Measuring Phase Changes

T You will experiment with and record measurements to determine the relationship between the water in all three phases of matter and temperature. If you do this successfully, you will witness the actual change of matter from one phase into another phase. Using a thermometer, you can measure the energy added.

Materials:

●Ice cubes
●Glass beaker
●Thermometer
●Bunsen burner
●Ring and clamp
●Ring stand with thermometer clamp / ●Wire mesh with ceramic center
●Hot pad
●Watch, clock, or stopwatch with second hand
●Beaker tongs

Procedure:

  1. Fill the beaker about 50% full of ice cubes.
  2. Using the ring stand set up, carefully place the thermometer into the beaker with ice and take the temperature after one minute.

○Note: The thermometer should not be allowed to touch the bottom of the beaker. It should be held about center of the beaker from this point until the end of the experiment.

  1. Record the measurement
  2. Have Miss Walker light your bunsen burner and make sure it is burning correctly.
  3. Record the temperature every minute as the heat energy melts the ice cubes.
  4. When all the ice is melted, read and record the temperature. Remember to not let the bottom of the thermometer touch the bottom of the beaker or you will not get a real accurate temperature reading.
  5. Observe as the water continues to heat and when steam just begins to appear.
  6. Continue to observe until you have recorded four minutes of temperature after the water is boiling.
  7. Look carefully at your data.
  8. Record your data on the graph paper as a line graph.

Safety concerns: Wear lab goggles as we are working with glass and boiling water. Always treat the beaker as if it were hot. Use tongs whenever moving the beaker.

Remember:

●DO NOT allow the thermometer to touch the bottom of the beaker.

●Protect your hands and eyes from steam from the boiling water.

Measuring Phase Changes Lab

Name: ______Per. __ Date: ____ Integrated Science 8 Honors

Data:

Time (min) / Temperature (oC) / Observations (ice, boiling, steam, etc.)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

Graph:

Use the data from your experiment to create a line graph. Make sure to record your data accurately so your graph will reflect the actual phase change and temperature relationship for water! Put temperature on the y-axis from 0-100o C. Put Time in minutes on the x-axis.

Analysis:

  1. Describe the pattern observable from your graph of temperature over time.
  1. At what temperature did the ice melt? At what temperature did the water begin boiling?
  1. What is happening to the molecules of water as they are heated?
  1. Read the article on temperature during phase changes, and explain why the temperature behaves the way it does during a phase change.