Ava Devine

B3
Heat of a Solution Lab Report
Introduction- The objective of this experiment is to determine how the heat of a solution
changes with the addition of various solutes. The various solutes used are sodium chloride,
calcium chloride, and ammonium chloride. Each salt can determine the temperature of the water
causing it to be endothermic or exothermic. The independant variable is the distilled water and
the dependant variable is the solute. The salts will be added to distilled water and after a certain
amount of time in order see if the water temperature (in celsius) is affected.
Problem Question- How does various salt solutes affect water temperature?
Hypothesis- If the solute makes the water warmer than the reaction is endothermic because
heat is being absorbed.
Independent Variable- Solute
Dependent Variable- Water temperature
Constants- amount of water, amount of solute, beaker
Control- Water temperature without salt
Materials50 mL beaker

2 Spatulas, one per salt

3 Weigh boats, one per salt

30 mL Distilled Water (in bottle)

5g sodium chloride, NaCl

Digital Scale

5g calcium chloride, CaCl2

Thermometer (Celsius)

5g ammonium chloride, NH4Cl

Stopwatch (use phone)

Procedure:
1. Get 30 mL of distilled water and pour it into the 50mL beaker
2. Place the thermometer into the 50mL beaker to record the initial temperature of
the water
3. Measure 3g of sodium chloride on the weight boat and place on digital scale,
make sure the digital scale is on zero when the weigh boat is on the scale (without the
salt)
4. Take out one spatula and put all the sodium chloride from the weigh boat into the
50mL beaker with the water
5. Mix the salt with the water by stirring it with the spatula
6. Place the weigh boat in the sink after you take all the sodium chloride off
7. Start a stopwatch once you put the sodium chloride in the beaker
8. After 1 minute and 30 seconds record final temperature in Celsius and the
difference between final and initial temperature in Celsius
9. Clean out the 50mL beaker and pour 30mL distilled water back into the beaker

Ava Devine
B3
Heat of a Solution Lab Report
10. Repeat steps through 2 through 9 but replace the sodium chloride with 3g of
calcium chloride and then 3g of ammonium chloride.
11. After you finish clean up your work area
How do various salt solutes affect water temperature?
Type of salt

Initial temp (celsius)

Temp. after 1 minute Difference between

30 seconds
temp.

Sodium chloride

21o C

21o C

0o C

Calcium chloride

21o C

24.5o C

3.5o C

Ammonium

21o

16o C

4o C

Control

21o C

21o C

0o C

Graph:

Conclusion:
The hypothesis is if the solute makes the water warmer than the reaction is endothermic
because heat is being absorbed. The calcium chloride made the temperature rise causing an
exothermic reaction. The ammonium chloride made the temperature decrease making it

Ava Devine
B3
Heat of a Solution Lab Report

endothermic. The control and sodium chloride did not change causing no reaction. They both
stayed at 21o C with no difference between the temperature before or after the salt was added to
the water.
There were many errors in this experiment. One was that my group and I forgot to make a
data table, so right before the lab started we had to make a data table to collect the information
on the experiment. Another error was that my group did not stay on topic at times and over
measured or did not stop the clock. At one point the clock went over 10 seconds because my
group and I were not paying attention. Also one measurement was over by 5 mL in the 50 mL
beaker. Another error could have been mixing up the slts and what weigh boat they go in. This
could mess up the measurements from what is in the weigh boat, so this would affect the mass of
the salt and the effect on the water temperature.Theses were just some errors performed in the
heat of a solution lab. Some areas to improve the procedure are to add more steps to clarify.
Clarification of some of the steps were misunderstood or done differently. For example step 1
states get 30 mL of distilled water and pour it into the 50mL beaker. This does not say repeat for
all the different salts, it just says do it for one 50 mL beaker not two more after that. Another
improvement is knowing what the materials are, in step 5 it states mix the salt with the water by
stirring it with the spatula. There was no need to stir the water with the salt and there was not a
spatula to use. The last improve is to figure out what the dependent and independent variables are
by seeing what is depending on what. My group and I realized that the independent and
dependent variable were mixed up. Originally the independent variable was the temperature of
the water and the dependent variable was the solute of salt. Then we realized that the water is
being affected by the solute not the other way around. After this we changed it to be the
independent variable is the salt solute and the dependent variable is the water temperature. These
were the only errors and improvements that are needed to be made in the Heat of a Solution Lab.
The constants of the experiment are the amount of water, amount of solute used and the beaker.
These are the constants because the amount of water has to stay the same otherwise it would not
be a valid experiment. Also the amount of solute has to be the same because the experiment is
testing the temperature, this would cause it to be invalid if there were different amounts of salt
used. Finally, the beaker has to stay the same because that is the amount of water that is being
used in the experiment. If there was a different amount of water, this would affect the outcome of
the salt making the temperature different. This would cause different effects on the temperature
by the amount of time it takes for the temperature to increase or decrease. The different amount
of water can affect the amount of time the temperature changes. This means that if there there is
different amount of water in the beaker it would cause a different outcome on the temperature
and how long it takes to reach that temperature.
A real life situation for using each salt is different because of the reaction each of the salts
make. If you use sodium chloride it can be used as table salt at the dinner table and putting it on
your french fries. Another real life situation for calcium chloride is using it on roads. If this is put
onto roads with snow or ice it will melt. Lastly, a real life situation for using ammonium chloride
is as a nitrogen source. It is mainly used in some fertilizers for growing rice and wheat crops in
Asia. These are just some of the real life situations that could have sodium chloride, calcium
chloride and ammonium chloride.