Specific Heat of an Unknown Metal File: https://goo.

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1.0 Introduction
John Dalton’s Atomic Theory, proposed in 1808, provide for a logical model for matter. This
theory allowed the determination of empirical formulas for compounds but not molecular
formulas. To determine the true molecular formula of a compound, one needs a method to the
true atomic mass of the compound in question.
Many scientists in the early 19th century worked to find experimental methods to determine true
atomic and molecular masses. (This problem was not solved until 1860.) Pierre Dulong and
Alexis Petit proposed a solution to this using the concept of heat capacity.
Heat capacity, abbreviated C, is the amount of thermal energy that enters or leaves an object
during a one degree change in temperature.
Law of Dulong and Petit, assumes the molar heat capacity of a solid metallic element to be 25
J/mole · °C. Molar heat capacity is also the product of atomic mass (g/mole) multiplied by specific
heat (J/g · °C):
(Atomic Mass) × s ≈ 25 J/mole · °C
Specific heat ( SH ) is a convenient method for determining the approximate atomic mass of a
solid element.

In this experiment, an unknown metal sample is heated using boiling water. The hot metal is then
immersed in cool water. The cool water and metal will be in an insulated container; as a result,
heat losses to the surroundings are small, and can be neglected. Because we assume no heat loss
to the surroundings, all heat lost by the hot metal equals the heat gained by our water reference
and a small amount of heat absorbed by the calorimeter (the thermocup) itself.

-qmetal = qwater + qthermocup

-(SHmetal x Massmetal x ΔTmetal) = (Masswater x SHwater x ΔTwater) + (Cthermocup x ΔTwater)

There is only one unknown, the specific heat, smetal, therefore we can write: (Eqn 1)

SHmetal = (Masswater x SHwater x ΔTwater) + (Cthermocup x ΔΤwater)

-(Massmetal x ΔTmetal)

NOTE:
● Specific Heat ( SH ) of water is 4.184 J/g · °C
● Cthermocup was determined in the Calorimetry Constant Lab.
The signs on the ΔT terms for the metal and the water. ΔT is defined as (Tfinal − Tinitial). The ΔT for
the water heating up is positive, but the ΔT for the metal cooling down is negative.

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2.0 Procedure

Part I: Heat Change

Select a piece of the unknown metal and record its weight with the string. Also record the ID for
the metal.

Set Up a beaker on a ring stand over a hot plate and suspend the metal hanging into the beaker so
it does not touch the sides of the beaker. Then add water, as shown:

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Finally, bring the beaker/metal to a boil.

Record the barometric pressure of the lab and determine the boiling point of the water at this
pressure from the chart below. Record this boiling point on the data sheet.

Pressure Temperature of Boil

( Torr or mmHg ) ( ℃)

720 98.4

730 98.9

740 99.3

745 99.4

750 99.6

755 99.7

757 99.9

760 100.0

Table 1: Boiling point of water as a functin of Pressure.

Do we need to measure the temperature of the boiling water? (Why not, explain)

Now in an fresh thermocup:

Next, weigh an empty thermocup and record its mass.

Add ~100 mL of tap water to the thermocup and again record the mass.

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Now prepare the MeasureNet station to measure the temperature change of water.

MeasureNet Task: Setup for Temperature-Time Measurements

Your Actions:
Press: MAIN MENU
Press: F2 – Temperature
Press: F1 – Temp v Time
Press: SETUP
Press: F1 for New Acquisition
Set: MAX Temp = 35 & MIN Temp = 15
using Keypad and arrow keys
Press: CALIBRATE
Use Keypad to input boiling temp @ room
pressure Press: ENTER
Put probe in boiling water & when TEMP
reading is steady Press: ENTER
Press: DISPLAY
MeasureNet Response:
LCD: Shows Function Choices
LCD: Shows More Temperature Choices
LCD: Shows SELECT OPTION screen
LCD: Asks New or Replot
LCD: Shows MIN MAX Temp & Time Values
LCD: Shows Y MAX 35 and Y MIN 15
LCD: Asks Enter Temp of Bath
LCD: Asks Put probe in bath and when
temperature is steady press ENTER
LCD: Shows SELECT OPTION screen
LCD: Shows Measurement Screen

Place the MeasureNet temperature probe into thermocup with water and cover the cup with its
top. Watch the MeasureNet screen until the tempereature becomes steady. Press START/STOP to
begin recording the temperature of the water.
Wait a few seconds of recording the temperature of the room temperature water in the
thermocup, then quickly remove the hot metal from the boiling water and give it a quick shake to
shake off excess water and place it into the thermocup. Replace the cover and the probe into the
thermocup and with constant stirring, watch the temperature in the cup rise as heat is transferred
from the hot metal into the cool water in the cup. Once the temperature has climbed to its highest
value and has remained level (or perhaps decreased) you can stop the data collection (Press:
START/STOP or the station will automatically stop and beep when 500 seconds is reached.)

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MeasureNet Task: Saving your data to a file.

Your Actions: MeasureNet Response:
Press: FILE OPTIONS LCD: Shows Function Choices
Press: F3 – SAVE LCD: Asks Enter File Number
Respond “151” on Keypad & Press ENTER LCD: Shows saving data & Asks SELECT a
FUNCTION (Choose what to do next)
(Lab 15 File 1)

Repeat this procedure by returning the metal to the boiling water, cleaning the thermocup and
weighing again.
Then add 100 mL of fresh tap water and reweigh. You do not have to calibrate or setup the
MeasureNet station again since it is ready to go.
Simply press DISPLAY to show the current temperature and press START/STOP to begin the data
collection when you are ready.
When you save this data from the second run, use the filenumber “152” for lab 15 file 2.

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Part II: Finding Density

We can use Density as a secondary confirmation technique for characteristation.

Using a 100 mL graduated cylinder, fill to ~50 mL and record the starting volume.

While holding onto the string of your metal, gently lower into the water. Once the metal is fully
submerged into the water, record the final volume of the grad. cylinder. The difference of these
two points is the volume that your metal displaced.

We can now use the density to help identify the unknown metal.

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3.0 Data Entry

Pick the most appropriate data entry mechanism, just one though.

3.1 Spreadsheet Data Entry

This is a copy of a spreadsheet to record data and perform necessary calculations.

3.2 MeasureNet Data Entry

In order to have a copy of the mass data saved with the spreadsheet file manually enter the data
for each run before leaving the lab.
MeasureNet Task: Manual Data Entry
Your Actions: MeasureNet Response:
Press: MAIN MENU LCD: Shows Function Choices
Press: F7 – OTHER LCD: Shows More Function Choices
Press: F3 – MANUAL ENTRY LCD: Shows 2 columns for data
LCD: Shows Data as Entered
Use Keypad and ENTER key to enter data
in columns

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Once you are at the manual entry screen enter the following data for each of your two runs:
1) metal code, 2) mass of metal, 3) mass of thermocup, 4) mass of thermocup & water, 5) boiling
temperature of water and 6) mass of metal in water Note: some of these values may be the same
for both runs such as the code and mass of metal.

MeasureNet Task: Save the Data File

Your Actions: MeasureNet Response:
Press: FILE OPTIONS LCD: Shows Function Choices
Press: F3 – SAVE LCD: Asks Enter File Number
Respond “153” on Keypad & Press ENTER LCD: Shows saving data & Asks SELECT a
FUNCTION (Choose what to do next)
(Lab 15 File 3)

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4.0 Before You Leave

Clean up your work area and return any equipment to the proper storage areas. Make sure
stands, beakers and other equipment is put away according to directions.

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5.0 Calculations
Once you have your spreadsheet data for the class load the file named “Lab15SpecHeatMetal.csv”.
In order to find the ΔT values you must find the initial temperature of the water and the highest
temperature reached after the hot metal was added to the thermocup. Take the first two
time-temperature data sets and do an “XY scatter” plot of them. The result should be similar to the
following:

Once the data is graphed you can easily see the beginning and the high temperature. Hint:
pointing your mouse at any of the points on the graph will cause Excel to show you the actual data
for the point so you can get the exact temperature values without guessing.
With these temperature values and knowing the boiling temperature of the water you can
calculate the ΔT values for the metal and the water. Using these temperature values, the masses of
metal and water and the specific heat of water (4.184) you can use Eqn. 1 from the first page to
calculate the unknown specific heat of the metal.
Since you have the data for the entire class in the spreadsheet file also process one other station’s
data that has the same metal as you and average the results for your metal. If each station does 2
runs there will be 4 values to average. Is there one particular run that gave the best results?
Use the mass in water data to calculate the average density of the metal you are working with.
Also, use the relationship of Dulong and Petit to calculate the approximate atomic mass for your
metal.
Finally, using a periodic table, find three or four metals that have atomic masses close to your
approximate value. (Don’t include any Group IA (1) metals. Why not?) Then look up the densities
of these selected metals and enter the symbol of the metal that has a value closest to your
experimentally determined density. Finally, find the specific heat for that metal and compare to
your experimental specific heat for that metal. Be sure to note the units of specific heat given in
the reference; older references give specific heat in calories/ g ·oC, newer ones in Joules/g ·oC.
Make sure you know which one you are using.

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6.0 Report Sheet

If you took your data directly into a spreadsheet, then you can skip this section entirely.

0. Barometric pressure inHg

1. Unknown number code

Part I Specifc Heat Data

2. Mass of metal grams

3. Mass of thermocup grams

4. Mass of thermocup and water grams

5. Mass of water grams

6. Temperature of cold tap water °C

7. Temperature of boiling water and hot metal °C

8. Highest temperature during Experiment °C

9. ΔT of hot metal °C

10. ΔT of tap ( cold ) water °C

11. Specific heat of metal J/g · °C

12. Approximate atomic mass g/mole

Part II Density Data

13. Mass of Metal grams

14. Initial Volume of Grad Cylinder mL

15. Final Volume of Grad Cylinder & Metal mL

16. Volume of metal ( NOTE: cm3 == mL ) mL

17. Experimental density of metal g/mL

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18. Approximate atomic mass of metal g/mole

19. Symbol for metal

20. Given specific heat of metal (table follows) J/g · °C

21. Percent error in specific heat determination %

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