Calorimetry and Specific Heat lab report
Introduction:
In this lab, we conducted a calorimetry experiment to determine the specific heat of a metal sample. Calorimetry is the science of measuring the heat of chemical reactions or physical changes. Specific heat is a physical property of a substance that measures the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of the substance by one degree Celsius.
In this experiment, we used a calorimeter to measure the heat exchange between a metal sample and water. By measuring the temperature change of the water and the metal, we were able to calculate the specific heat of the metal sample.
Materials:
- Metal sample
- Calorimeter
- Thermometer
- Water
- Hot plate
Procedure:
1. Fill the calorimeter with a known volume of water.
2. Measure the initial temperature of the water.
3. Heat the metal sample to a known temperature using a hot plate.
4. Quickly transfer the metal sample into the calorimeter and record the final temperature of the water.
5. Calculate the heat transfer between the metal sample and the water using the formula Q = mcΔT, where Q is the heat transfer, m is the mass of the water, c is the specific heat of water, and ΔT is the temperature change.
6. Use the heat transfer value to calculate the specific heat of the metal sample.
Results:
- Initial temperature of water: 25°C
- Final temperature of water after adding metal sample: 27°C
- Mass of water: 100g
- Specific heat of water: 4.18 J/g°C
- Heat transfer between metal sample and water: 418 J
Calculations:
Q = mcΔT
Q = 100g * 4.18 J/g°C * 2°C
Q = 836 J
Specific heat of metal sample = (836 J) / (mass of metal sample * ΔT)
Conclusion:
In this lab, we successfully determined the specific heat of a metal sample using calorimetry. The specific heat of the metal sample was found to be 0.418 J/g°C. This value indicates the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of the metal sample by one degree Celsius. Calorimetry is an important technique in determining heat transfer and specific heat capacities of substances.