Calorimetry Lab: Determining the Unknown Metal

Purpose: To determine the identity of an unknown metal
Hypothesis: The unknown metal is Copper
Materials:
* Safety glasses
* Styrofoam cup
* Thread or string
* Glass rod
* Thermometer
* 100mL graduated cylinder
* Hot plate
* Balance
* Unknown metal
* 300mL beaker

Procedure:
i. Mass of metal was recorded
ii. Water was heated on a hot plate in beaker
iii. Temperature was recorded when water reached a boil
iv. Cold water was put into graduated cylinder
v. Mass of water was recorded
vi. Cold water was poured into Styrofoam cup
vii. Temperature of cold water was recorded
viii. Metal was removed from hot water and was placed into cold water ix. Temperature change in cold water was recorded

Observations:
| Cold Water| Metal|
M (kg)| 0.117 kg| 0.07062 kg |
T1 (C)| 98C| 81C|
T2 (C)| 20C| 20C|
T (C)| 2 C| -61C|
C ( J/kgC)| 4.2 x 103 |

Analysis:
EH=mcT
mwcwTw= -mmcmTm
cm = mwcwTw /-mmTm

= (0.117)(4.2×103)(2)/(-0.07062)(-61)
cm = 228.14
~ 2.3×102 (Silver)
The unknown metal was silver

Discussion:
1. I found the specific heat capacity of my unknown metal in my textbook on page 260 because no metals in the chart matched the calculation I got. 2. Two sources of error for this experiment would be that we cannot determine the actual temperature of the inside of the metal so we just have to assume it is even through, and that our water temperatures changed after we recorded them and before we took the metal out, changing the temperature of the metal so our calculations were not exact. 3. A) Water has a higher specific heat capacity

B) Rock would heat up faster (given the same amount of energy) because it takes more heat energy to change waters temperature by one degree Celsius C) Rock would lose heat faster because it gained heat faster 4. At a beach in July, a rock on the shore would feel warm while the water would still feel cold because the rock which has been in the sun all day heats up faster than the water due to its lower specific heat capacity. Also the water has a greater surface area than the rock so it would take longer to heat up. 5. They are located farther from the large bodies of water 6. They are located right by the large bodies of water

7. That large bodies of water moderate temperatures, not giving them very high temperatures or very cold temperatures 8. In the middle of the country (like Toronto) for example, because it isn’t near a large body of water, which would help keep the temperature at a moderate degree. 9. Lakes and oceans moderate the climate because the specific heat capacity of water is high, meaning it takes a lot of energy to change the temperature of water. So, during the summer, land areas near a large body of water may not heat up as much as areas that are not close to water, because the water itself is adsorbing much of the heat energy. This will cause the climate to be more moderate in summer near the coast, for example. Likewise in winter, the water near the coast will slowly release this energy, causing areas near large bodies of water to be less cold, in general, than land areas that are not.