Experiment 2: Method of Mixtures

Laboratory Report
Byron Leander Tan, Chelsea Leigh Tan, Kyle Gabriel Tanchuling, Ma. Agatha Beatrice Uson,
Angelica Uy, Louise Erika Vargas

Department of Math and Physics

College of Science, University of Santo Tomas
Espaa, Manila Philippines

Abstract exchange. A method of determining the heat

There were two activities done in the
experiment namely, specific heat of metal
and heat of fusion of water. Results in this
experiment showed that the heat lost in the
system is equal to the heat gained in the
system; furthermore, this concept enabled
the group to determine the specific heat of
the metal object as well as the latent heat of
fusion of water.
I. Introduction
In this experiment, the specific heat of a
solid was determined by the method of
mixtures; the latent heat of fusion and heat of
vaporization of water were determined. Phase
changes occur when heat is added at a
constant rate until physical alterations happen
to the substance. Specific heat of a solid
substance can be determined by the "Method
of Mixture" using the concept of the "Law of
Heat Exchange". The method of mixture
based on the fact that when a hot substance is
mixed with a cold substance, the hot body
loses heat and the cold body absorbs heat
until thermal equilibrium is attained. At
equilibrium, final temperature of mixture is
measured. The specific heat of the substance
is calculated with the help of the law of heat
of fusion of a substance whose specific heat
is known, in which a known amount of the
solid is combined with a known amount of
the liquid in a calorimeter, and the decrease
in the liquid temperature during melting of
the solid is measured. The specific heat is the
amount of heat per unit mass required to raise
the temperature by one degree Celsius. The
relationship between heat and temperature
change is usually expressed in the form
shown below where c is the specific heat.
The relationship does not apply if a phase
change is encountered, because the heat
added or removed during a phase change
does not change the temperature. The energy
required to change a gram of a substance
from the solid to the liquid state without
changing its temperature is commonly called
its "heat of fusion". This energy breaks down
the solid bonds, but leaves a significant
amount of energy associated with the
intermolecular forces of the liquid state. The
energy required to change a gram of a liquid
into the gaseous state at the boiling point is
called the "heat of vaporization". This energy
breaks down the intermolecular attractive
forces, and also must provide the energy
necessary to expand the gas. For an ideal gas,
there is no longer any potential energy

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 associated with intermolecular forces. So
the internal energy is entirely in the
molecular kinetic energy.
In this experiment, students are expected
to
Determine the specific heat of a solid
by method of mixtures
Determine the latent heat of fusion
and heat of vaporization of water.
II. Theory
This experiment involves specific heat,
and method of mixture. Specific heat of a
substance is the number of calories needed
to rise the temperature of one gram of
substance, one degree centigrade. In order to
determine the specific heat of an object, the
method of mixture is performed. In the
method of mixture, the law of heat exchange
is used. The basis of the method of mixture
is when a hot substance is combined
together with a cold substance; the hot body
undergoes an exothermic effect in contrast
with the cold body experiencing
endothermic effect until thermal equilibrium
is attained. Once equilibrium is reached, the
final temperature is measured. The specific
heat of the substance is then calculated using
the formula:
C1 = M1C1 (T-T1) + mccc (T-TS) / MS (TS-T)
Where MS is the mass of the substance,
ml mass of the liquid, mC is the mass of the
calorimeter, TS as the initial temperature of
the substance, T1 as the initial temperature of
the liquid, TC as the initial temperature of the
calorimeter, CS as the specific heat of the
substance, C1 as the liquids specific heat, CC
as the calorimeters specific heat, and T as
the final temperature of the mixture.
III.Methodology
The activity done was activity 2. The inner
vessel of the calorimeter was weighed, and
was filled with half full of water afterwards
and weighed again to get the mass of water.
The inner vessel was placed into its
insulating jacket. The initial temperature of
water inside the calorimeter was recorded.
Pieces of ice were dried and added to the
water inside the calorimeter carefully. The
mixture was continuously stirred until all the
ice has melted and thermal equilibrium was
established. The temperature at thermal
equilibrium was recorded. The inner vessel
was weighed once again and the heat of
fusion was then computed by Conservation
of Heat energy. And lastly the % error was
obtained.
IV. Results and Discussion
Mass of Inner vessel of 42.24g
calorimeter
Mass of Inner vessel of 182.74g
calorimeter with water
Mass of water inside inner 135.5g
vessel of calorimeter
Mass of Inner vessel of 213.31g
calorimeter, water and melted
ice
Mass of melted ice 30.57g
Initial temperature of water 25.5C
and inner vessel of calorimeter
Equilibrium temperature of 7C
inner vessel of calorimeter,
water and melted ice
Calculated latent heat of 406.00
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fusion J/g Accepted value of latent heat 333.55
of fusion J/g

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 %Error 17.84%
The results of the experiment were as
follows:
The initial temperature of the water
and inner vessel of the calorimeter was
25.5C at room temperature.
The equilibrium temperature of the inner
vessel of the calorimeter, water and melted
ice was 7C, this was the constant
temperature after the ice had melted into the
water and stirred with the thermometer for
about 3 minutes. This change in temperature
from 25.5C because the heat energy
coming from the room temperature water
will have gone to the ice to melt it and mix
with the room temperature water. The
energy will keep flowing until all the ice has
melted into the water / all of the water has
the same temperature.
The calculated latent heat of fusion was
406.00 J/g with a %Error of 17.84%, this is
probably because some of the heat escaped
the calorimeter to the room temp. air in the
room or, the ice did not start at a room
temperature of 0C
V. Conclusion
The specific heat of the metal and the
latent heat of fusion has been determined
through calculating it. The specific heat of
the metal was determined through the
method of mixtures. The latent heat of
fusion is known to be at 406.00 J/gC, not
too far from the accepted value which is
333.55 J/gC.
VI. Applications
1. Is it possible to add heat to a body
withoutchangingitstemperature?
Yes,itispossible,youcanaddheattoa
bodywithoutchangingitstemperature,
whileasubstanceisundergoingaphase
transition, its temperature does not
change.Inthiscircumstance,therateat
whichweincreaseheattothesubstance
determinestherateatwhichthephase
transitionoccurs.Likeaboilingwater:
adding heat will only result to phase
changebutnottoitstemperature.
2. Is the value heat of vaporization
constant?
No,theheatofvaporizationcorrespond
totheheatthattheliquidlostwhenthe
moleculesphasedistorted.Thusheatis
reliantontemperature
3. Explain why steam burns are more
painfulthanboilingwaterburns
Steamcauses acruelerburndue to the
high latent heat of evaporation (latent
heat is the energy essential to
convertwaterintosteam
4. Early in the morning when the sand in
thebeachisalreadyhot,thewaterisstill
cold.Butatnight,thesandiscoldwhile
thewaterisstillwarm.Why?
Waterhashighspecificheatcapacity.it
takes slower rate to absorb or release
heat compared to the sand which has
lowerheatcapacitycausingthesandto
absorbandreleaseatafasterrate.
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5. Why is an alcohol rub effective in
reducingfever?
This is because alcohol reduces a
personsbodytemperature.Latentheat
ofvaporizationofalcoholismuchlower
than water so that alcohol evaporates
fasteratlowertemperatures.
6. Whyiswaterusuallyusedasacoolant?
Water is commonly used as a coolant
since it has a high capacity, has the
highest specific heat of any common
substance,1calorie/gmC=4.186J/gm
C, which makes it suitable as a heat
transfer medium. The high heat of
vaporization of water makes it an
effectivecoolantforthehumanbodyvia
evaporation of perspiration, extending
the range of temperatures in which
humanscansubsist.
7. Howmuchheatisneededtochange1gof
iceat0Ctosteamat100C?
m=1g
Q=m*Hvaporization=(1g)(540cal/g)=540cal
Hvaporization=540cal/g
8. Analuminumcalorimeterhasamassof
150gandcontains250gofwaterat30C.
Findtheresultingtemperaturewhen60g
ofcopperat100 Cisplacedinsidethe
calorimeter.
T=0.06x385(100t)=(0.15x900+
0.25x4200)(t30)=31.3458C.
References
[1] HyperPhysics. Heat of Fusion. Retrieved
February 7, 2017 from
http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/phase2.html
[2] HyperPhysics. Specific Heat. Retrieved
February 7, 2017 from
http://hyperphysics.phy-
astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/spht.html
[3] City Collegiate. Specific Heat. Retrieved
February 7, 2017 from
http://www.citycollegiate.com/specific_heat.
htm
[4] Practical Physics. Method of Mixtures.
Retrieved February 7, 2017 from
http://www.vias.org/glazebrook_practphys/
wrapnt75A18C_the_method_of_mixture.ht
ml
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