Experiment 2: Specific Heat

Aim
1. To measure the specific heats of aluminum, copper, tungsten, and antifreeze
Apparatus
Calorimeter, Thermometer, Balance, Boiling Water, Cool Water, antifreeze, Thread and
Samples of aluminum, copper and tungsten

Theory
The Specific Heat of a substance, usually indicated by the symbol c, is the amount of heat
required to raise the temperature of one gram of the substance by 1° C (or 1 K). From the
definition of the calorie given in Experiment 1, it can be seen that the specific heat of water is
1.0 cal/g K. If an object is made of a substance with specific heat equal to csub, then the heat,
ΔH, required to raise the temperature of that object by an amount ΔT is:
ΔH = (mass of object)×(csub)×(ΔT)

CAUTION: This experiment involves the use of boiling water and the handling of HOT
metal objects. Work carefully.

Procedure 1
1. Measure Mcal, the mass of the calorimeter you will use (it should be empty and dry). Record
your result in Table 1.
2. Measure the masses of the aluminum, copper, and tungsten samples. Record these masses in
Table 1 in the row labeled Msample.
3. Attach a thread to each of the metal samples and suspend each of the samples in boiling water.
Allow a few minutes for the samples to heat thoroughly.
4. Fill the calorimeter approximately 1/2 full of cool water - use enough water to fully cover any
one of the metal samples.
5. Measure Tcool, the temperature of the cool water. Record your measurement in the table.
6. Immediately following your temperature measurement, remove one of the metal samples from
the boiling water, quickly wipe it dry, then suspend it in the cool water in the calorimeter (the
sample should be completely covered but should not touch the bottom of the calorimeter).

1
 7. Swirl the water and record Tfinal, the highest temperature attained by the water as it comes into
thermal equilibrium with the metal sample.
8. Immediately after taking the temperature, measure and record Mtotal, the total mass of the
calorimeter, water, and metal sample.
Table 1: Data
Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3
Mcal
Msample
Tcool
Thot
Tfinal
Mtotal
Mwater
ΔTwater
ΔTsample
csample

Calculations 1
For each metal tested, use the equations shown below to determine Mwater, the mass of the water
used, ΔTwater, the temperature change of the water when it came into contact with the metal
sample, and ΔTsample, the temperature change of the metal sample when it came into contact with
the water. Record your results in Table 2.
Mwater = Mtotal – (Mcal + Msample)
ΔTwater = Tfinal - Tcool
ΔTsample = Thot - Tfinal
From the law of energy conservation, the heat lost by the metal sample must equal the heat
gained by the water:
Heat lost by sample = (Msample)×(csample)×(ΔTsample) = (Mwater)×(cwater)×(ΔTwater) = Heat gained
by water
cwater is the specific heat of water, which is 1.0 cal/g K (4.19 kJ/kg K).

2
 Use the above equation, and your collected data, to solve for the specific heats of aluminum,
copper, and tungsten. Record your results in the bottom row of Table 2.

Procedure 2
1. Measure Mcal, the mass of the calorimeter you will use (it should be empty and dry). Record
your result in Table 1.
2. Fill the calorimeter approximately 1/2 full of cool water and measure Tcool, the temperature of
the cool water. Record your measurement in the table.
3. Measure the mass of the calorimeter containing water and the mass of the beaker containing
antifreeze. Record both masses in Table 1.
4. Place the beaker containing the antifreeze on the heater and heat to approximately 60 ˚C.
5. Measure and record the temperature of antifreeze (around 60 ˚C), then quickly pour the
antifreeze into the calorimeter containing cool water.
6. Stir the mixture until the highest stable temperature is reached (about 1 minute). Record Tfinal,
the temperature of the water and antifreeze.
7. Immediately after taking the temperature, measure and record Mtotal, the total mass of the
calorimeter, water, and antifreeze.

Table 2: Data
Trial 1
Mcal
Mbeaker
Mcal + water
Mbeaker + antifreeze
Tcool
Tfinal
Mantifreeze
Mwater
ΔTwater
ΔTantifreeze
Cantifreeze

3
Calculations 2
Use the equations shown below to determine Mwater, the mass of the water used, ΔTwater, the
temperature change of the water when it came into contact with antifreeze, and ΔTantifreeze, the
temperature change of the metal sample when it came into contact with the water. Record your
results in Table 1.
Mwater = Mcal – Mcal+water
Mantifreeze = Mbeaker – M beaker+antifreeze
ΔTwater = Tfinal - Tcool
ΔTantifreeze = 60° C - Tfinal
From the law of energy conservation, the heat lost by the antifreeze must equal the heat gained
by the water:
Heat lost by sample = (Mantifreeze)×(cantifreeze)×(ΔTantifreeze) = (Mwater)×(cwater)×(ΔTwater) = Heat
gained by water
cwater is the specific heat of water, which is 1.0 cal/g K (4.19 kJ/kg K).

Use the above equation, and your collected data, to solve for the specific heat of antifreeze.
Record your results in the bottom row of Table1.

Questions
1. How do the specific heats of the samples compare with the specific heat of water?

2. Discuss any unwanted heat loss or gain that might have affected your results.

3. To measure the heat capacity of an object, all you usually have to do is put it in thermal contact
with another object whose heat capacity is known. Suppose that a 100 g chunk of metal is
immersed in boiling water (100 oC). After a time, the metal is removed and quickly transferred
to a Styrofoam cup containing 250 g of water at (20 + A oC). After a little while, the temperature
of the contents of the cup is found to be 44 oC. You may assume that the heat transferred from
contents of the cup to its surroundings, and the heat capacity of the cup itself are both negligible.
(a) How much heat is gained by the water in the Styrofoam cup?
(b) How much heat is lost by the metal?
(c) What is the heat capacity of the metal?
(d) What is the specific heat (in J/g K) of the metal?
4
 4. From your measured specific heat for antifreeze, which should be the better coolant for an
automobile engine, antifreeze or water? Why is antifreeze used as an engine coolant?

5. 108 g of a liquid at 95 oC is transferred to a Styrofoam cup containing 118 g of water at 19 oC.

After a little while, the temperature of the contents of the cup is found to be (40 + B oC). You
may assume that the heat transferred from contents of the cup to its surroundings, and the heat
capacity of the cup itself are both negligible. What is the specific heat (in kJ/g K) of the liquid?
(Cwater = 4.19 kJ/kgK)

6. From your answer in question (5) which of these liquids is likely the liquid in question?
(a) Octane
(b) Water
(c) Olive oil
(d) Milk
(e) Hydrochloric acid
(f) Liquid ethanol
(g) Petroleum ether
(h) Calcium chloride
(i) Potassium hydrate
(j) Glycerine
(Search on the internet for the value of the specific heat of these liquids and compare them to
your answer in question 2)

A = Last digit of your student number

B = (A × 1.75)