Does temperature affect solubility?

Pupils were asked to plan an investigation to find out if temperature affects the solubility of a solvent.

Alice

Prediction

More sugar will dissolve in the hot water because we put sugar in tea and it tastes nice and you cannot feel the sugar. Hot water particles have lots of energy and crash into the sugar grain making it break up and dissolve more.

Description of method

  • During registration go to the lab and put some water in a beaker and leave it get to room temperature by lesson time.
  • Weigh out about 10g of sugar into a beaker and use a balance to find out its mass at eh beginning.
  • Measure 10cm3 of water that is at room temperature with a measuring cylinder and place it in a test tube.
  • Add small amounts of sugar bit by bit until no more dissolves. This is now a saturated solution.
  • Weigh the beaker plus the remaining sugar
  • Work out how much sugar dissolved in the water
  • Repeat the experiment but put the test tube of water in water bath that is set to 40C

List of equipment

Beaker (100 cm3)

Measuring cylinder

Test tube and bung

Sugar

Water bath set to 40C

Balance

Spatula

Fair test

Only change the temperature. Keep all other variables the same. Use the same volume of water each time and shake the test tube every time you add a spatula of sugar

Tom

Prediction

More sugar will dissolve in the hot water

Description of the method

  • During registration go to the lab and put some water in a beaker and leave it get to room temperature by lesson time.
  • Put 10g of sugar in another beaker
  • Half fill a test tube with water
  • Keep adding sugar until no more will go in
  • Use a balance to see how much sugar is left and work out how much has gone into the water
  • Repeat using water taken from the water bath

List of equipment

Beakers, sugar, test tube, balance, water bath

Fair test

Keep everything the same except change the temperature of the water