Experiment # 7

Name: Rayanna Whittingham

Date: October 12,2023
Topic: Cooling Curve
Aim: (a) To demonstrate that temperature remains constant during a phase change
(b) To determine the melting point of candle wax from its cooling curve
Apparatus: Candle wax, water, boiling tube, Bunsen burner, thermometer, stop-watch,
beaker, tripod stand, gauze, retort stand and clamp.
Diagram:

Figure 1. Apparatus to Determine the Melting Point of Candle Wax.

Procedure:
1. Half- fill a boiling tube with small pieces of candle wax and place it in a beaker of
water as shown in the diagram.
2. Heat the water until all the candle wax melts.
3. Remove the boiling tube from the beaker and place a thermometer into the liquid
cancel wax.
4. Record the temperature every minute until the candle wax solidifies.
5. Plot a graph (cooling curve) of temperature against time.
Results:

Time / min Temp. /℃ Time / min Temp. /℃

1 72.0℃ 16 54.5℃
2 69.3℃ 17 54.0℃
3 65.0℃ 18 54.0℃
4 63.0℃ 19 53.8℃
5 61.3℃ 20 53.4℃
6 59.2℃ 21 52.8℃
7 58.3℃ 22 52.0℃
8 57.5℃ 23 51.5℃
9 57.0℃ 24 51.0℃
10 56.1℃ 25 50.7℃
11 56.0℃ 26 50℃
12 55.6℃ 27 49.9℃
13 55.3℃ 28 48.9℃
14 55.0℃ 29 47℃
15 54.9℃ 30 46.2℃

Questions for Discussion and analysis

1. Based on the shape of the graph, what is the relationship between temperature and time
when the candle wax is cooling? The temperature of the candle wax decreases with time.

2. What is the range of temperature when candle wax (a) is in the liquid state? (b) exists in
both solid and liquid states. (a) The range of temperature when candle wax is in the liquid
state is approximately 72℃ at the start of the experiment to about 55.0. (b). The
temperature during this phase ranges from 54.5℃ to around 51.0℃.

3. What happens to the temperature when candle wax solidifies? When candle wax
solidifies, there is a phase change, and the temperature remains constant. In the graph,
the flat or horizontal region where the temperature doesn’t change signifies the candle
wax transitions from liquid to solid. It releases heat energy to the surroundings while
maintaining a constant temperature.

4. In terms of inter-particular force, explain what happens to the particles of the candle wax
as cooling takes place. The intermolecular interactions between particles get stronger
because of cooling during the phase transition to a solid. The particles form a solid
substance because of their densely packed and stronger intermolecular forces.
 5. Use the graph to predict the freezing point/melting point of candle wax. The temperature
during this phase ranges from 51.0℃ to 46.2℃

6. List the precautions and sources of error in this experiment.

ERRORS
 Human error: Errors in reading the thermometer or timing the experiment.
 Incomplete solidification: The wax may not solidify completely during the
experiment.

PRECAUTIONS
 Safety: Ensuring safety precautions when using the Bunsen burner,
 Proper handling of the candle wax: Temperature of candle wax may cause burns.

Conclusion: The aim of the experiment was met, as it illustrated the temperature behavior
during a phase change and enabled the prediction of the melting point of the candle wax based
on the cooling curve.