Student

Laboratory Guide

General Chemistry

Calorimetry

Objectives:
MEASURING THE SPECIFIC
HEAT OF METALS
To identify the different pieces
of laboratory equipment, along
with their functions and modes
of operation.

A metallurgy company has sent to your laboratory two samples to be To develop concepts related to
characterized. As the analyst in charge of the laboratory, you must carry the study of heat in chemistry.
out the procedure to determine their heat capacity. To perform thermodynamic
and chemical analyses.

RELATED RESOURCES:

Learning Unit:

Calorimetry

Laboratories:

Measuring the Heat Capacity of

a Calorimeter; Measuring the
Latent Heat of Ice Fusion;
Approximate Measurement of
the Enthalpy of an Acid-Base
Neutralization Reaction;
Determining the Mechanical
Equivalent of Heat
 LABORATORY EQUIPMENT

Two flasks Samples of iron and

A calorimeter A hot plate
containing water cooper

A beaker A triple-beam balance A digital thermometer

PROCEDURE

• Go to the “Calorimetry” virtual topic and press

the “Measuring the Specific Heat of Metals”
simulation button (Figure 1). Then, press
“OPEN”.

• Read the challenge. Then, press the “Cross

Icon” button to exit the challenge introduction
window and access the laboratory (Figure 2).
Fig. 1.
• During the laboratory, press the “Lowercase I
Icon” button to read the challenge, the
procedures, or the equations as required. Press
the “Question Mark Icon” button to check the
FAQs. If you want to stop and restart from the
beginning, press the “Trash Can Icon” button
. Pressing the “Pencil Icon” button will open
the data log. The workstation includes a
calculator. Just press the “Calculator Icon”
button to see it. The “Notebook Icon” button Fig. 2
will allow you to answer the additional
questions and add notes or observations if
applicable (Figure 3).

1. Laboratory Equipment and Supplies

• Two flasks containing water

• Two digital thermometers
• A calorimeter
• Samples of iron and copper Fig. 3
• A beaker
• A hot plate
• A triple-beam balance
 • A clamp stand

2. Laboratory Setup

• Drag the beaker onto the hot plate (Figure

4).

• Take flask 1 and pour the water into the

beaker (Figure 5). Fig. 4

• Drag the metal onto the triple-beam balance

to weigh it (Figure 6).

• Place the metal in the beaker containing

water.

• Take the first digital thermometer and place

it in the beaker.
Fig. 5
• Turn on the hot plate and set the indicated
temperature (Figure 7).

• Drag the calorimeter onto the table.

• Press the lid to remove it, take flask 2 and

pour the water into the calorimeter (Figure
8).

• After heating the metal, pour it into the

Fig. 6
calorimeter (Figure 8).

• Put the lid on the calorimeter, put the

second digital thermometer into place, and
wait until reaching thermal equilibrium
(Figure 9).

• Perform the same procedure with the other

sample: Press the “Trash Can Icon” button
to return all the elements to their initial Fig. 7
position and repeat the steps.

3. Concepts

• Press the “Lowercase I Icon” button .

Then, press “Concepts” to review
information related to this laboratory.

• Plug the values for the temperatures,

masses, and specific heats. Fig. 8
 • Consider the density of water as 1g/ml for
this laboratory practice.

• The heat capacity of water is, by definition,

1cal/g°C.

4. Data Log

• Press the “Pencil Icon” button to see the Fig.9

data log.

• In this laboratory, you need to log the data

related to the thermal equilibrium in the
calorimeter, the heat capacity of the
calorimeter, and the specific heat of the
metal (Figure 10).

• After logging the data, press “CHECK” to

verify if the data are correct
Fig. 10
• After logging the data, press “CHECK” to
verify if the data are correct.

5. Additional Questions

• Press the “Notebook Icon” button to

answer the additional questions for this
laboratory practice (Figure 11).

• Press the “Arrow Icon” buttons Fig. 11

to turn pages.

• Press the “Trash Can Icon” and “Plus Icon”

buttons at the bottom of the notebook
to delete or add pages as needed.

6. Conceptual Questions and Laboratory

Report

• Go to the assessment section and answer

the conceptual questions. After that, you
can generate the lab report (Figure 13). Fig. 13
 ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Students must answer the additional questions in the notebook.

1. Do all materials have a heat capacity? Why?

2. Why do metals have a lower heat capacity than other materials?

3. What precautions must be taken to obtain a correct measurement if an alcohol is used instead of
water?

4. What happens if water is heated instead of metal in the same procedure?

CONCEPTUAL QUESTIONS

Single-answer multiple-choice questions

Statement: some samples were brought to the laboratory. As the person in charge of the physicochemical
analysis, decide which of the following intended analyses are possible and why.

1. Determining the heat capacity of mercury, a metal that is liquid at room temperature. Considering
all of the safety norms:

a. It is possible since mercury reacts with water.

b. It is not possible since mercury is a liquid and not a solid.
c. It is not possible since mercury is a liquid and dissolves in water.
d. It is possible because mercury would mix with water forming a heterogeneous mixture, and
the calorimeter is suitable for the procedure.

2. Determining the heat capacity of a concrete block:

a. It is possible since it is an endothermic reaction.

b. It is not possible since the calorimeter is for metallic samples.
c. It is possible since concrete is solid and the equipment is suitable.
d. It is not possible since concrete does not have a heat capacity.

3. Determining the heat capacity of zeolite, a porous material with high water absorption.
a. It is possible since zeolite is solid and the equipment is suitable.
b. It is not possible since the calorimeter cannot be used with minerals.
c. It is not possible since zeolite does not have a heat capacity.
d. It is not possible to measure since zeolite will absorb all the water.