Vernier Software & Technology

# Mixing Warm and Cold Water

## Introduction

Heat can be defined as energy transferred between matter because of differences in temperature. The ability of matter to transfer heat depends on its mass and temperature. A calorimeter is an instrument used to measure changes in heat energy. You can make a simple calorimeter using a Styrofoam cup to contain water, a beaker for more insulation and support, and a Temperature Probe to measure temperatures. The joule (J) is the SI unit for heat energy. An equation that can be used to calculate change in heat energy is

$H = \Delta t \cdot m \cdot {C_p}$

where H = heat absorbed or released (in J), Δt = change in temperature (in °C), m = mass (in g), and Cp = specific heat capacity (4.18 J/g°C for water).

## Objectives

In this experiment, you will

• Construct and use a simple calorimeter.
• Measure temperature.
• Mix cold and warm water.
• Determine heat lost by cooling water.
• Determine heat gained by warming water.
• Compare heat lost by cooling water and heat gained by warming water.

## Sensors and Equipment

This experiment features the following Vernier sensors and equipment.

### Option 2

You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?

## Physical Science with Vernier

See other experiments from the lab book.

 1 Temperature Probe Response Time 2 Boiling Temperature of Water 3 Freezing and Melting of Water 4 Evaporation of Alcohols 5 Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions 6 Neutralization Reactions 7 Mixing Warm and Cold Water 8 Heat of Fusion 9 Energy Content of Fuels 10 Energy Content of Foods 11 Absorption of Radiant Energy 12 An Insulated Cola Bottle 13 A Good Sock 14 Insolation Angle 15 Solar Homes and Heat Sinks 16 Conducting Solutions 17 Conductivity of Saltwater: The Effect of Concentration 18 Acid Strengths 19 Frictional Forces 20 First-Class Levers 21 Pulleys 22 An Inclined Plane 23 Reflectivity of Light 24 Polarizing Light 25 How Bright is the Light? 26 Electromagnets: Winding Things Up 27 Magnetic Field Explorations 28 Household Acids and Bases 29 Acid Rain 30 Gas Pressure and Volume 31 Gas Temperature and Pressure 32 Fun with Pressure 33 Lemon "Juice" 34 Simple Circuits 35 Graphing Your Motion 36 Speeding Up 37 It's Race Day 38 Crash Lesson 39 Newton's Second Law 40 Falling Objects

### Experiment 7 from Physical Science with Vernier Lab Book

#### Included in the Lab Book

Vernier lab books include word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.