Determination of the Specific Heat Capacity of a Metal



Determination of the Specific Heat Capacity of a Metal

Objectives:

1. To calculate the heat absorbed by water from a sample of hot metal.

2. To calculate the specific heat capacity of the metal based on the heat gained by the water.

Background Information:

1. What is specific heat capacity and how do you calculate it?

2. Describe (or draw and label) a calorimeter.

3. How does the law of conservation of energy apply to this lab activity?

Procedures:

1. Don your fashionable lab attire.

2. Fill a 250 mL beaker about ¾ full of tap water. Set up a hot plate or a Bunsen burner and begin heating the water to the boiling point.

3. Measure and record the mass of your unknown metal. Assume that the mass of the string is negligible.

4. Place the metal sample into the hot water and wait for it to reach a boil.

5. In the meantime, measure and record the mass of a calorimeter.

6. Fill the calorimeter ½ full with tap water and measure and record the total mass.

7. Use a thermometer to measure the temperature of the water in the calorimeter.

8. Then, measure the temperature of the water in the hot water bath.

9. After the metal has been in the boiling water for at least 5 minutes, quickly transfer the metal directly into the calorimeter.

10. Use a stirring rod to slowly but continuously stir the water, measure the temperature with the thermometer. Record only the highest temperature reached by the water.

11. Repeat this process for a second, different, metal sample.

Data:

Make a data table for the following information:

unknown metal # Ti water in calorimeter

mass metal Ti boiling water (which equals metal Ti)

mass calorimeter Tf water in calorimeter

mass of calorimeter w/water

Calculations:

1. Determine the change in temperature of the water in the calorimeter for each trial.

2. Determine the heat transferred to the water in each trial by using the formula for specific heat capacity.

3. Use the temperature of the hot water bath and the final temperature of the calorimeter to determine the temperature change for each metal sample.

4. Solve for the specific heat capacity of each metal sample.

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