Experiment 6: Specific Heat of Metals
Laboratory Report
Jyelo Dela Cruz, Bruce Devela, Jyle Diño, Franc Dy
Department of Math and Physics
Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Santo Tomas
España, Manila Philippines
Abstract
The experiment utilises a metal
sample and a calorimeter with water to
determine the specific heat capacity of the
metal sample. Specific heat capacity is the
amount of energy needed of an object to
gain an unit increase in temperature for
every unit of mass. In the experiment
performed by the group, the unit of specific
heat capacity will be in cal/gC°. First, the
metal sample made of aluminium, the
calorimeter, and the calorimeter with water
were weighed. Next, the metal sample was
heated to 99.0°C while the initial
temperature of the calorimeter and water
was 13.3°C. Afterwards, the heated metal
sample was placed into the calorimeter with
water. The final temperature of the system
was 14.7°C which indicated a change in
temperature both the metal sample and the
calorimeter. Energy from the metal sample
was lost and was absorbed by the
calorimeter and water. With the change of
temperature, mass of the objects, and the
specific gravity of water and aluminium, the
specific heat capacity of the metal sample
was determined to be 0.222cal/gC°.
Moreover, The metal sample was made from
aluminium which has a specific heat
capacity of 0.215cal/gC°. Percentage error
of the experiment was 3.26%.
1. Introduction
Heat is the energy that is transferred
from one body to another due to the
difference in temperature. Transferring of
energy occurs when two bodies at different
temperature are brought together. An
example of this are heat flows, where heat
flows from the hotter body to the colder. An
increase in the temperature of the colder
body and a decrease in the temperature of
the hotter body is usually the effect of the
transfer of energy.
The amount of heat required to raise
the temperature of that substance by a
certain number of degrees divided by the
amount of heat required to raise the
temperature of an equal mass of water by the
same number of degrees is called the
specific heat​​. The number of calories
required to raise the temperature of one ram
of the substance from 14.5°C to 15.5°C is
equal to specific heat.
Calorimetry is a technique used to
measure the amount of heat involved in a
chemical or physical process. To measure
amounts of heat transferred to or from a
substance, calorimetry is used. In order to do
this, the heat is exchanged with a calibrated
object called the ​calorimeter​​, a device used
to measure the amount of heat involved in a
chemical or physical process. Converted into
the amount of heat is the change in
temperature of the measuring part of the
calorimeter.
2. Theory
Equal masses of different substances
absorb different quantities of heat when
subjected to the same rise in temperature.
Water is a compound that absorbs more heat ​ C​​ is the specific heat
than almost all substances undergoing the T is the change in temperature of the
same change in the temperature. On the substance.
contrary, water gives more heat than almost If a phase change is encountered, the
any other substances when cooling through relationship does not apply because the heat
the same change in temperature. The added or removed during the phase change
specific heat of water is 1 calorie/gram °C = does not change the temperature.
4.186 joule/gram °C which is higher than In an ideal conditions, there must be
any other common substance. With these no heat lost to the environment. The heat
properties, water makes the good basis in from the hotter substance is completely
comparing quantities of heat and plays an absorbed by the cooler substance.
important role in temperature regulation.
The specific heat is the amount of 3. Methodology
heat required to raise the temperature of that The group was provided with the
substance by a certain number of degrees following instruments: calorimeter,
divided by the amount of heat required to thermometer, 1 L beaker, aluminum block,
raise the temperature of an equal mass of string, and a hotplate.
water by the same number of degrees. It is
equal to the number of calories required to
raise the temperature of one ram of the
substance from 14.5​°C​ to 15.5​°C​.
The method of mixture is applied in
determining the specific heat of a substance.
Law of heat exchange is the principle
involved in this method. The interchange of
heat between two substances will only
continue if the heat given up by the hotter
substance is gained by the cooler substance.
However, there will be no net heat transfer Image 1. Calorimeter
when the two substances have the same
temperature.
With this experiment, a solid of
known mass is heated to a certain
temperature. Then, it is immersed in the
water of mass which has lower initial
temperature until the two reach a common
temperature. The amount of heat given up Image 2. Thermometer
by the solid is equal to the amount of heat
absorbed by the water. The relationship
between heat and temperature change is
expressed in this form:
Q = mCΔT
where ​Q​ is the heat added
m is the mass of the substance (either
the water of the metal box)
 Both the aluminum block and the
inner cup of the calorimeter were first
weighed and their masses taken note of.

Image 3. 1 L Beaker

Image 7. Mass of Aluminum Block

Image 4. Aluminum Block

Image 5. String Image 8. Mass of Empty Inner Cup of

Calorimeter

The block was then tied with a piece

of string and allowed to suspend in a
water-filled beaker which was being heated
on a hot plate. The temperature of the block
was carefully monitored.

Image 6. Hot Plate

 Image 11. Initial Temperature of
Image 9. Aluminum Block Suspended in
Calorimeter
Heating Beaker

While waiting for the system to

reach 99℃, the inner cup of the calorimeter
was filled with cold water. The filled cup
was then weighed.

Image 12. Initial Temperature of Aluminum

Block

Image 10. Mass of Inner Cup of Calorimeter

with Cold Water

When the temperature of the

aluminum block reached 99℃, the
temperature of the water in the calorimeter
was first recorded before immediately
transferring the hot aluminum block into the
calorimeter. The highest temperature at
which the system immediately increased to
was taken note of.
 4. Results and Discussion
The following table shows the
masses of the objects used, their specific
heat capacity, and the initial and final
temperature to determine the heat of given
up by the calorimeter . This will then
determine the specific heat capacity of the
metal.

Table 1.​​ Specific heat capacity of the metal

Mass of metal 44.92 g

Mass of calorimeter 28.94 g

Image 13. Final Temperature of Calorimeter Mass of calorimeter and 170.88 g

water
Given all the collected data, the
Specific heat of 0.215
specific heat of the water and calorimeter
calorimeter cal/gC°
were computed for. Specific heat is given by
the equation: Initial temperature of the 99.0°C
metal
Q = mC ⃤ T; where
Initial temperature of 13.3°C
m​​: mass water and calorimeter
C​​: specific heat capacity
⃤ T: change in temperature (Final. - Initial) Final temperature of the 14.7°C
system
The specific heat capacity of the
metal was then computed using the Temperature of the metal 14.7°C
equation: Temperature change of the 1.4°C
−(Qwater + Qmetal ) calorimeter and water
C metal = (mmetal ) (ΔT metal )
Heat gained by water 831.83 cal
Afterwards, the percentage error was
calculated, given that the accepted specific Heat gained by calorimeter 8.71 cal
heat capacity of aluminum is 0.215 cal/gC°. Heat given up by the meal 840.54 cal
The equation is as follows:
Specific heat of the metal 0.222
% Error = || AcceptedAccepted
− Experimental |
| x 100 (experimental) cal/gC°

Specific heat of the metal 0.215

(standard) cal/gC°

Percentage error 3.26%

 From the following formula is
utilised to determine the specific heat
capacity of an object:
Q = mC ⃤ T; where
m​​: mass
C​​: specific heat capacity
⃤ T: change in temperature (Final. - Initial)
The metal used was made out of
Aluminium which was 0.215cal/gC°. After
recording the initial temperature of the metal
and the calorimeter with water, the metal is
placed inside the calorimeter. The group
observed a spike in an increase of
temperature of the system which then the
rate gradually decreased until the water
reached room temperature. The peak of the
rate of the spike was considered to be the
final temperature as heat from the
surrounding may have entered the system.
Afterwards, the change in
temperature of the water and calorimeter
was 1.4°C. Using the aforementioned
formula of specific heat capacity, the heat
gained by 14.94g of water was 831.83 cal.
As for the calorimeter which is made of
Aluminium, the heat gained was 8.71 cal.
The sum of both heat gain should be
equivalent to the heat lost from the metal
which would then be 840.54 cal. With the
specific heat capacity formula, we can
determine the experimental specific heat
capacity of the 44.92g metal which was
0.222 cal/gC°.
The actual specific heat capacity of
Aluminium is 0.215 cal/gC°. The following
formula determines the percentage error of
the experiment:
Actual C − Experimental C
% Error = Actual C
x 100
The percentage error of this
experiment was 3.26%. There are various
factors that may have contributed to this
percentage error. Heat from the environment
may have affected the experiment. Hot
water on the string and on the metal may
show an excess amount of energy absorbed
by the calorimeter and water. Human errors
in observation is an unlikely factor due to
the utilisation of an electronic thermometer
for an accurate reading.
5. Conclusion
In this experiment, a calorimeter,
thermometer, 1 L beaker, aluminum block,
string, and hotplate were utilized to perform
calorimetry and determine the specific heat
of an object, specifically an aluminum
block.
Calorimetry is done by first heating
the object until the highest possible
temperature. It is afterwards placed inside a
calorimeter, which contains cold water, thus
a cooler environment. Change in
temperature within the calorimeter was then
observed and recorded upon the addition of
the heated block. Having obtained the data
such as mass, specific heat capacity (except
that of the block), and initial and final
temperature of the water, calorimeter, and
aluminum block, the specific heat capacity
of the block could then be computed for.
Results produced a specific heat capacity of
0.222 cal/gC. Compared to its actual specific
heat capacity of 0.215 cal/gC°, there was
found to be a 3.26% error.
In conclusion, the specific heat
capacity obtained can be considered slightly
accurate. Source of error can be accounted
for by heat from the environment, heat from
string, and human error with regards to
observation of the electronic thermometer.
6. Applications
1. Define the ff:
a. Heat
Heat is the transferring or movement
of energy between two objects. From a
hotter object to a lower object.
b. Heat capacity
Heat capacity refers to the amount of
energy needed to raise the object’s
temperature by one unit per one unit of its
mass.
2. Why is it desirable to have the water
a few degrees colder than room
temperature when the initial
temperature is taken?
To increase its ability in absorbing
heat and be able yo have an observable
result, heat flows to a lower temperature
from a higher temperature giving us hint that
the water must be few degrees colder than
the room temperature. This illustrates the 2​nd
law of Thermodynamics.
3. Why is the mass of the outer shell of
the calorimeter and the insulating
ring now included in the data for this
experiment?
The outer shell of the calorimeter and the
insulating ring have no effect on the
temperature of the water; thus they are not
included in the data.
4. What does the experiment show
about the specific heat of water?
Based on the experiment, the data showed
that water absorbs more amount of heat than
the calorimeter since it has a higher specific
heat.
5. How does the conductivity of the
metal used in this experiment affect
the accuracy of the results?
The conductivity will affect the rate
of transferring of energy from the metal to
the water and calorimeter. Slow conductivity
may lead to an increased room of
environmental factors that may influence the
experiment. The properties of the metal will
affect its conductivity. Examples of these
properties are its surface area and its
material as specific heat capacity is
dependent on the material.
6. Why should the hot metal be dry
before it is introduced into the cold
water?
The hot metal should be dry before it
is introduced into the cold water in order to
maximize the direct contact between the
surface of the metal and the molecules of
water, thereby improving the heat exchange.
7. 837 calories of heat are required to
heat 100.0 grams of copper from
0.0℃ to 100.0℃. What is the
specific heat of copper?
Qcopper = (mcopper )(C copper )( ⃤ T )
837 cal = 100 g (C copper )(100 − 0)
837 cal
C copper = (100g) (100℃)
C copper = 0.0837 cal/gC°
7. References
[1] ​Britannica, T. E. (2014, June 03).
Specific heat. Retrieved November 14,
2018, from
https://www.britannica.com/science/specific
-heat
[2] The Editors of Encyclopaedia
Britannica. (2018, April 12). Heat. Retrieved
November 14, 2018, from
https://www.britannica.com/science/heat
[3] ​OpenStax. (n.d.). Chemistry. Retrieved
November 14, 2018, from
https://opentextbc.ca/chemistry/chapter/5-2-
calorimetry/