LABOR

ATOR
Y NO.1
IN
THER
MODY
NAMIC
S
 Temperature and thermal equilibrium
Temperature helps you determine whether something is hot or cold to the touch. Adding
or removing heat can change the temperature of something by changing its thermal energy.
Thermal energy and temperature are not the same thing, but they are closely related.

Objective
Analyze the Temperature, Heat Flow and Thermal Energy.

MATERIALS

 Temperature sensor/ thermometer

 Graduated cylinder, 100-mL
 Balance
 Foam cups 8-oz (3)
 Cold water
 Hot water

PROCEDURE

PART 1 -TEMPERATURE

1. Label the three 8-oz cups as follows: Hot 1, Hot 2, and Cold. Half-fill the Cold cup with cold
water (be sure there is no ice in the cup).

2. Half-fill the Cold cup with cold water (be sure there is no ice in the cup).

3. Start collecting data. Measure the initial temperature of each cup. Record the temperature in
Table 1 on your answer sheet when the readings stabilize.
4. Predict how you expect the temperature of the water in each of the two cups to change over
five minutes. Take note of the current time. Record your predictions in Table 1.

5. After 5 minutes, measure the temperatures of each cup. Did temperatures change as you
expected?

PART 2 – HEAT FLOW

1. Add 100.0 mL of cold water into the Cold cup. Fill the Hot 1 cup with warm water to a
volume equal to the Cold cup.

2. Start collecting data.

3. Measure and record the temperature of the hot water in Table 2 on your answer sheet.
Next, measure and record the temperature of the cold water.

4. Quickly mix the two cups together into the larger cup.
5. Stir and record the measured mixed temperature after the prompt “Measured mixed
temperature:” below Table 2 in the Analysis section. Do not record this temperature in the
table itself.

6. Stop collecting data and empty the cup. Dry the inside and outside of all the cups
completely.

7. The density of water is equal to 1.00 g/mL. Because you used 100.0 mL of each water
sample, the mass of each sample equals 100.0 g. Record the sample masses in Table 2.

8. Complete the analysis for Part 2 on your answer sheet.

PART 3 – THERMAL ENERGY

1. Record the masses of the three dry, empty 8-oz cups in Table 3 on your answer sheet.

2. Collect two cups of hot water and one cup of cold water. The masses and temperatures
do not have to be the same, but the total volume cannot exceed the large cup volume.
Record the masses in the table.
3. Start collecting data.

4. Record the temperature of the individual cups in Table 3.

5. Quickly mix all the cups together into the larger cup.

6. Stir and record the mixed temperature after the prompt “Measured mixed temperature”
below Table 3. Do not record this temperature in the table itself.

7. Stop collecting data.

8. Subtract the mass of the empty cup from the mass of the cup + water to get the mass of
each water sample. Record your answers in Table 3.
9. Complete the analysis for Part 3 on your answer sheet.
 Part 1 Analysis – Temperature

Table 1- Temperature
Cold water temperature (ºC) Hot water temperature (ºC)
Initial 15℃ 90℃
Prediction 20℃ 85℃
Final 18℃ 88℃

1. Did the temperature change as you predicted? Explain your answer.

Yes. Because the it was exposed to the surrounding air, changing the temperature of
each water inside the cup.

2. Describe the flow of energy that would cause the changes you measured.

In the hot cup 1, the heat transferred from the cup to the surrounding air.
In cold cup 1, the heat transferred from the surrounding air to the cup.
Part 2 Analysis – Heat Flow

Table 2- Heat Flow

Substance Mass (g) Temperature (ºC ‘‘Energy’’
Cold water 110 g 15 C 1650
Hot water 120 g 90 C 10,800
Mixed 230 g 54 C 12,450

Measured mixed temperature: 60 C

1. Multiply the mass and temperature to get the “energy” of the hot and cold water before
mixing. Enter your answer in Table 2.

2. Add the masses and the “energies” to get the total mixed mass and mixed “energy.” Enter
your answer in Table 2.

3. Calculate the expected mixed temperature by dividing the “energy” by the mass. Enter
your answer in Table 2.

4. Calculate your percent error to see how close the measured, experimental mixed
temperature is to the calculated expected or accepted value. Show your work below; the
formula for percent error is given below.

Solution:

Percent Error= [60 C-54 C] x 100

60 C
= 10%
Part 2 Analysis – Thermal Energy

Table 3- Thermal Energy

Substance Empty cup Mass of cup + Mass of Temperature „„Energy‟‟ (g
mass (g) water (g) water (ºC) ºC)
Hot water 1 10 120 110 90 9,900
Hot water 2 10 120 110 90 9,900
Cold water 10 130 120 15 1,800
Mixed 30 420 340 63.5% 21,600

Measured mixed temperature:75 C

1. Multiply the water mass and temperature to get the “energy” of the hot and cold water
samples before mixing. Enter your answer in Table 3.

2. Add the water masses and the “energies” to get the total mixed mass and mixed “energy.”
Enter your answer in Table 3.

3. Calculate the expected mixed temperature by dividing the total “energy” by the total mass.
Enter your answer in Table 3.

4. Calculate your percent error to see how close the measured, experimental mixed
temperature is to the calculated, accepted value. Show your work below.
Solution:

Percent Error= [75 C- 63.5 C] x 100

75 C
= 15.3 %

Questions
1. What happens to the “energy” of the system in this experiment before and after mixing?
The total energy was conserved as stated I the firs law of thermodynamics. The total
energy of an isolated system is constant; energy can be transformed from one form to another
but cannot be created nor destroyed.

2. What happens to the temperature of hot water when it is mixed with cooler water? Explain
why this happens.

The particles of hot water with heat energy move and take the particles with less heat
energy. When mixed with cold water, the temperature of hot water decreased. Heat flow occurs,
heat flows from hot water to cold water until the equilibrium is reach.

3. What happens to the temperature of the cold water when it is mixed with warmer water?
Explain why this happens.

The temperature of cold water will increase. The heat will transfer from the hot water to
cold water. The atoms and molecules of the hotter substance slow down and the temperature
decreases.
4. Based on the differences in temperature, draw arrows depicting the molecular movement of
the hot water particles, the cold water particles and the mixed water particles. Use short
arrows to show less molecular movement and use long arrows to show a lot of molecular
movement.

5. Which has more thermal energy: 5 grams of water at 50 °C or 500 grams of water at 50 °C?
Explain your answer.

It is 500 grams of water at 50 °C, with a total energy 25,00 J. It has more water, that is
why it needs more time to reach thermal equilibrium when transferred. Temperature is the
measure of average energy of atoms in a substance, and 500 grams of water has more atoms.

6. Describe a situation where two objects made of the same kind of material can have the same
temperature but different amounts of heat energy.

It happens when two objects with different temperature made contact with each other,
despite having same kind of material. For example, when a spoon you used for soups and a
spoon used for ice cream was made in contact, heat transfer happens.

7. Describe a situation where two samples of water at different temperatures have the
same amount of thermal energy.

Hot water has more thermal energy than cold water. Higher temperature yields higher thermal
energy.