Calculating Heat of Fusion for Ice Cube: Lab Experiment Results

[Revengeance]

So i did a lab were we melt an ice cube in water. So i have to find the heat of fusion for the ice cube. But i am not sure how to do that.

What i was thinking of doing is finding the energy released by temperature of the ice cube increasing, then make that value of q, equal to m*hf, when it is melting. So:

Q = m * hf

Q/ m = hf

would this be correct? if you want my data it is:

mass of ice cube = 22.82 g

temperature = -7 degrees celsius

and for specific heat capacity i used 2.10 joules/ gram * degrees celsius

i know the theoretical value is 333, but my teacher is saying that our value of hf needs to be different.

 

[Borek]

Please describe the experiment, so far there is not enough information to help you (I guess I know what you did, and if so what you suggested is wrong, but I prefer to be sure).

Can you describe - step by step - changes that occurred to the ice cube during the experiment? Where did the heat needed for these changes came from?

 

[Revengeance]

Please describe the experiment, so far there is not enough information to help you (I guess I know what you did, and if so what you suggested is wrong, but I prefer to be sure).

Can you describe - step by step - changes that occurred to the ice cube during the experiment? Where did the heat needed for these changes came from?

so this is how the experiment went:

we took a styrofoam cup , weighed it, added water into the cup and weighed it again. We then recorded the temperature of the war which was 23 degrees celsius. We then put an ice cube into the styrofoam cup with the water and waited for it to melt, we then recorded the temperature of the water and melted ice cube and got 9 degrees celsius, we weighed the mass again. After our teacher told us that the temperature of the ice cube was 7 degrees celsius. Mass of Styrofoam cup = 3.56 g

Mass of Styrofoam cup + water = 145.78 g

Mass of Styrofoam cup + water + melted ice cube = 168.6 g

T1 = 23°c

T2 = 9° c

Tice = -7°c

 

[Borek]

I hate to ask the same question again and again, but sometimes I have no choice.

Can you describe - step by step - changes that occurred to the ice cube during the experiment? Where did the heat needed for these changes came from?

 

[James Pelezo]

Start with listing the events having heat transfer history and apply the law of conservation of energy to the sum of the thermal events. I suggest looking up and reviewing solving 'method of mixtures' type problems in closed systems. These studies are also called 'Coffee Cup Calorimeter type experiments. Thermodynamics sections of most college chemistry or physics texts have some great examples.

 

[Kevin McHugh]

Don't forget to determine the heat capacity of the styrofoam cups.

 

[James Pelezo]

Interesting proposition... but how do you measure the temperature change of the styrofoam cup? I would think it would be negligible compared to ΔT for water, but I'm always open to technique.

 

[Chestermiller]

Interesting proposition... but how do you measure the temperature change of the styrofoam cup? I would think it would be negligible compared to ΔT for water, but I'm always open to technique.

I think what you mean is that the heat transferred to or from the styrofoam cup is negligible compared to the other heat effects in this system.

 

[James Pelezo]

Yes, Chet ... much better said. Thanks.