Experiment Number 2

Coffee Cup Calorimetry 

Brady Kesterholt 
SCH 143-01 General Chemistry II Lab 
Group A 
9/10/2020
 I. Title: Coffee Cup Calorimetry 

II. Objectives:

The purpose of this experiment is to determine energy transfer according to the first law

of thermodynamics by calorimetry. Coffee cup calorimetry is used to quantify energy changes,

these changes are measured through dissolution, acid base reactions, and identifying heat

specificity of an unknown metal or alloy. 

III. Data and Results: 

Table 1: Data for the Heat of Dissolution of NaOH

Mass of NaOH (g) 6.08 g

Mass of calorimeter (g) 9.66 g

Mass of calorimeter and water (g) 57.57 g 

Mass of water (g) 47.91 g 

Initial temperature of water, Ti(°C) 25.5 C

Final temperature of water, Tf(°C) 54.3 C

Table 2: Data for Heats of Acid-Base Reaction

Mass of calorimeter (g) 9.66 g 

Mass of calorimeter and solutions (g) 71.86 g 

Combined mass of solutions (g) 62.2 g 

Initial temperature of acid, Ti(°C) 28.8 C 

Final temperature of reaction, Tf(°C) 47.5 C

Table 3: Data for the Determination of the Specific Heat of an Unknown Metal/Alloy
Unknown metal/alloy # Stainless Steel

Mass of metal/alloy (g) 50.84 g 

Mass of calorimeter (g) 9.66 g 

Mass of calorimeter and water (g) 35.51 g

Mass of water (g) 25.84 g

Initial temperature of water, Ti(°C) 24.1 C

Initial temperature of metal/alloy, Ti(°C) 95.2 C 

Final temperature, Tf (°C) 33.7 C 

Table 4: Data for the Determination of the Specific Heat of an Unknown Metal/Alloy
Unknown metal/alloy # Specific Heat (J/g °C)

Aluminum 0.91

Brass 0.38

Bronze  0.38

Copper  0.39

Lead  0.13

Nickel  0.44

Stainless Steel 0.50

Tin  0.21

Zinc  0.39

Table5: Results from experiments parts I, II, III

 Experiment Heat Capacity J/g Theoretical Delta H Delta H Percent Error
Part  C KJ/mol  KJ/mol %

Part I NA -44.5 -42.75 3.9

Part II NA -56 -51.9 7.3

Part III  0.33 NA NA 34

IV. Calculations:

Part I: Dissolution of NaOH 

-Q dissolution = Q solution 
-Q(MCdeltaT) = Q(MCdeltaT) 
M= 6.08 + 47.91= 53.99 g 
C = heat specificity of water = 4.18 kj/g C
Delta T= Temp f - temp i = 54.3 - 25.5 = 28.8 C 
Qsolution= (53.99g)(4.18kj/g C)(28.8 C) = 6499.5 J
-Q dissolution -(53.99g)(4.18 kj/g C)(28.8 C) = -6499.5 J 

Delta H = Q/mol 
-6499.5J         X  1KJ   X 39.99g           =   -259915.01 =  -42.75 kj/mol
6.08gNaOH       1000J    1 mol NaOH         6080 

DeltaHrxn = sum (prod) - sum (reactants) 

Delta Hrxn = sum (Na+) + (OH-) - (NaOH) 
Delta Hrxn = sum (-240.1) + (-230) - (425.6) 
Delta Hrxn = -44.5 kJ/mol 

Percent error = Experimental-Theoretical/Theoretical X 100 

Percent error = -42.75 - 44.5/ -44.5 X 100 = 3.9% 

Part II: Acid-Base Reaction of HCL and NaOH 

DeltaT= Tf-Ti
Delta T = (47.5- 28.8) = 18.7 C 

Q=MCdeltaT 
M= 62.2 g 
C= 4.017 kj/g C
Delta T= 18.7 C 
-Q= (62.2g)(4.017kj/g C)(18.7 C) = -4672.33 J 
 #mole present = 0.0300L X (3mol)    = 0.0900 mol 
1     1L

-4672.33J    X 1kj     = 4.67 kj     -4.67 kj/ 0.0900mol = -51.9 kj/mol 
1       1000 J

DeltaHrxn = sum (prod) - sum (reactants) 

Delta Hrxn = sum (H+) + (OH-) - (H2O) 
Delta Hrxn = sum (-286) + (-230) - (0) 
Delta Hrxn = -56 kJ/mol 

Percent Error = Experimental-Theoretical/Theoretical X 100 

Percent error = -51.9 - (-56)/(-56) X 100 = 7.3% 

Part III: Determining the heat specificity of an unknown metal/alloy

Q Metal + Q water = 0 
Q water = -Q Metal 
Q water (MCdelta T) = -Q Metal (MCdeltaT) 
Q water
M= 25.84 g 
C= 4.18 kj/g C 
DeltaT= (33.7-24.1)= 9.6
Qwater= (25.84 g)(4.18 kj/g C)(9.6 C)= 1036.91J
-QMetal 
M= 50.84
C= X
DeltaT= (33.7-95.2) = -61.5 C 
C= MCDeltaT/MDeltaT= 1036.91J/3126.66= 0.33kj/g C

Percent Error = Experimental-Theoretical/Theoretical X 100 

Percent error= 0.33-0.50/0.50X100= 34%

V. Discussion: 

The results from the dissolution of solid NaOH to an aqueous solution is an exothermic

process that releases heat from the system or the solid NaOH. Using the equation Q=MCDeltaT

the enthalpy change of the reaction can be determined to see how much energy was lost in the

reaction. The data shows that at a -42.75 KJ/mol, this number represents the energy released
from mixing NaOH with H2O. The theoretical amount of energy that this reaction should release

is -44.5 KJ/mol. When comparing the two values the percent error of the experiment to the

theoretical was 4.1 percent. Some ways to improve this portion of the experiment would be to

not round the mass of the calorimeter or the solid NaOH till the very end. Another is making sure

that all measurements are accurate as possible. This dissolution reaction was very beneficial and

even helped create a base solution for the second part of the experiment. 

During an acid base reaction an acid is combined with a base to produce a salt and water.

Using the equation Q=MCDeltaT the enthalpy change of the reaction can be determined to see

how much energy was lost in the reaction. Through calculations of the data the results were an

energy change of -51.9 KJ/mol. This exothermic reaction shows heat being released from the

system or from the reactant of HCL and NaOH to produce water or the surrounding which

absorbed the heat from the reaction. The theoretical enthalpy for this acid base reaction is -56

KJ/mol. The percent error for this experiment was 7.1 percent showing that some mistakes were

made. Some ways to improve this portion of the experiment are exact measurements and being

precise with measuring the base aqueous solution of NaOH and the acid aqueous solution of

HCL. Along with waiting longer to make sure that the initial and final temperatures are the same

for around 1 minute. 

Part three of the experiment was to determine the heat capacity of an unknown metal or alloy.

Heat specificity is measured in KJ/g C. To determine heat capacity the equation is C= MCDeltaT

(Water)/MDeltaT (Metal). The C value determined through calculations is 0.33kj/g C. This

shows that the metal had a low heat capacity which makes this a good conductor of heat. The

metal alloy was stainless steel which theoretical value for heat specificity was 0.50 kj/g C. The

percent error for this experiment was 51.5 percent. Some errors could be not enough water mass,
not letting the temperature plateau enough in the calorimeter, and not having the temperature

probe in the correct position. Some ways to improve the experiment are clear coffee cup lids,

more precision in measuring water and in measuring the mass of the water, metal, and

calorimeter. 

Overall, this experiment showed the direct heat transfer through the first law of

thermodynamic and how finding heat capacity shows how well an object can conduct heat and

how much energy is needed to produce reactions of dissolution, and acid base.