Heat of Fusion of Ice
Recommended for grades 9–12.
Introduction
Melting and freezing behavior are among the characteristic properties that give a pure substance its unique identity. As energy is added, pure solid water (ice) at 0°C changes to liquid water at 0°C.
In this experiment, you will determine the energy (in joules) required to melt one gram of ice. You will then determine the molar heat of fusion for ice (in kJ/mol). Excess ice will be added to warm water, at a known temperature, in a Styrofoam cup. The warm water will be cooled down to a temperature near 0°C by the ice. The energy required to melt the ice is removed from the warm water as it cools.
To calculate the heat that flows from the water, you can use the relationship
where q stands for heat flow, Cp is specific heat, m is mass in grams, and Δt is the change in temperature. For water, Cp is 4.18 J/g°C.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Determine the energy (in Joules) required to melt one gram of ice.
- Determine the molar heat of fusion for ice (in kJ/mol).
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.