Can Heat Capacity Experiments Identify Unknown Metals?

[kdog3682]

Problem: Design a lab to identify an unknown metal.

By solving for Heat capacity, i will be able to track What the metal is. Thus the goal of this experiment is to determine the unknown metal's heat capacity.

Procedure:

1. Fill .1 kg water tank with .5 kg of water @ 0 celcius.

Heat the unknown metal ( assume .1kg), which we will call X, with Y amount of joules until it reaches 50 celcius.
2. Place X into the water tank. Measure the change in temperature and when equilibrium is reached.

Q = cmT where
c= heat capacity
Q= energy imput
m=mass
T = delta T
Thus, we also known Qx + Q(water) = 0. (equilibrium)
Thus...
C(.1)(Tf-50) + 4186*.5*(Tf) = 0

We can determine final Tf through various trials.


Do you guys think this would work as a lab to determine what the metal's heat capacity is which in turn is able to tell you what the metal is?

 

[Jhero]

I believe that this experiment has potential to determine the heat capacity of the unknown metal. However, there are a few suggestions that I would like to make in order to improve the accuracy and reliability of the results.

1. Use a calorimeter: Instead of using a simple water tank, I would suggest using a calorimeter to measure the heat transfer between the metal and water. This will provide more accurate results as calorimeters are designed specifically for this purpose.

2. Repeat the experiment multiple times: In order to ensure the accuracy of the results, it is important to repeat the experiment multiple times and take the average of the results. This will help eliminate any errors or anomalies that may occur during a single trial.

3. Use different metals: In addition to the unknown metal, it would be beneficial to use known metals with different heat capacities as a comparison. This will help in identifying the unknown metal by comparing its heat capacity with the known metals.

4. Consider other factors: While heat capacity is a good indicator of the identity of a metal, it is not the only factor. It would be useful to also consider other properties such as density, melting point, and conductivity in order to confirm the identity of the metal.

Overall, I believe that this experiment has the potential to identify the unknown metal, but it is important to take into consideration the suggestions mentioned above in order to obtain accurate and reliable results.