A Proposal to Identify Unknown Metal Samples by Calculating their

Specific Heat through Experimentation

Ms.G
September 2017

Introduction
Specific heat is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of any
substance through one degree Celsius. It depends on material property of the substance under
consideration, and quantifies how all substances absorb or release heat at different rates.
Specific heat of a substance is denoted by the letter c, in the general equation for heat flow,
= . In this equation,the other variables are as follows: the total heat absorbed or released
by the system is q, m being its mass and being the change in temperature.
This document proposes an experimental design to calculate the specific heat of
unknown metal samples. This proposal includes materials required,my methods for gathering
information and data tables.

Statement of Problem
There is an unknown pieces of metal for which the specific heat needs to be calculated , in
order to identify the metal.

Objectives
To identify unknown metals by calculating their specific heat

Pre Lab conceptual understanding:

If a heated piece of metal is placed into a beaker containing water at room temperature, where
does the metals heat go?

Materials required

Unknown metal samples(3), Hot plate, beaker 400 mL, beaker 50 mL, digital thermometers (2),
tongs, heat resistant gloves, digital weighing scale.

Experimental method :
First, the unknown metal sample is to be weighed and its mass recorded. Next approximately
100 mL of water needs to be heated up to a temperature between 60-100 degrees Celsius and
the metal sample needs to be placed in this hot water. Once the metal- water system reaches a
temperature higher than 55 degrees Celsius, this temperature is recorded and the metal is
taken up quickly using a pair of tongs and transferred to a styrofoam cup containing room
temperature water ( about 35 mL). The temperature of this beaker is next observed and once it
has stabilized, recorded as the final temperature. This data is then used to calculate the specific
heat of the metal sample.
Data/ Calculations for total heat, Q

METAL WATER

Mass, m = 30 g Mass , m = 35 g

Temperature change , = tfinal - tinitial Temperature change , = tfinal - tinitial

Specific Heat c= ? Specific heat c = 4.184 J/g deg C

At thermal equilibrium, heat lost by the metal = heat gained by the water

-Qm = Qw
Conclusion
By calculating the specific heat of the metal sample and by comparing that value with a specific
heat data table that lists specific heat values for different substances, it is possible to figure out
the identity of the unknown sample.

References
www. chem.latech.edu