Guide Questions

Part I.
1. Why is it important to immerse the metal in the boiling water for a long time?
It is important to immerse the metal in the boiling water for a long time so that it can
absorb more heat that will be enough to make a difference in the temperature of the mixture in the
calorimeter.
2. Why do you need to wipe off the water from the metals surface before dropping it into the
calorimeter?
It is needed to wipe off the water from the metals surface because the temperature of the
water is approximately in the boiling point which is different from the amount of heat the metal
has absorbed and will deal changes in the temperature of the mixture when put together which
may be a source of error.
3. Give one advantage and one disadvantage of using the stirrer of the calorimeter in mixing the
metal and water.
One advantage of using the stirrer of the calorimeter is that the mixture can still be stirred
without the calorimeter being opened that may cause the heat of the mixture to be released and
the disadvantage of using the stirrer of the calorimeter is that it is made of metal, so it absorbs the
heat of the mixture and some portion of the stirrer is released in a room temperature which also
absorbs the heat inside the room and varies the temperature of the mixture inside the calorimeter.
Part II.
1. What is the initial temperature of the ice? How can you determine the temperature of ice without
using a thermometer?
The initial temperature of ice is 0C because the freezing point of water is at 0C, thus,
water starts to freeze or become an ice at the said temperature.
2. Why is it important to wipe off the water from the ices surface before putting it in the
calorimeter?
It is important to wipe off the water from the ices surface before putting it in the
calorimeter because the water, which is a portion of the ice that already underwent a change in
phase, contains a different temperature, thus, less heat would be absorbed by the ice and less
difference for the final temperature of the mixture would be obtained.