Specific Heat Lab
Specific Heat Lab
Objective: Find the specific heat of the unknown metal given using calorimetry.
Background Theory:
In every reaction, energy is transferred between a system and its environment. A system encompasses the substances that are involved in a reaction, and everything else in the universe other than the system is called the environment. The standard SI unit of energy is Joules (J). Temperature is the level of excitement of the atoms in a substance. In most cases, energy is transferred by heat. Heat is the energy released from a change in temperature. The standard units for heat and temperature are in degrees Celsius or Kelvin (both have the same increment between each degree, the difference is that Celsius is based off …show more content…
A calorimeter is an instrument used to measure the change in heat in a reaction. Inside a calorimeter it is filled with water. To find the specific heat of a substance you place the substance inside the water, then measure the change in the temperature of the water and the change in temperature of the substance. The final temperature and amount of heat transferred will always be equal (q of water= q of substance). Then, using basic algebra, you can figure out the specific heat of the …show more content…
(When the water boils, leave the metal in for 3-5 minutes, this will make the initial temperature of the metal 100oC)
4) Fill the calorimeter with 70.0g of tap water and record its initial temperature (23.0oC)
5) Quickly transfer the metal to the calorimeter, immediately cover with an insulating lid and stir. Record the final temperature without touching the metal or the sides of the calorimeter (28.0oC)
|Water |Metal |
|mass in g |70.0 |53.65 |
|ti degrees C |23.0 |100.0 |
|tf degrees C |28.0 |28.0 |
|∆t |28.0oC-23.0oC= 5oC |100.0oC-28.0oC= 72oC
Objective: Find the specific heat of the unknown metal given using calorimetry.
Background Theory:
In every reaction, energy is transferred between a system and its environment. A system encompasses the substances that are involved in a reaction, and everything else in the universe other than the system is called the environment. The standard SI unit of energy is Joules (J). Temperature is the level of excitement of the atoms in a substance. In most cases, energy is transferred by heat. Heat is the energy released from a change in temperature. The standard units for heat and temperature are in degrees Celsius or Kelvin (both have the same increment between each degree, the difference is that Celsius is based off …show more content…
A calorimeter is an instrument used to measure the change in heat in a reaction. Inside a calorimeter it is filled with water. To find the specific heat of a substance you place the substance inside the water, then measure the change in the temperature of the water and the change in temperature of the substance. The final temperature and amount of heat transferred will always be equal (q of water= q of substance). Then, using basic algebra, you can figure out the specific heat of the …show more content…
(When the water boils, leave the metal in for 3-5 minutes, this will make the initial temperature of the metal 100oC)
4) Fill the calorimeter with 70.0g of tap water and record its initial temperature (23.0oC)
5) Quickly transfer the metal to the calorimeter, immediately cover with an insulating lid and stir. Record the final temperature without touching the metal or the sides of the calorimeter (28.0oC)
|Water |Metal |
|mass in g |70.0 |53.65 |
|ti degrees C |23.0 |100.0 |
|tf degrees C |28.0 |28.0 |
|∆t |28.0oC-23.0oC= 5oC |100.0oC-28.0oC= 72oC