CH 10 Lab Writeup

Michaela DiGanci
CHEMISTRY PERIOD 5
January 28, 2009
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 )(ΔT)(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?
-We measure the volume of water in a calorimeter because we are looking for the energy
given, not the weight of it. Also, because the conversion from mL to grams are the same.
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.
6.9 degree Celcius is absorbed.
b. Determine the quantity of heat lost by the piece of metal. Show all work.
73.1 degree Celcius is lost.
c. Calculate the specific heat of the metal in J/g °C. Show all work.
Specific heat of the metal is 1.76 J/g degree Celcius
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.
-If Celcius degrees were switched to Kelvin the number would only be a 273 degrees
difference, since the Kelvin thermometer 0 is at ABSOLUTE zero, rather than Celcius
is where water freezes.
Materials
SEE LAB
Procedure
SEE LAB
Data Table:
Trial 1 Trial 2 Average
Volume of H2O in your calorimeter 75 mL 75 mL 75 mL
Mass of H2O in your calorimeter 75 g 75 g 75 mL
Initial temp of H2O in your calorimeter 14 degree C 13 degree C 13.5 degree C
Final temp of H2O in your calorimeter 16 degree C 15 degree C 15.5 degree C
∆T of H2O (Final H2O – Initial H2O) 2.1 degree C 2.2 degree C 2.15 degree C
Mass of metal sample 9.44 g 9.44 g 9.44 g
Initial temp of metal sample 100 ºC 100 ºC 100 ºC
Final temp of metal sample 16 degree C 15.2 degree C 15.6 degree C
∆T of metal (Final metal – Initial metal) 83.9 degree C 84.8 degree C 84.35 degree C
Questions and Analysis

1. Calculate the quantity of heat gained by the water, using q = (mwater )(ΔT)(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 )(ΔT)(4.184 J/g °C) and Q = Cp x m x ΔT (solve for
Cp) to determine the specific heat, Cp, of the metal. Be sure you use ΔT 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.
Because there is a ton of water and little metal, so the water cannot gain as much
heat as the metal lost.
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 or Reflection:
In the specific heat lab, we have discovered the specific heat of an unknown metal which,
in the end, was discovered to be Aluminum. We found this out by the controlled factors of the
experiment (water, boiling water, calorimeter, etc.) The only thing we did not know was the
specific heat of the metal at first, but then with math and the experiment we found out. To
find this, we put a 100 mL beaker on a hot plate, heating it up to boil, and placed the metal in
the beaker. Meanwhile we placed 75 mL of 15 degree Celcius water in the calorimeter, as soon
as the metal reached to 100 degree C, we quickly put it in the calorimeter. The metal lost most
of it’s heat, when the water hardly gained any at all. This is because water has a higher heat
capacity than the Aluminum. This lab was fairly easy, although the math was slightly tricky.
We did nothave any weaknesses or limitations.

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Michaela DiGanci

Questions and Analysis

3. Consider the assumption you were asked to make in 2.

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