Name:
Period:
CALCULATING THE SPECIFIC HEAT A METAL LAB
PURPOSE:
In this lab students will use observations and results from heating and cooling a metal cube in water to determine the
specific heat of an unknown metal. Students will also determine sources of error that could potentially be associated
with the lab.
MATERIALS:
Hot plate
Beaker (appropriate size for metal cube)
Vernier Logger Pro kit
Vernier temperature probe (x2)
250 mL Beaker (for Styrofoam cup)
100 mL graduated cylinder
Styrofoam Cup
Metal cube
PROCEDURE:
1) Measure and record the mass of the metal cube into your data table.
2) Place the metal cube in an appropriately sized beaker (just large enough for the cube to fit in) and fill the beaker
with water so the cube is JUST COVERED with water.
3) Place the beaker with the metal, water, and one of the Vernier temperature probes on a hot plate and begin to
heat the water, bringing it to a boil.
4) While waiting for the water to boil, use a graduated cylinder to measure out 100.0 mL of water. Pour this water
into the Styrofoam cup.
5) Place one of the Vernier temperature probes in the Styrofoam cup and record the temperature of the water
into your data table.
6) Place the Styrofoam cup into the 250 mL beaker to ensure that the cup does not tip over with the probe in
place, set the cup and water aside.
7) When the water on the hot plate with the metal block is boiling (a rolling boil), record the temperature of the
water in your data table.
8) Using crucible tongs, remove the metal block from the boiling water and GENTLY place the metal block into the
Styrofoam cup of water. DO NOT TOUCH THE METAL BLOCK!!
9) Watch the temperature of the water in the Styrofoam cup and record the temperature (in your data table)
when the water stops heating up (the temperature should be constant at this point).
10) Clean and dry the equipment at your lab station including the benches.
CALCULATIONS:
1) Calculate the mass of water in the Styrofoam cup. Hint: You know the density of water is 1 g/mL.
2) Using your data, and the fact that the specific heat of water is 4.184 J/g˚C, calculate the heat transferred to the
water from the metal cube. Show all of your work!
3) Knowing that –qHOT = qCOLD (or qHOT + qCOLD = 0, whichever you prefer), determine the specific heat of the metal.
HINT: qHOT would be the metal and qCOLD would be the water. Show all of your work!
ERROR ANALYSIS:
Obtain the known specific heat of the metal and calculate your percent error.
CONCLUSION:
Give a brief summary of the experiment, including the purpose, state the calculated density specific heat of the metal,
and give a conclusive statement about the results. After this, please address the following addition points:
 What assumption can you make about the temperature of the metal while it is in the boiling water? Why?
 Why were the water and metal block placed in a Styrofoam cup when getting the final temperatures?
 Using qualitative analysis (supported by quantitative results) explain why if the substances transferred the same
amount of heat between them there were two changes in temperature. (HINT: Think about the connection
with this question to the actual specific heat of each substance.)