Lab: Specific Heat of a Metal
All work will be done in your comp book!
Purpose: To determine the specific heat of various metals.
Materials:
 hotplate
 400 mL beaker
 250 mL beaker
 tongs
 Styrofoam cup
 thermometer
 set of five metals
 graduated cylinder
 stirring rod
Procedures:
1. Fill the 400 mL beaker with tap water. Place it on the hot plate and
heat until the water boils.
2. While the water is heating, construct data tables for each of the five
metals (example below) and find the masses of each of the metal
samples. (The type of metal is shown on the bottom of each sample.)
3. Once the water is boiling, use the tongs to carefully place the metal
in the boiling water. The metal should be below the level of the water
in the beaker. Leave the metal in the boiling water bath for 5
minutes.
4. While the metal is heating, measure 100 mL of distilled water in the
graduated cylinder. Pour the water into the Styrofoam cup and place
the cup in a 250 mL beaker for support. Measure and record the
initial temperature of the distilled water using the thermometer.
5. Measure and record the temperature of the water as it is boiling.
6. Using the tongs, carefully remove the metal from the boiling water
and place it into the water-filled Styrofoam cup. Use the stirring rod
to gently stir the water over/around the metal. Check the
temperature every 10 seconds and record the maximum temperature
that it reaches.
7. Remove the metal and pour the water down the sink.
8. Repeat the above procedures three times for each of the five metals.
Do not empty your hot water bath until you have completed all of
the tests. Add water to the hot water bath if it becomes necessary
after the water has evaporated.
9. Answer the study questions.
Your data tables should look like this:
Metal:
Trial:
Mass of metal only (g)
Initial temperature of water in cup (oC)
Initial temperature of metal (same as temp of boiling water) (oC)
Maximum temperature reached by metal + water combination (oC)
Mass of water in cup (g)
1
2
3
Avg.
Study Questions:
1. Determine the changes in temperature of the water (∆Twater) and the metal
(∆Tmetal) for each trial, using the averages.
2. Remembering that the heat gained by the water is equal to the heat lost by
the metal, calculate the specific heat of your metal.
ms∆Tmetal = ms∆Twater
swater = 4.18 (J/g x oC)
3. Referring to the table of specific heats that is on the overhead, calculate
the percent error in the specific heat value that you determined
experimentally. (Use the absolute values to do this.)
% error = actual value – experimental value
actual value
4. Using the table of specific heats above, list the 5 metals and water in order
of increasing specific heat.
5. If you have 50.0 gram samples of each of the five metals and water, and you
add 100 J of energy to each, which substance will have the largest resulting
temperature change? Which substance will have the smallest temperature
change?