Lab: _______

Title: Heat of Solution

Date: January 25, 2021

Aim: To determine the heat of solution of a soluble salt, potassium nitrate, when it dissolves in water.

Skill Assessed: Analysis and Interpretation

Criteria for assessment: The calculation of the heat of solution of potassium nitrate

Materials and Apparatus:

Potassium nitrate, water, Styrofoam cups, beaker, cotton wool, a measuring cylinder, and a thermometer

Diagram:

DETERMINING THE HEAT OF SOLUTION OF POTASSIUM NITRATE

PROCEDURE:

1. Obtain a Styrofoam cup “calorimeter” and place it in a beaker. Place some cotton wool around
the Styrofoam cup to create a “well-lagged “calorimeter”.
2. Measure 100.0 mL of distilled water using a measuring cylinder and transfer it to the calorimeter.
3. Secure a thermometer to stand up in the calorimeter, using a stand and clamp.
4. Weigh out 10.1 grams of potassium nitrate.
5. Record the initial temperature of the water in the calorimeter. Record this temperature as T 1.
6. Add the potassium nitrate to the water in the calorimeter, all at once, and begin stirring the
solution to dissolve the salt as rapidly as possible.
7. Stir by swirling the cup with your hand. DO NOT use a glass stir rod. Watch out for the fragile
thermometer!
8. Record the lowest temperature achieved during the dissolving of the salt. Record this temperature
as T2.
9. Record all results and calculate the heat of solution for potassium nitrate.

RESULTS:

1. Mass potassium nitrate used: 10.1 g

2. Volume of water used: 100 mL

3. Initial temperature (T1): 29 °C

4. Final (lowest) temperature (T2): 23°C

Calculations:

a.
Mass of solute used ∈experiment
¿ of moles of solute=
Molar mass of solute
10.1 g
¿ of moles of solute=
39+ 14+(16 ×3)
10.1 g
¿ of moles of solute=
39+ 14+ 48
10.1 g
¿ of moles of solute= −1
101 g mol
¿ of moles of solute=0.1 mol

b.
E H =m ×c ×∆ T

E H =100 g ×4.18 J / g ℃ ×(29℃−23 ℃)

E H =100 g ×4.18 J / g ℃ ×6 ℃

E H =2,508 J

E H =2.508 kJ

c.
amount of heat energy calculated
∆ H solution=
moles of solute calculated
2. 508 k J
∆ H solution=
0.1 mol
 −1
∆ H solution=25.08 k J mol
−1
∆ H solution=+25.1 kJ mol

Discussion:

Enthalpy is the name given to the energy content in a substance. When substances undergo a change
whether physical or chemical, the enthalpy will also change. In the process of dissolving salts, which is a
physical, many changes occur one of which is a change in the temperature. Some salts lose heat energy
while others gain heat energy, when heat is loss the reaction is said to be exothermic while if the heat is
absorbed the solution is said to be endothermic. In this experiment the heat of solution of a soluble salt,
potassium nitrate, when it dissolves in water was tested. When this reaction had occurred the temperature
of the water began to drop from the initial 29°C to 23°C this showed that the solution was absorbing
energy so the reaction is endothermic. To find the change in heat solution, the amount of heat energy
calculated, which was 2.508 kJ, was divided by the moles of the solute calculated which was, 0.1 mol.
When this was worked out the heat solution equated was approximately + 25.1 kJ mol -1. It is positive
because the energy of the system is increasing if it was not positive this would mean the energy of the
system is decreasing which would make it an exothermic reaction. This is represented in the energy
profile diagram.
Conclusion: In conclusion, when a soluble salt, potassium nitrate is dissolves in water it creates an
endothermic mixture with a heat solution of + 25.1 kJ mol-1.

Possible sources of error:

 If the water was not measured at eye level this could have caused parallax error.
 If the container that the potassium nitrate was put in to be measured was not measured prior to the
weighing the potassium nitrate’s weight could have been inaccurate

Possible Limitations:

 To check if the salt was fully dissolved the cover had to be lifted which could have caused heat
energy to be lost causing inaccuracy in the experiment.
 An actual calorimeter was not used for this experiment but a ‘home-made’ version was so this
could have caused heat to be loss during the experiment.

Reflection: While completing this lab I learned a lot about heat of solution that I had little prior
knowledge about. I learned that a reaction can produce two types of solutions (in regards to energy)
exothermic and endothermic. This reaction is used in real life as well, for example hot and cold ice packs.
In a hot/cold pack there are dried chemicals and also a pouch with water, when the seal is broken on the
water pouch it is shaken vigorously just like when the potassium nitrate was mixed with the water. This
then creates an exothermic reaction or an endothermic reaction. Another real life example is when Epsom
salt (MgSO4) is added to water (H2O) it creates an endothermic reaction.