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Heat Capacity of a Coffee Cup Calorimeter and

the Enthalpy of Fusion of Water
John Darren E. Casidlac, Kris Marielle H. Maliwat, Robert Kier L. Montealegre,
Bren A. Sison, Ma. Lara Angela B. Yumul

Abstract – For this experiment, the heat capacity of calorimeter and enthalpy of fusion of water
was determined using a coffee cup calorimeter. The heat capacity of the calorimeter was
determined to be 368.2706 J/K. The computed enthalpy of fusion of water was 6167.1399 J/mol,
with a percentage error of 2.60% based on the accepted enthalpy of fusion of water equal to
6010.571 J/mol.

Introduction of cool water, and cwater is the specific heat

According to the First Law of
Thermodynamics, energy is constant, cannot
be created nor destroyed, only transform to
another form of energy. [1]
∆𝐸𝑠𝑦𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑚 + ∆𝐸𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 = 0
Calorimetry is the study of heat
transfer during physical and chemical
processes. A calorimeter is a device used for
measuring energy transferred as heat. The
coffee cup calorimeter is the most common
device for measuring the heat capacity of a
substance. [2] The basic equation is:
−𝑞ℎ𝑜𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 = 𝑞𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 + 𝑞𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟
The heat capacity of the coffee cup
calorimeter can be determined using:
𝐶𝑝 = [−𝑚ℎ𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(ℎ𝑜𝑡) )
+ 𝑚𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓
− 𝑇𝑖(𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙) )]/(𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙) )
where Cp is the heat capacity of the
calorimeter, mhot is the mass of hot water,
mcool is the mass of cool water, Tf is the final
temperature, Ti(hot) is the initial temperature
of hot water, Ti(cool) is the initial temperature
capacity of water (4.184 J/g°C).
The coffee cup calorimeter can also
be used to determine the enthalpy of fusion of
ice. The enthalpy of fusion of ice can be
determined using:
𝑞𝑖𝑐𝑒 = −(𝑞𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 + 𝑞𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑟 )
= −[𝑚𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓
− 𝑇𝑖(𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟) ) + 𝐶𝑝 (𝑇𝑓
− 𝑇𝑖(𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟) )]
where
𝑞𝑖𝑐𝑒 = 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑐𝑒 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑖𝑐𝑒) ) + ∆𝑓𝑢𝑠 𝐻
Experimental
Using a hot plate, 200 mL of distilled
water was heated to boiling in a 500 mL
beaker. Two Styrofoam coffee cups were
placed in a 250 mL beaker and a 4” x 4” piece
of cardboard with a thermometer-fitted hole
at the center was placed on its top.
About 40 g of distilled water was
weighed, recorded, and added to the top
Styrofoam cup. The calorimeter was covered
with cardboard with the inserted
thermometer. The whole bulb of thermometer

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was made sure to be immersed in the water.
Five minutes were waited before recording
the temperature of the water.
40 mL of hot water was poured into
250 mL beaker, then weighed and recorded.
The initial temperature of the hot water was
measured. Immediately, the hot water was
poured into the calorimeter and covered with
the lid.
After adding the hot water into the
calorimeter, the temperature was measured.
The temperature was recorded every minute
for 5 minutes while the calorimeter was
gently swirled. The final temperature of the
mixture was determined by extrapolation of
plot of temperature (y-axis) against time (x-
axis).
To determine the heat of fusion of
water, the same steps were redone, except
that instead of using hot water, a known
amount (2-3 cubes) of ice was added to the
calorimeter.
Results and Discussion
A. Heat Capacity of the Calorimeter
The specific heat of water and ice was
checked in the CRC Handbook of Chemistry
and Physics and was recorded to be 4.184 J/g-
K and 2.03 J/g-K, respectively. [3]
Weight of water 41.4472 g
Ti (water) 293 K
Weight of hot water 36.39 g
Ti (hot water) 345.3333 K
Tf 316 K
Cp 368.2706 J/K
By extrapolation of plot of
temperature vs. time, the final temperature of
BAS
the mixture was determined to be 316 K. The
Cp of the calorimeter can be calculated using
the formula 𝐶𝑝 = [−𝑚ℎ𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓 −
𝑇𝑖(ℎ𝑜𝑡) ) + 𝑚𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙) )]/
(𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙) ) which is equal to 368.2706
J/K.
B. Enthalpy of Fusion of Ice
Weight of water 40.6871 g
Ti (water) 299.3333 K
Weight of ice 11.5859 g
Ti (ice) 277.3333 K
Tf 282.5333 K
ΔfusH 6167.1399 J/mol
After determining the Cp of the
calorimeter, the enthalpy of fusion of water
was calculated. Using the formula for ΔfusH,
the experimental enthalpy of fusion of water
was 6167.1399 J/mol. The accepted value of
enthalpy of fusion of water is 333.55 J/g. [4]
Multiplying this value by the molecular
weight of water (18.02 g/mol), the accepted
value of enthalpy of fusion of water in J/mol
is equal to 6010.571 J/mol. Using the
experimental and accepted values of enthalpy
of fusion of water, the percentage error
calculated was 2.60%.
The accepted value of enthalpy of
fusion of water indicates that 333.55 J of heat
must be absorbed by the water to convert 1 g
of ice at 0°C to 1 g of water at 0°C. [5]
Conversely, when 1 g of water at 0°C freezes
to give 1 g of ice at 0°C, 334 J of heat will be
released to the surroundings.
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Calculations B. Enthalpy of Fusion of Ice

A. Heat Capacity of the Calorimeter Mean weight of water
Mean weight of water = (weight1 + weight2 +
Mean weight of water weight3) / 3
Mean weight of water = (weight1 + weight2 + Mean weight of water = (40.0752 g + 40.3390
weight3) / 3 g + 40.8621 g) / 3 = 40.6871 g
Mean weight of water = (41.4310 g + 41.4551
g + 41.4555 g) / 3 = 41.4472 g Mean Ti (water)
Mean Ti (water) = (Ti water1 + Ti water2 + Ti
Mean Ti (water) water3) / 3
Mean Ti (water) = (Ti water1 + Ti water2 + Ti Mean Ti (water) = (293 K + 298 K + 303 K)
water3) / 3 / 3 = 299.3333 K
Mean Ti (water) = (293 K + 293 K + 293 K)
/ 3 = 293 K Mean weight of ice
Mean weight of ice = (weight1 + weight2 +
Mean weight hot of water weight3) / 3
Mean weight of hot water = (weight1 + Mean weight of ice = (12.6706 g + 11.0812 g
weight2 + weight3) / 3 + 14.0058 g) / 3 = 11.5859 g
Mean weight of hot water = (33.80 g + 39.65
g + 35.72 g) / 3 = 36.39 g Mean Ti (ice)
Mean Ti (ice) = (Ti ice1 + Ti ice2 + Ti ice3) / 3
Mean Ti (hot water) Mean Ti (ice) = (273 K + 277 K + 278 K) / 3
Mean Ti (hot water) = (Ti hot water1 + Ti hot = 277.3333 K
water2 + Ti hot water3) / 3
Mean Ti (hot water) = (345 K + 348 K + 343 Mean Tf
K) / 3 = 345.3333 K Mean Tf= (Tf 1 + Tf 2 + Tf 3) / 3
Mean Tf = (282.2 K + 285.1 K + 291 K) / 3 =
Mean Tf 282.5333 K
Mean Tf= (Tf 1 + Tf 2 + Tf 3) / 3
Mean Tf = (316 K + 316 K + 316 K) / 3 = 316 Enthalpy of Fusion of Ice
K ∆𝑓𝑢𝑠 𝐻 = −[𝑚𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟) )
+ 𝐶𝑝 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟) )]
Cp of the Calorimeter
𝐶𝑝 = [−𝑚ℎ𝑜𝑡 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(ℎ𝑜𝑡) ) − 𝑚𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑐𝑖𝑐𝑒 (𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑖𝑐𝑒) )
+ 𝑚𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙 𝑐𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 (𝑇𝑓 ∆𝑓𝑢𝑠 𝐻
𝐽
− 𝑇𝑖(𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙) )]/(𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑖(𝑐𝑜𝑜𝑙) ) = −[(40.6871 𝑔) (4.184 ) (282.5333
𝑔𝐾
𝐽 − 299.3333)𝐾
(−36.39 𝑔) (4.184 (316 − 293)𝐾 +
𝑔 𝐾) 𝐽
+ (368.2706 ) (282.5333 − 299.3333)𝐾
𝐽 𝐾
(41.4472 𝑔) (4.184
𝑔 𝐾) 𝐽
− (11.5859 𝑔) (2.03 ) (282.5333
(316 − 293)𝐾 𝑔𝐾
= 368.2706 𝐽/𝐾 − 277.3333)𝐾 = 6167.1399 𝐽/𝑚𝑜𝑙

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Percentage Error 4. ChemPRIME. (2016). Enthalpy of

% 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟 Fusion and Enthalpy of Vaporization.
𝐽 𝐽 Chemical Education, 4-6.
6167.1399 − 6010.571
= 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑥100
𝐽 5. Kramer, K. (2014). Heat of Fusion.
6010.571
𝑚𝑜𝑙
= 2.60% Heat of Fusion of Water, 5.

Conclusion
The heat capacity of the calorimeter
was determined using a coffee cup
calorimeter. Using the First Law of
Thermodynamics, the computed value of the
Cp of the calorimeter is 368.2706 J/K. After
computing the heat capacity of the
calorimeter, the enthalpy of fusion of water
was determined. The experimental value of
enthalpy of fusion of water was 6167.1399
J/mol while the accepted value of enthalpy of
fusion of water was 6010.571 J/mol. The
computed percentage error of the experiment
was 2.60%. In this experiment, all operations
must be performed at a constant pressure.
Between each trial, the calorimeter and
thermometer must be dried to prevent
possible errors.

References
1. Atkins, P., & de Paula, J. (2010).
Physical Chemistry, Ninth Edition.
Great Britain: Oxford University
Press.
2. Gibbs, J. W. The Collected Works of
J. Willard Gibbs, Vol. I (1948 ed.).
New Haven, CT: Yale University
Press. p. 88.

3. Weast, L. (1989). CRC Handbook of

Chemistry and Physics. Portland:
CRC-Press.

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