and
without cooling into 100. mL of water at 20.0°C. The final temperature reached by the
system is 26.9°C.
a. Calculate the quantity of heat absorbed by the water. Show all work.
b. Determine the quantity of heat lost by the piece of metal. Show all work.
c. Calculate the specific heat of the metal in J/g °C. Show all work.
3. What would be the effect on the value of the specific heat capacity of water if all
temperatures were measured in kelvins (K) rather than degrees Celsius (°C)? Explain.

Materials
balance 250-mL beaker Safety goggles
Tap water Thermometer Lab apron
Foam cups, 6 oz (2) 50-mL graduated cylinders Tongs
Metal sample Hot plate

Procedure
Calorimeter Apparatus
The calorimeter used in this experiment is made of two white foam polystyrene coffee cups.
Foam polystyrene, as you know from experience, is an excellent insulator. Stack two Styrofoam
cups, pierce the bottom of the top cup to insert a thermometer. The thermometer should touch
the bottom of the inner cup. Make a tight-fitting hole for the thermometer. (See Figure 1.)
Figure 1
The calorimeter
1. Fill a 250 mL beaker with about 200 ml of water. Place it on your hot plate or heating
apparatus and begin heating the water to boiling.
2. Place exactly 50 ml of water in the calorimeter and measure the exact volume. Note
and record the temperature and volume in your Data Table.
3. Obtain a metal sample. Note and record the mass of the metal sample in your Data
Table. Place the metal sample in the boiling water bath for about 3 minutes. This is to
ensure that the temperature of the metal is 100°C, the temperature of boiling water.
Note: The metal sample is hot. Use beaker tongs to QUICKLY remove your metal sample
from the boiling water.
4. Quickly and carefully transfer the metal sample at 100°C to the room temperature water
in the calorimeter. Quickly place the lid containing the thermometer back on the
calorimeter.
5. Note and record the highest temperature reached by the contents of the calorimeter.
6. Repeat the experiment two more times, starting with fresh, cool water in the calorimeter
and a dry sample metal.

Data Table:
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Volume of H2O in your calorimeter
Mass of H2O in your calorimeter
Initial temp of H2O in your calorimeter
Final temp of H2O in your calorimeter
∆T of H2O (Final H2O – Initial H2O)
Mass of metal sample
Initial temp of metal sample 100 ºC 100 ºC 100 ºC
Final temp of metal sample
∆T of metal (Final metal – Initial metal)

Questions and Analysis


1. Calculate the quantity of heat gained by the water, using q = (mwater )(∆T)(4.184 J/g °C)
Report the results of all trials, as well as an average (mean) value. You need to show your
work for all of the trials.
2. Assume that the quantity of heat lost by the metal is equal to the quantity of heat gained
by the water. Use q = (mwater )(∆T)(4.184 J/g °C) and Q = Cp x m x ∆T (solve for Cp) to
determine the specific heat, Cp, of the metal. Be sure you use ∆T for the metal in your
calculation. Report the result for each trial, as well as a mean value. Show the
calculations all trials. Determine the metal you have….
3. Consider the assumption you were asked to make in 2.
a. Explain why the assumption is not valid.
b. Does using the assumption in 2 give a value for the specific heat of the metal that
is too high or too low? Explain.
4. Look up the value of the specific heat of your metal in the Handbook of Chemistry and
Physics. Calculate your percent error, using the following equation (note the "absolute
value" signs).
% error = (accepted value) - (experimental value) X100 =
(accepted value)
5. Any calorimeter absorbs a certain amount of the heat released. Knowing this, is your
value of the specific heat of the metal more likely to be higher or lower than the
accepted value? Explain.

Conclusion:

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