TRUTH, EXCELLENCE, SERVICE

R20 VERGARA, Gian Paolo S. 1 April 2019

R25 DE LEON, Franzesca Eriel D. Q4-LABACT1
R30 VINAS, Melyza Jane E.

HEAT TRANSFER

I. INTRODUCTION
The class was divided into ten groups with three members each and where tasked to
do an experiment which involved recoding the mass and temperature of specific material. Two
cubes of metal with different composition and weight were sunk into tap water and heat until
it reached the boiling point, then dropped into cold water. The volume of the tap water and
cold water was fixed at 100 ml and 250 ml respectively. The mass and temperature of the
metals and liquid were recorded before and after heating. Two trials were conducted on each
metal.
The objectives of this experiment are: learning how to calculate the percent error of
the theoretical and experimental values, conducting a proper and organized experiment, and
finally, explaining how and why the results are like that. When explained on a logical approach,
it is practical that the heat of the hot metal combined to the cold water when dropped will
equalize the temperature because they combine with roughly the same “values”, then
cancelling each other out by “meeting in the middle” to their equilibrium.

II. METHODOLOGY
The materials we used for this experiment are:
Styrofoam lids with
400mL Beaker Glass Thermometers Styrofoam cups
holes
Digital weighing 100 mL Graduated
Stirring rods String
scale Cylinder
Metals: Copper and
Tap water Cold Water Hot Plate
Zinc

The first step was wearing proper lab attire and material checking. The metals, Copper
(Cu) and Zinc (Zn), were weighed in grams using a digital weighing scale, then tied separately
with strings to be attached on the stirring rod. Next, the two Styrofoam cups which will serve
as the calorimeters were weighed and 100 ml of cold water was poured into each of them,
then measured (mass) again as the combined weight of the Styrofoam cup and water. Both
metals (Cu and Zn) which hang on the stirring rod were now submerged into 250 ml of tap
water contained in a beaker, which we placed on the hot plate. With The heat level on medium
high, a thermometer was inserted in the beaker and we waited for water to boil. A stagnant
temperature record means that the water reached its boiling point and will be recorded in the
“Initial temperature of metal tmetal (°C)”. We then lifted the stirring rod with the metals and
cut the string of one metal to drop it inside the calorimeter which we immediately cover and
insert a thermometer in. Slowly swirling the thermometer inside the calorimeter, we record
the temperature as shown in the thermometer. We did this process two times for the two
metals and recorded our data and findings carefully.
III. DATA AND RESULTS
Measured/Computed Values Metal 1 (Copper) Metal 2 (Zinc)
Trials Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 1 Trial 2
Mass of the metal mmetal (g) 46.6 g 46.6 g 37.0 g 37.0 g
Mass of the calorimeter mcalorimeter (g) 2.2 2.2 2.1 2.1
Mass of cold water mwater (g) 100.5 100.5 100.1 100.1
Initial temperature of metal tmetal (°C) 98 98 98 98
Initial temperature of calorimeter tcalorimeter (°C) 31 31 31 31
Initial temperature of Cold water twater (°C) 25 29 25 29
Final temperature of mixture tmixture (°C) 30 30 28 30
Specific heat of water Cwater (cal/g.°C) 1 1 1 1
Specific heat of metal Cmetal (experimental) 0.160 0.031 0.117 0.033
(cal/g.°C)
Specific heat of Styrofoam Ccalorimeter (cal/g.°C) 0.27 0.27 0.27 0.27
Percent Error 73.9% 66.3% 25.8% 64.5%
Error (cal/g.°C) 0.068 0.061 0.024 0.060

IV. ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION

A. Setup
In this experiment, we have tested the specific heat capacities of the two metals, Copper
and Zinc. We used the concept of the equilibrium to first heat up the metal to water's boiling point,
calculated to be 98°C (Low Air Pressure). Then, the metal is to be put in a cup of cold water, around
25°C to 29°C, then measured with a calorimeter to check the change in temperature due to the
transfer of energy as heat from the metal to the cold water (from a medium of higher temperature
to a medium of lower temperature). Using this, we get the temperature change between all the
initial temperatures and the final mixture's temperature. Using this, and the specific heat capacity of
water and styrofoam, as seen above. Using these values, we then calculate for the specific heat
capacity of the metal as seen through these equations:

(mmetal)(Cmetal)(ΔTmetal) = (mwater)(Cwater)(ΔTwater) + (mcalorimeter)(Ccalorimeter)(ΔTcalorimeter)

(mwater)(Cwater)(ΔTwater) + (mcalorimeter)(Ccalorimeter)(ΔTcalorimeter)
Cmetal = ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(mmetal)(ΔTmetal)

These calculations led to many critical inaccuracies in the final results. These errors can be
explained due to many cases during the experiment, especially the usage of glass thermometers.
Glass thermometers take significant amounts of time to read due to the slow expansion process of
the liquid (alcohol). Also, the readings of these said glass thermometers may or may not be accurate,
especially when between intervals. This is why the values computed for are not completely
consistent with the actual values, Copper at 0.0923 cal/g°C, and Zinc at 0.0925 cal/g°C.
B. Specifications and Reasoning
The water was initially set below room temperature to easily see the chenge between the
initial and final temperatures. If the water was initially set to around room temperature, like the
calorimeter, the temperature change would be very subtle, especially with the wide intervals of the
glass thermometer.
The metal must be immediately transferred to the calorimeter due to the very high chance
of the metal already losing heat while still in the in the air, being transferred.

V. GENERALIZATION, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY
 Ness, H. C. (1983). Understanding thermodynamics. New York: Dover
 Pauken, M. (2011). Thermodynamics for dummies. Hoboken, NJ: Willey Publishing.