Determination of the Specific

Heat of an Unknown
Element
Sunni Carr & Amber Gallina
Pd:1 Due: 12/7/18
 Abstract: In this lab an unknown element is heated in
boiling water and then placed into a calorimeter. The initial and final
temperatures are gathered as well as the masses out through the
lab. They will later be used in calculations for finding the specific
heat of an element. The specific heat equation is then used for the
data collected.
Discussion:
The specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass
required to raise the temperature by one degree celsius. Specific
heat measures the amount of heat that can be held by an object by
using the equation c=△q/m△T. C represents the specific heat. △q
is the change in heat. M is the mass and △T is the change in
temperature. The amount of heat an object can hold is measured
by using those 3 factors in an equation. The heat lost= heat gained
concept is applied to this lab when the heated metal is transferred
into a calorimeter containing room temperature water. The metal
will lose heat and the water will gain heat until they are equal
temperatures. There for this is a safe assumption, because the
calorimeter limits the exchange of heat from an outside source.
Calorimetry is the process of measuring the amount of heat
released or absorbed during a chemical reaction. A calorimeter will
be used in this experiment to measure the heat of a reaction.
Sources: sciencing.com
Objectives:
In this experiment, you will
 1.) Design an experiment that will determine the
specific heat of an unknown element.
2.) Experiments determine the specific heat of an
unknown element.
3.) Identify an unknown element by comparing the
experimentally determined specific heat to a given
value found in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry and
Physics.
Materials:
1.) #8 Unknown element
2.) Calorimeter
3.) Test tube
4.) Test tube holder
5.) Thermometer
6.) 400 mL beaker
7.) 100 mL graduated cylinder
8.) Hot plate
9.) Test tube clamp
10.) Ring stand
11.) Distilled water
Safety:
Wear safety goggles, do not handle the elements with your bare
hands, and be cautious using heat sources.
Procedure:
1. Obtain a calorimeter, then fill it with about 50.0 mL of distilled water.
Be sure to record volume added.
 2. Mass unknown element using the analytical balance. Place the
unknown metal in a test tube.
3. Make a water bath with a 400mL beaker and fill halfway with tap
water. Place the test tube into the water bath. Heat with a hot plate
until the water is boiling. Continue boiling for 5 minutes.
4. Measure the temperature of the boiling water. This is assumed to be
the initial temperature of the unknown element. It may be necessary
to replenish the water in the beaker, as it should not be allowed to
boil to dryness. Be sure that the level of the water in the beaker
remains higher than the unknown element in the test tube.
5. Measure the temperature of the water in the calorimeter. Quickly
remove the test tube from the water bath, using a test tube holder.
Quickly transfer the unknown into the calorimeter by sliding it out. Be
careful not to allow any water from the test tube to enter the
calorimeter. Do not allow any water from the calorimeter to spatter
out.
6. Record final temperature of the water/element mixture in the
calorimeter when it is at its highest.
Clean up:
1. Rinse your element with distilled water. Dry the element sample
completely before returning it to its test tube. Place the element back
into the numbered test tube.place the test tube with the element back
in the test tube rack in numerical order.
2. Clean all equipment using the directions given above the main sink.
Put away all equipment used.
Data:
Mass and Temperature of Water and Unknown Element to
find Unknown Element (Tin).

Mass of unknown Initial temp. of Initial temp. Of Final temp. Of unknown

element (g) unknown element(C) water in calorimeter element and water in
(C) calorimeter (C)
Trial 1 28.5048g 99.1 °C 21.4 °C 23.8 °C
Trial 2 28.5400g 98.6 °C 21.5 °C 23.6 °C
Trial 3 25.1172g 98.6 °C 22.0 °C 23.8 °C

Analysis:
Calorimetry was used to calculate the unknown element’s specific heat. After
resulting in an average, an assumption was made that the unknown element was
Tellurium but the real unknown element was Tin.

Calculations:
Trial 1:
H2O Unknown

⃤q 500J -500J

m 50.0g 28.5048g

c 4.184J/g°C .23J/g°C

Tf 23.8 °C 23.8 °C

Ti 21.4 °C 99.1 °C

⃤T 2.4 °C -75.3 °C

⃤ TH20​= Tf - Ti = 23.8°C - 21.4°C = 2.4°C

⃤ T?​= Tf - Ti = 23.8°C - 99.1°C = -75.3°C
⃤ q= mc ⃤ T = (50.0g)(4.184J/g°C)(2.4°C)= 500J
⃤ q= mc ⃤ T = c= ⃤ q/m ⃤ T = (-500J)/(28.5048g)(-75.3°C)= .23J/g°C

Trial 2:

H2O Unknown
 ⃤q 440J -440J

m 50.0g 28.5400g

c 4.184J/g°C .21J/g°C

Tf 23.6 °C 23.6 °C

Ti 21.5 °C 98.6 °C

⃤T 2.1 °C -75.0 °C

⃤ TH20​= Tf - Ti = 23.6°C - 21.5°C = 2.1°C

⃤ T?​= Tf - Ti = 23.6°C - 98.6°C = -75.0°C
⃤ q= mc ⃤ T = (50.0g)(4.184J/g°C)(2.1°C)= 440J
⃤ q= mc ⃤ T = c= ⃤ q/m ⃤ T = (-440J)/(28.5048g)(-75.0°C)= .21J/g°C

Trial 3:

H2O Unknown

⃤q 380J -380J

m 50.0g 25.1172g

c 4.184J/g°C .20J/g°C

Tf 23.8 °C 23.8 °C

Ti 22.0 °C 98.6 °C

⃤T 1.8 °C -74.8 °C

⃤ TH20​= Tf - Ti = 23.8°C - 22.0°C = 1.8°C

⃤ T?​= Tf - Ti = 23.8°C - 98.6°C = -74.8°C
⃤ q= mc ⃤ T = (50.0g)(4.184J/g°C)(1.8°C)= 380J
⃤ q= mc ⃤ T = c= ⃤ q/m ⃤ T = (-380J)/(25.1172g)(-74.8°C)= .20J/g°C

Average:
.23J/g°C + .21J/g°C + .20J/g°C /3 = .21J/g°C

Tin: .227J/g°C
Absolute error: Ea=|Xe-Xt|= |.21J/g°C - .227J/g°C|= .02J/g°C

Percent error:E%=Ea/Xt •100%= .02J/g°C / .227J/g°C •100%= 8%

Conclusion:
We resulted in a specific heat of .21J/g°C, after calorimetry equations
of our recorded data, which was compared to the real specific heat of Tin
(.227J/g°C) to end in an absolute error of .02J/g°C and a percent error of
8% .
Our error in this lab was leaving the unknown element in the air too
long before we dumped it into the calorimeter. This would be called a
personal error. This error caused our results to be too low mathematically
by having the temperature be low which made our calorimetry low.
We are pleased with our results. We would dump the element into the
calorimeter quicker to help improve the results. We learned how to take
temperatures of water and an unknown element in different conditions to
use in an equation to find the specific heat of a certain element and by
finding the specific heat we were able to reveal the unknown element.
Calorimetry in the real world can be used in food sciences to study the
processes and properties of certain foods.