In the Specific Heat Capacity lab, the objectives were to understand, calculate, and determine how much energy (joules) is required in order to make an element rise one ∘C per Gram (g). The sample elements used were five different metals, Aluminum (Al), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), and two of which that are unknown, expected to be explained by comparing the experimental specific heat capacity (cp) against the accepted cp of a the metal my observations lead to test. The lab consisted of the comparison of the water temperature to the temperature of the metal used in the procedure. To make the comparison you need to mass the amount of water and metal you use in g. and then record the initial temperature (Ti) of both. To make sure that the Ti of the metal is accurately measured a Bunsen Burner was used to boil water in a beaker that contained a test tube with the sample metal. Once both temperatures were recorded the metal was then placed into the water that was incased in a calorimeter (foam Cup). The highest temperature reached in the calorimeter, the final temperature (Tf), is the last needed measurement to complete the lab and calculate the cp of that metal. The formula used to calculate the cp of the metal is the cp of the metal equals the mass of water multiplied by the difference in the Ti and Tf of water multiplied by the cp of water divided the mass of the metal multiplied by the difference in the Ti and Tf of the metal. Cp=(Mw)(Delta Tw)(4.184)/(Mm)(Delta Tm). .
The first experiment consisted of a 13.82g sample of Al being heated to the boiling point of the water (100.0 ∘C). The Al was then placed in the calorimeter that held 82.28g of water at 22.0 ∘C .The final temperature of the water was recorded at 24.8 ∘C resulting in a 2.8 ∘C increase. See spreadsheet to see cp of Al. To calculate the %error of the lab the accepted cp value of Al (.900) is subtracted from the experimental cp value and then is divided by the accepted cp value.