Ward 1

Kesslyn Ward
Mr. Moffitt
Honors Chemistry
24 September 2017
Bunsen Burner Lab Report
In the Bunsen burner lab, our group was testing what position in the flame is most
effective when heating water. We tested four differents heights and determined which position
can heat water to 70° C the fastest.

Prelab Questions:
1. What are constants in this experiment?
a. Type of liquid used (water)
b. Height of flame/Intensity of flame
c. Boiling point (70° C)
d. Volume of water (100mL)
2. What are the variables in this lab?
a. Position of beaker in the flame
b. Time it takes for the 100mL of water to reach 70° C
3. Which measurement is the dependent variable
a. Independent Variable: Position of the beaker
b. Dependent Variable: Time it takes for the water to reach 70° C
4. Hypothesis
a. If the 100mL of water in the beaker is placed in the inner flame then the time it
takes to reach 70° C will be shorter.

The effect on the position of the beaker in the flame on the time it takes water to reach 70° C.

Height: Time it takes to reach 70° C (Minutes):

Test 1 height (Inner Flame) 3:47.50

Test 2 height (Middle Flame) 3:23.43

Test 3 height (Outer Flame) 4:39.53

Test 4 height (Above Flame) Stopped at 4:55.18 because Test 4 height is

the slowest one and we are measuring which
position heats water the fastest, therefore by
stopping the time early due to time constraints
will not shift the data.

Follow-Up Questions:
 Ward 2

1. One way this experiment can be improved is by adding more trials, by doing so this can
increase the validity and determine if there was an outliers to the results. Another way the
lab could be improved upon is by making sure that the starting temperature remained the
same for all of the trials. In the experiment, we started off with a range of temperatures of
9-11° C, which could have drastically changed the end results of the experiment. If all the
starting temperatures remained the same, it would improve the validity because if a 100
mL of water started off with a higher temperature, the amount of time it would take to get
to 70° C would be shorter.

2. Other groups in the class could potentially have different conclusions from the lab, one
reason could be the positioning of the Bunsen burner. My group had the Bunsen burner
shifted to the side of the ring stand rather than the center. We repeated the placement for
all trials, however; people in other labs placement of the bunsen burner potentially could
be different. Thus, could differ the results by having a shorter or longer duration for each
trial. Another reason groups could have come up with different result than us, is the
starting temperature of the water, may potentially be different. If the starting temperatures
differ from group to group or from trial to trial, the results of the lab could differ, due to
short or longer time it takes for the water to reach 70° C.

3. A variable held constant in this lab is 100 mL of water used for heating over the Bunsen
burner. If the volume of water is more or less in each trial, then the time would be longer
or shorter depending on the volume of water. If the variable was not held constant, the
data would shift because it would take longer to heat a higher volume of water, shifting
the end result of the lab.

4. A hypothesis is a crucial part of a scientific method, however; making a hypothesis when

one has never done the lab, the outcome can not be predicted. Therefore, by making an
educated guess, one can not know the end result of the lab without ever doing the lab.
Hypothesis is the purpose of doing the lab or the question one is trying to experiment
upon in a lab.

5. The flame from the bunsen burner is measured in four different heights. Our data
concluded that test 2 height heated the beaker of 100mL of water in 3:23.43, faster than
any of the other trials. It was concluded that the positioning for heating is most effective
at test 2 height. Test 4 height was the slowest trial and took more than 4:55.18 seconds to
reach 70° C. It was determined that Test 4 height was least effective in heating water the
fastest.