thermochemistry experiments at home

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A Guide to 3 Simple Heat Conduction Experiments

Last Updated: November 24, 2023 Fact Checked

• Bunsen Burner

This article was co-authored by Bess Ruff, MA . Bess Ruff is a Geography PhD student at Florida State University. She received her MA in Environmental Science and Management from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016. She has conducted survey work for marine spatial planning projects in the Caribbean and provided research support as a graduate fellow for the Sustainable Fisheries Group. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 185,192 times.

Whether you realize it or not, heat conduction is an important part of our lives. You probably use it every single day when you’re cooking a meal or using a radiator. The transfer of heat from a heat source to an object is basic heat conduction. If you’re looking for a way to test it yourself or explain it to a child there are a few simple experiments you can choose from.

Performing a Heat Conduction Experiment With Hot Water

• You need to get spoons that are relatively long. If you put the spoon in the pot the handle should be coming out of the pot by about three or four inches.
• If you want a precise measurement for heat conduction you can also use thermometers. In that case, you’ll need three thermometers and electrical tape.

• While any pot will work, a shallow, broad pot might help you balance the butter on the spoons more easily.

• If you are using thermometers to measure the heat conduction, tape the thermometers to the handles of each spoon before you put them in the water.

• Metal conducts heat better than wood, which conducts heat better than plastic.
• If you are using thermometers, check your thermometer readings after a few minutes. The same results will appear with specific numbers.

Performing a Heat Conduction Experiment With a Balloon

• The balloon pops because the candle heated up the balloon, which weakened the balloon.

• The candle is warming the water rather than popping the balloon. That’s why water isn’t going flying everywhere. The balloon conducts heat and is able to transfer it to the water without damaging the balloon.
• If you hold the candle to the balloon long enough it will pop, but it will take much longer than a balloon filled without air.

Performing a Heat Conduction Experiment With a Bunsen Burner

• You can buy wax and metal tacks at a craft store.

• You should have six tacks connected to the metal rod in all.

• If you have heat resistant gloves and no other way to secure the metal rod over the burner, you can hold the rod there. Keep a steady hand.

• This experiment illustrates how metal conducts heat. You can visualize how one end of the metal rod got hot rather than the entire rod heating up at an equal pace. This is based on where the Bunsen burner was placed. If you placed the burner in the middle of the rod, the heat would start in the middle and extend outwards in either direction. [11] X Research source

Community Q&A

• Use Eye protection if you're handling a Bunsen burner. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• Handle the Bunsen burner with care. Place on a safety flame when not heating. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://www.stemlittleexplorers.com/en/heat-conduction-experiment/
• ↑ https://coolscienceexperimentshq.com/conducting-heat/
• ↑ https://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/pdf/teachdemos_7.pdf
• ↑ https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/fireproof-balloons/
• ↑ http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/ExperimentOnHeatConduction/

About This Article

Heat conduction occurs when heat transfers from a source to an object. You can perform an experiment that shows heat conduction using a pot of water and spoons. Start by bringing a large pot of water to a boil and then removing it from the heat. Then, place 1 wooden spoon, 1 plastic spoon, and 1 metal spoon in the water so the bowl on each spoon is sticking up out of the water and resting on the side of the pot. Place a slice of butter into each of the spoon bowls and wait a few minutes. When you check the spoons, you'll notice that the butter is more melted in the metal spoon than it is in the wooden and plastic spoons. This is because metal conducts heat better than wood and plastic. You'll also notice that the butter is more melted in the wooden spoon than in the plastic spoon, since wood conducts heat better than plastic. To learn how to do a heat conduction experiment with a balloon, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Easy Endothermic Reaction Demonstration

An endothermic reaction is a chemical reaction that absorbs heat from its environment. Like any chemical reaction, an endothermic reaction requires activation energy to proceed. Then, it continues to absorb energy. Such reactions feel cold. In contrast, exothermic reactions release more heat than they absorb and feel hot.

Not all endothermic reactions are safe to touch, so their temperature change must be measured with a thermometer. This simple chemistry demonstration is an endothermic reaction that uses simple ingredients and produces a cooling effect that’s safe to touch.

All you need are three ingredients:

• Citric acid
• Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)

You can find citric acid and baking soda at the grocery store. If you have trouble finding either material, a fizzy bath bomb contains these ingredients (plus oil, scents, and colors). These ingredients are safe enough that even young children can experience the reaction.

The Endothermic Reaction

Mix together some citric acid and baking soda in a bowl. Add a bit of water and feel the temperature change! The chemical reaction yields sodium citrate, carbon dioxide, and water: H 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 (aq) + 3 NaHCO 3 (s) → Na 3 C 6 H 5 O 7 (aq) + 3 CO 2 (g) + 3 H 2 O(l) If you like, you can add a squirt of dishwashing liquid to trap the carbon dioxide and make bubbles. When the reaction concludes, the temperature of the solution eventually returns to room temperature. Holding a bath bomb in water is another way to experience the temperature change. Once you are finished with the reaction, it’s safe to wash down the drain. Increase the “science” by making predictions about what happens in the reaction. It’s a great opportunity to discuss the difference between chemical and physical changes , since the temperature change and bubbles produced by the mixture are clear indications that a chemical reaction occurs.

More Endothermic Reaction Examples

Endothermic reactions are common. Some examples include:

• Melting ice into water
• Evaporating liquid water
• Depressurizing a can
• Making salt (NaCl) from its elements
• Photosynthesis
• The baking soda and vinegar reaction

A really cold endothermic reaction is the chemical reaction between barium hydroxide and ammonium thiocyanate . This reaction reaches temperatures of -20°C or -30°C and is cold enough to produce frostbite!

• Austin, Patrick (January 1996). “ Tritium: The environmental, health, budgetary, and strategic effects of the Department of Energy’s decision to produce tritium “. Institute for Energy and Environmental Research.
• Qian, Y.-Z.; Vogel, P.; Wasserburg, G. J. (1998). “Diverse Supernova Sources for the r-Process”. Astrophysical Journal 494 (1): 285–296. arXiv:astro-ph/9706120. doi: 10.1086/305198

Related Posts

20+ Temperature Experiments and Activities

In our A to Z Science series  for toddlers and preschoolers, T is for Temperature. We practiced using thermometers with investigations inside and outside. This post includes even more temperature experiments for kids!

Temperature and Heat Experiments

Explore temperature and heat transfer further with these experiments that we’ve tried.

More Temperature Experiments

Here are even more temperature and heat experiments from around the web that look great!

Explore the density of different temperatures of water in this water balloon investigation from Science Sparks.

How do polar animals stay warm? Rainy Day Mum investigates types of insulation in this fun activity.

Make a solar oven and explore conduction. Which type of materials/colors work the best? (from Science Sparks.)

Here’s a sun vs. shade temperature experiment from A Mom with a Lesson Plan.

Explore convection currents  with water. (from Learn Play Imagine)

Learn about the science of tea  and discover the impact different water temperatures have in this investigation from Planet Smarty Pants.

Make your own thermometer with these instructions from What Do We Do All Day?

Or make a practice thermometer with this printable from Kids Activities Blog.

Try this ice experiment from Reading Confetti. Which ice cube will melt first?

A Mom with a Lesson Plan experiments with how to boil an egg . Explore how heat affects an egg.

Gift of Curiosity uses thermic glasses to explore the sense of touch and learn about temperature.

Can a cricket be used as a thermometer? Conduct an experiment to find out. (from Scientific American)

Are mittens warm? Classroom Magic shares a lesson in heat and insulation. Pair this activity with Jan Brett’s The Mitten .

Do you have any temperature experiments? Leave a link in the comments. I’d love to check them out! 

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Hot and Cold Packs: A Thermochemistry Activity

A discussion of chemical hot and cold packs can really warm up a classroom lesson on thermochemistry. In the following activity, students use a coffee cup calorimeter to measure the heat of solution of a chemical salt using 3 different masses. It’s recommended for safety—and for a more green chemistry experience—that students use ammonium chloride for the cold packs and calcium chloride for the hot packs. If chemicals are limited, consider having half the students work with 1 chemical and half with the other. After students have measured the heat of solution for the 3 masses, they graph their data (change in temperature vs. mass) and draw a best fit line. The best fit line can be used to determine what mass of chemical is needed to achieve a specific temperature. Students then design a hot and/or cold pack that utilizes 100 mL of water and can be activated when needed. Ensure that you review student designs before allowing them to perform the activity and that students understand and follow appropriate safety protocols.

Calorimetry

Calorimetry is the science of measuring heat. Many chemical and physical transformations involve energy transfer in the form of heat. The magnitude and direction of heat may be determined using a calorimeter. In reactions that occur in aqueous solutions, the energy is transferred to or taken away from the water. A calorimeter is an apparatus that is insulated and prevents heat from flowing in or out of the system. Since the experiment is run under constant pressure (atmospheric), the change in water temperature that is measured is due to the enthalpy of reaction (heat of reaction). The heat of reaction may be calculated using the values measured for change in the water temperature.

The heat transfer, or change in enthalpy in a reaction ( q rxn ), is related to the mass of the solution ( m ), the specific heat capacity of the solution (c), and the temperature change ( ΔΤ = Τ final — Τ initial ).

q rxn = – ( m × c × ΔΤ )

The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of energy required to raise 1 g of the substance 1° C. The specific heat capacity of water is 4.186 J / (° C × g). In experiments conducted in aqueous solution, the specific heat capacity of water is generally used.

Instant Hot and Cold Packs

Many instant hot and cold packs function by dissolving a salt into water. As the salt disassociates, heat is either released in an exothermic reaction or absorbed in an endothermic reaction. Commercial instant cold packs typically use either ammonium nitrate or urea as their salt component; hot packs often use magnesium sulfate or calcium chloride. These reactions happen in a similar manner. When the salt is dissolved in water, the ionic bonds of the salt separate. This process requires energy, which is obtained from the surroundings. The ions then form bonds with the water, a process that releases energy. If more energy is released than taken in, then the process is exothermic, making the solution feel warmer. If more energy is taken in than released, then the process is endothermic, making the solution feel cooler.

Commercially, there are 2 other commonly sold types of instant hot packs. One heats up when exposed to air. This hot pack functions as iron reacts with oxygen to form iron (III) oxide, an exothermic reaction. The other type relies on the super cooling of sodium acetate. Upon heating the solution, it can become supersaturated. Without a seed crystal, the sodium acetate will remain in solution as it cools. This type of hot pack typically contains a metal disk that provides a site for crystallization when depressed. As the sodium acetate forms a regular crystal arrangement, heat is released. This hot pack is reusable as it can be regenerated in boiling water to once again form the supersaturated solution.

Use this activity only in accordance with established laboratory safety practices, including appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, chemical splash goggles, and lab coats or aprons. Ensure that students understand and adhere to these practices. Know and follow all federal, state, and local regulations as well as school district guidelines for the disposal of laboratory wastes. Students should not eat, drink, or chew gum in the lab and should wash their hands before and after entering or exiting the lab.

Materials (per student group)

• Calcium Chloride
• Ammonium Chloride
• 3 Polystyrene Cups with Lids
• Beaker, 400 mL
• Beaker, 150 mL
• Graduated Cylinder, 100 mL
• Thermometer
• Weigh Boats
• Various Materials for Making Thermal Packs (as specified in the student designs)
• Place 1 polystyrene cup inside another and then place both cups inside a 400-mL beaker. This is your calorimeter for measuring changes in temperature.
• Measure 100 mL of water with a graduated cylinder and pour it into the top polystyrene cup of the created calorimeter.
• Place the lid on the calorimeter, pulling back the tab to form an opening. Insert a thermometer into the calorimeter through the opening in the lid.
• Stir the water with the thermometer, monitoring the temperature until it is stable. Record this temperature (±0.1° C) as the initial temperature.
• Measure 5 g of the chemical salt. Record the exact value used.
• Remove the calorimeter lid, add the 5 g of chemical salt, and stir. Replace the lid and thermometer.
• Continue to stir and monitor the temperature for 2 minutes. Record the highest or lowest temperature obtained (±0.1° C) as the final temperature.
• Discard the solution as directed by your teacher and rinse the inner cup. Thoroughly dry the calorimeter apparatus before reusing.
• Repeat steps 1 to 8 twice more with 10 g and 15 g of chemical salt, respectively.

ΔT = T f − T i

• Graph the change in temperature of chemical salt compared to the mass of chemical salt. Draw a best fit line for the points.

q ω = – [c ω × m ω × ΔΤ]

• Calculate the enthalpy of the solution for each mass of chemical salt.

Design a portable, 1-time-use hot pack or cold pack for treating injuries. The pack must have 100 g of water separated from a solid chemical and be activated only when the user does something to the pack to mix the 2 components. Your job is to determine how many grams of the chemical are required to achieve the following temperatures: hot pack, 55° C (131° F); cold pack, 3° C (37° F).

The following is a guide for creating your thermal pack. Ensure that you understand how your teacher expects you to present your designs.

• Diagram your hot or cold pack. Include labels to indicate sizes and quantities of materials used.
• List all materials and quantities needed to create your thermal pack.
• Explain the steps that you will follow to build your thermal pack.
• Describe the safety precautions you will use when creating and testing the thermal pack.
• Explain how you will test your hot or cold pack. Consider how you will know if you were successful.
• Get approval from your instructor to construct your thermal pack.
• Construct your thermal pack. Record any modifications that you make to your design during the construction phase.
• Test your thermal pack. Record any data that you collect.
• Explain whether your design was successful and what changes or modifications you would need to make if conducting this activity again.

Related products

• Inquiries in Science®: Examining Thermochemistry Kit (item #251209)
• Carolina Investigations® for AP* Chemistry: Fundamentals of Calorimetry Kit (item #840592)

*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

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