EXPERIMENT 302: HEAT AND CALORIMETRY

DIGNOS, Jason Benjamin

Department of Physics, College of Science, Mapua Institute of Technology- Intramuros

Physics 12L, C1, Group 4

jbsdignos@yahoo.com, jben_j03@yahoo.com

Keywords:

Heat

Specific Heat

Heat Fusion

Heat Transfer

Latent Heat

Abstract
Heat energy (or just heat) is a form of energy which transfers among particles in a substance
(or system) by means of kinetic energy of those particles. In other words, under kinetic theory, the
heat is transferred by particles bouncing into each other. Most of the times, heat may be mistaken as
temperature. Specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature by
one degree Celsius. Specific heat is defined as the amount of heat that has to be transferred to or
from one unit of mass or mole of a substance to change its temperature by one degree. It is a
property, which means that it depends on the substance under consideration and its state as specified
by its properties. The enthalpy of fusion of a substance, also known as latent heat of fusion, is the
change in its enthalpy resulting from providing energy, typically heat, to a specific quantity of the
substance to change its state from a solid to a liquid at constant pressure. In this experiment, in
order to find the specific heat and latent heat fusion we used an apparatus called calorimeter. The
results of the experiment gave the values for specific heat as 0.2381 cal/g-C for aluminum and
0.1096 cal/g-C for copper and a latent heat fusion of ice as 86.016 cal/g. However, when these
values are compared to their actual values we get a percent error of 4.54%, 8.08%, and 3.62%
respectively. This might be due to some factors regarding the apparatus, the environment and the
gathering of data itself.
Introduction
Heat is a form of energy that can be transferred from one object to another or even created at the
expense of the loss of other forms of energy. To review, temperature is a measure of the ability of a
substance, or more generally of any physical system, to transfer heat energy to another physical
system.

These two variables are

often mixes together for
being the same, in reality
they are two very different
quantities of physics.
Heat is the total energy of
molecular motion in a
substance
while temperature is a
measure of the average
energy of molecular
motion in a substance.

Figure 1: A visual example of heat transfer

Heat can be transferred from one place to another by three methods: conduction in solids, convection
of fluids (liquids or gases), and radiation through anything that will allow radiation to pass. The
method used to transfer heat is usually the one that is the most efficient.

One of the forms of energy is heat and it has 2 common effects which are the change in
temperature and the change in phase. The law of heat exchange states that the heat loss by the
environment must be equal to the heat gained by the object. The law simply stated that the amount of
heat needed to raise the temperature of the body is directly proportional to the mass and the change
in temperature, while the specific heat is constant. The latent heat is the amount of heat required to
change the phase of unit mass without any changes in temperature where the latent heat is inversely
proportional to the mass of the object.

Calorimeters are designed to be well-insulated, so no heat is gained from or lost to the surroundings.
If no heating element is used to introduce heat in the system, the total heat transferred for the entire
calorimeter system must equal zero. The total heat can be split into heats for each component in the
system. So in this experiment, we are going to find or determine the specific heat of metals,
Aluminium Metal and the Copper Metal and see how the latter statement can affect the results of the
experiment. We are also going to determine the latent heat of fusion of ice.
Methodology

In this experiment the following apparatus were used: Calorimeter, Aluminium metal, Copper metal,
2 cubes of ice, thermometer, beaker, and a stove.

determine the mass of the metals, the inner calorimeter, and the water in the
calorimeter

immerse the metal in the boiling

water

determine the initial temperature of

water in the calorimeter

determine the temperature of the metal in the calorimeter (using new

thermometer)

put the hot metal in the water

record final temperature

compute for results

Figure 2: Procedures for the first part of the experiment, getting the specific heat of both
metals.

For part 1 of the experiment, we are tasked to determine the initial temperature of the lead metal
(tom), the temperature of the water in the calorimeter (tow), the mass of the metals (mw), the mass of
inner calorimeter (mc), and the final temperature of the mixture (tmix).
 place the ice inside the
beaker

record the final

temperature of the mixture

determine the mass of the

mixture

record the gathered data

compute for results

Figure 3: Procedure for the second part, getting the heat fusion of ice.

This part half of the data was already obtained from part one, all thats left to get are the ices mass
(mi), heat fusion (Lf), and the mixtures temperature (tmix).

The specific heat capacity (c) of a substance is the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of
1Kg of the substance by one degree Celsius. The S.I unit of specific heat capacity is JKg-1C-1. We
use equation (2) to obtain the specific heat of the metal (experimental).

Q = mcT (1)

T+mc T
= (2)
T

Specific latent heat of vaporization is the energy needed to convert 1 kg of a substance from solid or
liquid to a gas vaporization without a change in its temperature. The energy, Q, required to change m
kg of a liquid to gas is given by the equation :

(3)
In this experiment we will determine the latent heat of ice, by the method of mixtures using a
calorimeter. The latent heat of fusion of a solid is defined as the amount of the heat required to change
a unit mass of that solid at its melting point into a liquid at the same temperature. The unit of the
latent heat is joule per kilogram. The same amount of heat is required to change the material from a
liquid to a solid state.

Latent Heat of Fusion

Solid Liquid

When ice is placed into a calorimeter, the ice will receive heat from water and the calorimeter

[Heat loss from calorimeter and its content = [Heat absorbed by ice melt it and raise its temperature
from 0C to the final temperature]

( mccc + mwcw )( T1 T2 ) = miceLf + micecw(T2 0) (4)

mw cw T1 T2 mc cc T1 T2 mt cwT2
Lf . (5)
mt

Equation (4) is the final formula to be used in obtaining the heat fusion of ice.

We now compare the obtain experimental values from the actual values of the specific heat for each
metal, then we get their percentage errors.

= | | 100%

After obtaining all the necessary data we proceed to the computations, where we get all the
unknowns in the data sheet. And lastly we finalize the PDS for checking.
Results and Discussion
After obtaining the necessary initial measurements, we compute for the change of temperature and
experimental specific heat of the metals, Cm then obtain the percentage error.

Table 1: Data Sheet

Part 1 : Determining the specific heat of Metal

Aluminium Metal Copper Metal
Mass of metal, mm 44.9g 49.7

Mass of calorimeter, mc 46.9g 46.9g

Mass of water, mw 250g 250g

Initial Temperature of metal, tom 51.15 63.15

Initial temperature of water, tow 29 29.35

Final temperature of the mixture,

31.1 30.7
tmix
Experimental specific heat of
0.2381 gal/g-C 0.1096 gal/g-C
metal, Cm

Actual specific heat of metal 0.2174 gal/g-C 0.0932gal/g-C

Percentage of Error 4.54% 8.08%

* The data listed above is the average of the two trials.

Sample computation for Specific heat of metal. (the data for the computations however are taken
from trial 1).

Aluminum:
1
T + mc T (250) ( ) (2) + (46.9) (0.2174 ) (2)
= = = 0.2276
T (44.9)(51)

Copper:
1
T + mc T (250) ( ) (1.4) + (47.9) (0.0.0932 ) (1.4)
= =
T (49.7)(63)
= 0.1052

Percent error:
 0.2276 0.2174
= | | 100% = 100
0.2174
= 4.454%

Table 2: Data Sheet

Part 2 : Determining the heat fusion of ice

Trial 1 Trial 2

Mass of calorimeter, mc 46.9g 46.9g

Mass of water, mw 196.9g 196.9g

Mass of mixture, mmix 264.3g 265.1g

Mass of ice, mi 67.4g 68.2g

Initial temperature of ice, toi 0 0

Initial temperature of calorimeter,
28 28
toc

Initial temperature of water, tow 28 28

Final temperature of mixture, tmix 28 28

Experimental latent heat of fusion,
86.007cal/g 86.025cal/g
Lf
Actual latent heat of fusion, Lf 80 cal/g 80 cal/g
Percentage error 3.62% 3.045%

Sample computations for heat fusion (taken from trial 1)

T + mc T mi T
= = 86.007

86.00780
= | | 100% = | |100 = 3.62%
80

Conclusion
The main objectives of the experiment were to determine the specific heat of brass and
aluminum metal, and to determine the latent heat of fusion of ice. After the experiment, we are able
to conclude that the specific heat of a metal can be determined using the concepts in law of heat
exchange. That the experimental value for specific heat of aluminum is closed to the actual value
0.2174 cal/g-C and 0.0917 cal/g-C for brass. The specific heat of each substance is different from
one another. I also conclude that the experimental value of latent heat of fusion of ice is closed to 80
cal/g, which is the actual value. I also concluded that a change in phase is possible without a change
in temperature. And the heat needed for this case in the latent heat, which varies for every change in
phase.
 After the experiment, we were able to conclude that the transfer of heat is normally from a
high temperature object to a lower temperature object. The experiment shows how heat of the
surrounding can affect the temperature of an object. Heat is directly proportional to mass and change
in temperature. The object needs more heat, which means greater final temperature, if there is greater
mass, and vice versa. Also, from the equation and after the experiment, I can conclude that heat absorb
by the metal depends on the property of the metal to absorb heat. The more heat it absorbs the lesser
the specific heat of that metal. They are inversely proportional to each other. Another thing is mass
of ice is inversely proportional to the latent heat. The more weight the ice contains, the lesser the
latent heat of fusion. In our home, heat is used for cooking, drying clothes and keeping the house
warm during a cold weather. In industry, heat is used to melt, cut and shape metals, to process foods
and other products, and make machines run too.

Recommendation
I would like to list a couple of recommendations for this experiment, below is the list.
Make sure the apparatus are in good condition
Do not stop stirring the ice when taking the temperature, this is to ensure the temperature to
cool down.
It is also important that when the water is cooling, prevent it from undergoing super cooling
due to any other external forces.
Watch the reading carefully as the temperature has turn down to the temperature that is wanted
for example if the temperature has increase 6C above room temperature and the final must
be 6C below the room temperature.

Reference

[1] 6th Edition, Physics Giancoli, Douglas C. Giancoli

[2] Manual Laboratory Physic Pre Science, Title Latent Heat Of Fusion Of Ice
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latent_heat

[4] http://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/thermalP/Lesson-1/What-is-Heat

[5] http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/light_lessons/thermal/transfer.html

[6] Physics laboratory 3 OT (old testament)