Thursday, May 30, 2013

Specific Heat Lab

Purpose of this lab: 
The purpose of this lab was to figure out what the specific heat was.
Background: 
The specific heat we got was one of the listed: Aluminum, Brass, Copper, Lead, Stainless Steel, or Zinc; water was also a specific heat. For our formula equation to find the specific heat was Qm = Mm Cm delta Tm. Q is the heat, M is the mass, C is the specific heat, and delta T is the temperature change. One calorie would equal the amount of heat needed to raise one gram of H2O by one degree Celsius. 4.184 Joules equals one calorie. Qm lost is equal to Q water gains.
Data collected (how and data table): 
To begin the lab, we weighed each of individual specific heat by itself. The weights were 15.974g, 15.339g, 15.776g, 14.835g, 16.768g, 15.201g. All together it became 93.785g which was the mass of the metal. We got 250mL of water in a glass beaker. The beaker weighed 155.39g; adding the water increased the weight to 411.91g. Then we weighed the two foam cups; the smaller one was 0.869g and the bigger one was 1.720g. When we put water in the foam cup, it became 72.969g; making the water 71.249g. After all this, we took the temperature of the water from the faucet; which was 21.3 Celsius. Next, we put the glass beaker full of water on the heated hot plate. We let it sit until it reached 100.3 Celsius. Then we took the bigger foam cup with water and placed all the specific heat solids into that cup. We put the smaller foam cup upside down onto the other cup, trapping the heat inside. We slid the temperature tool to figure out the temperature. It came out to 29.8 Celsius in the foam cup. After the beaker of water was heated, we weighed what was left over, giving us 326.72g. Plus, the foam cup with water and the specific heats after heated was 165.82g.
Analysis (calculations included): 
Mm= 71.249g
Qm=
T1= 100.3 Celsius
T2= 29.8 Celsius
Delta T= 100.3 - 29.8 = 70.5 Celsius

Qm = Mm Cm DeltaT
Q = 71.249g x 4.184 x 8.5
Q = 2533.90

[4.184 J/(g x k)] (71.249g) 8.5k = 2533.90 J = Q for metal

Q/m DeltaT = C
2533.90 J / 93.785g x 70.5 Celsius = C
2.609 = C
Conclusion: 
In conclusion, since the specific heat was not calculated correctly; it is almost impossible to know which one it was. Although, the specific heat was zinc. There was an

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