Heat Capacity Lab

Heat Capacity Lab 1
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Heat Capacity Lab
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Date
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Heat Capacity Lab 2
Introduction
Part A
Calorimetry is the science of heat measurement. One of the intention of the lab was to
measure the heat transferred from copper to water using a calorimeter. Knowing the value of
specific heat of water would make it possible to compute the specific heat of copper in this
experiment. Heating a substance increases the motion or kinetic energy of its particles thus
increasing its temperature. When more heat is added to a given object raises its temperature
further. Specific heat is the relationship between the mass of the substance, the amount of heat
added and the change in its temperature.
A considerable amount of heat is needed to raise the temperature of a substance from a
lower temperature T1 to a higher temperature T2. This quantity of heat differ from one material to
another and it depends on a number of factors such as mass and specific heat of the material as
well as difference in temperature. Calometry involves measuring the quantities of heat.
Part B
In this part of the experiment the heat of solution of ammonium chloride (NH4Cl(s) ) as well as
the heat of neutralization of hydrochloric acid (HCl (aq) ) and ammonia (NH3 (aq) ) are to be
measured then combined with already determined heats of a number of reactions to find out
the heat of formation of NH4Cl(s) with the help of Hess' Law. For a chemical reaction to take
place, heat must be involved. A chemical reaction either involves loss of heat (exothermic) or
absorption of heat (endothermic). Heat of reaction for any cheamical reaction can be found using
the following procedure and chemical formula
∆ H =∑ ∆ H f ( prdoucts)−∑ ∆ H f (reactants )

Heat Capacity Lab 3
For exothermic reaction, heat is released to the surrounding and ∆ H has a negative value. For
endothermic reaction, heat is absorbed and ∆ H has a positive value. The negative value of ∆ H
indicates that the reactants are at a higher energy state than the products while a positive H
shows the reactants are at lower energy state than the products.
Objective
1. To determine the specific heat capacity of copper using a calorimeter
2. To find the Enthalpy of formation of ammonium chloride
Theory
Part A
Heat can be described as energy linked to the increased motions of atoms due to rise in its
temperature. When heat energy is basically added to a substance at constant pressure, the
temperature of that substance would rise (Signorelli, 2014). This is not the case only when there
is phase change (liquid is changing into a gaseous state, or solid is changing into the gaseous
state). A phase change usually happens without a decrease or increase in the temperature of the
substance. Heat cannot flow out or into objects in a vacuum or a place with no matter. Heat
requires matter to flow. Hence in a vacuum the temperature of an object remain the same
(Signorelli, 2014) (Signorelli, 2014). When two objects are brought into contact with one
another, heat will basically flow from the object that is hotter to the object that is cooler. It
implies that thermal energy of the hotter energy reduces and that of the cooler object increases.
The flow of heat between the two objects flows until both the objects attain constant temperature
(thermal equilibrium). This flow of heat in out or into an object which are in contact can be
explain using the concept of specific heat which attempts to explain the relationship between the
change in temperature of the objects and heat or thermal energy (Signorelli, 2014).

Heat Capacity Lab 4
Specific heat capacity is quantity of heat which is required to raise the temperature of a mass of
material by a kelvin. The specific heat capacity of a given substance is a physical property. On
the other hand it can be termed as quantity of heat required to increase one gram of a substance
or material by one kelvin. It is expressed as J/kg·K. In addition, specific heat capacity can be
measured in the units of calories per gram degree Celsius.
c= Q
∆ T
Where
c=heat capacity ,
Q=energy(¿ joules)∧¿
∆ T =temperature (¿ Kelvin∨degree Celsius)
Specific heat, is directky proportional to mass of a material mass:
c=m× S
In which
S=the specific heat capacity
M =mass of the material∧¿
C=the heat capacity
Finding specific heat of a metal in an experiment using methods of mixtures requires the
mas of the metal, its high temperature and mass of water to be known, The metal of a known
mass is thus dropped into the calorimeter. The after the equilibrium has been attained, the final