Heat of Solution Lab

INTRODUCTION
In this experiment, change in water temperature was tested by dissolving different types
of salt into water. The objective of this experiment was to find the most effective deicing agent of
the three salts tested. Salt was added to 30mL of water at room temperature, the most effective
salt for deicing roads would be the salt which raised the waters temperature the most. The
expected outcome was that the calcium chloride would cause the greatest increase of temperature
in the distilled water. Since this was true, it means that calcium chloride causes an exothermic
reaction, and released the most heat energy into the water. uses salt during the winter season to
remove snow and ice from roads and sidewalks to keep people safe. It is important that the salts
they chose be tested for effectiveness and environmental impact.

PROBLEM
What effect does the type of salt have on the change in temperature of water in C?

HYPOTHESIS
If calcium chloride is added to water, then the temperature of the water will increase because it causes an
exothermic reaction where the salt releases heat into the water.

VARIABLES
Independent Variable: Type of salt (sodium chloride, calcium chloride, ammonium chloride)
Dependent Variable: Change in temperature of the water (C)
Constants:
-Volume of distilled water (30 mL)
-Mass of salt (5 grams)
-Stirring (2 minutes)
Control: 30 mL of distilled water which has no salt added, that is stirred for 2 minutes. Take the
initial and final temperature.

MATERIALS

50 mL beaker
120 mL of distilled water
Graduated cylinder
Thermometer (Celsius)
Stopwatch (use phone)
3 spatulas, one spatula per salt (5 grams)
1 weigh boat
3 digital scales, one per salt
5g of Sodium Chloride, NaCl
5g of Calcium Chloride, CaCl
5g of Ammonium Chloride, NHCl

SAFETY

WEAR GOGGLES AND AN APRON AT ALL TIMES

HANDLE ALL GLASSWARE CAREFULLY
DO NOT MIX THE DIFFERENT SALTS TOGETHER
CLEAN UP ALL SPILLS IMMEDIATELY
NO FOOD OR DRINKS ALLOWED IN THE LAB
WASH HANDS AFTER CLEANUP IS COMPLETE

PROCEDURE
1. Measure out 30 mL of distilled water using the graduated cylinder.
2. Pour the 30 mL of distilled water into the 50 mL beaker.
3. Using the thermometer, record the initial temperature of the water . Record data in data
table 1.
4. Place empty weigh boat on the digital scale and zero the scale
5. Using the spatula, measure 5g of sodium chloride into the weigh boat..
6. Pour the sodium chloride into the beaker containing 30 mL of distilled water
7. Stir solution constantly using the thermometer for two minutes with the stopwatch (on
phone).
8. Record the final temperature of the water using the thermometer () in data table 1.
9. Discard of the solution in the labeled waste beaker in the hood.
10. After data has been recorded, clean the weight boat, beaker, and the thermometer, with
the Alconox soap and water.
11. Completely dry all materials using paper towels.
12. Repeat steps 1-11 using calcium chloride instead of the sodium chloride.
13. Repeat steps 1-11 again using ammonium chloride instead of the sodium chloride.
14. Repeat steps 1-3 and 7-11 to find the control.

RESULTS
Data Table 1: The effect of Salt (g) on the Change in Temperature () of Water
Type of Solute

Initial Temperature Final Temperature

()
()

Change in
Temperature ()

Sodium Chloride

24

23

-1

Calcium Chloride

24

38

14

Ammonium
Chloride

24

16

-8

Distilled Water
(Control)

24

24

Calculations
The Change in Temperature is calculated by subtracting the initial temperature by the final
temperature.
Formula: Final Temperature-Initial Temperature=Change in Temperature

Calculations: (Sodium Chloride) 38-24=14

SUMMARY
In the experiment, calcium chloride produced the greatest change in temperature from
24 to 38 with a 14 difference in temperature. The salt with the least change in
temperature was the sodium chloride which decreased in temperature by 1, starting at 24
and ending at 23 Ammonium chloride decreased the most in temperature, but by 8, starting
at 24 and ending at 16. The control on the other hand didnt change in temperature at all,
starting and ending at 24 and stayed the same. The graph represents the data because it shows
how each bar changes with the data relative to the x-axis. For example the calcium chloride
increased by 8 and the bar increased above the x-axis. Also Ammonium chloride decreased
from the x-axis 8, to show that the ammonium chloride decreased the waters temperature.
Sodium chloride also decreased the waters temperature, and made the bar decrease but not as
drastically as ammonium chloride. The control does not have a bar to represent it because the
temperature stayed the same, and didnt change in temperature.

CONCLUSION
The hypothesis of this experiment suggests that the calcium chloride salt would be the most
effective salt for increasing the temperature of the distilled water. Based on the data that we recorded, the
hypothesis was proven to be correct.

The data states that calcium chloride increases the temperature of the water substantially more
than the other salts did. The data shows that the sodium chloride decreased the temperature of the water
by -1. The calcium chlorides change in temperature ended up as an increase of 14 . The ammonium
chlorides change in temperature was -8. Since the calcium chlorides change in temperature was

the greatest increase, this data proves the hypothesis correct.

Calcium chloride has the largest increase in temperature because when it comes in contact with
ice, it forms a brine faster than any of the other solutes, which lowers the freezing point of the ice. The
Calcium Chloride mixed with water causes an exothermic reaction which releases heat energy into the
water. This salt was the only to increase the temperature of the water. Ammonium Chloride and Sodium
Chloride both created an endothermic reaction with the water because the temperature decreased and heat
energy went from the water into the salt. Based off of this, we know that calcium chloride is the most
effective to deice roads because it increased the temperature the most.

VALIDITY
One improvement that could be made to the experimental design is to have more than 5 grams of each
type of salt. With using only 5 grams of salt in each trial, there is only a slight change in temperature. If
the experimental design was changed to using 10 grams of each type of salt, there would be a more
obvious change in temperature which would lead to more clear and valid results.
Three variables that were held constant in this experiment were volume of distilled water (30 mL), mass
of salt (5 grams), and stirring (2 minutes). Keeping the volume of water constant affects how much the
salt changes the temperature of the water. If their were different masses of salt in each trial, then the
results would be invalid because a person would not know how that change was different between salts.
Having the salts the same mass would make the experiment more valid because the results would not vary
because of the mass of the salt, but because of the type of salt if you were to make the masses different
what would change about the data?? give an example.. Finally, stirring each type salt constantly for two
minutes with the thermometer, the water is key to the experiments validity because it dissolves the salt
into the water for the same??? why is this important to keep constant? how would the data change if you
did not do this each time? at a faster pace.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
Every winter across the United States, millions of pounds of deicing agents are poured onto roads
and sidewalks to improve ways of travel. It is believed that in the U.S, 22 million pounds of salt are used
each year to keep the roads clear. Although we believe that this is very helpful, its also very harmful. As
the snow and ice melts, it carries the now chemical filled water into local streams and rivers and into the
drinking water. An estimated 40 percent of the country's urban streams have chloride levels that
exceed safe guidelines for aquatic life, largely because of road salt. There has been an ongoing
study of a stream in southeastern New York. From 1986 to 2005, there has been an increase of 91% of
sodium chloride in the water, mostly due to road salts. Salt is also highly corrosive. It corrodes cars,
bridges, roadways, and other forms of infrastructure. Salt is so destructive and corrosive that in 2004
Canada declared that road salts are toxins. While eliminating ice using these deicing agents is great, we
also need to consider all of the downfalls that come with it, including the destruction of infrastructure and
the harming of the local ecosystems.

WORK CITED

Stromberg, Joseph. "What Happens to All the Salt We Dump On the

Roads?"Smithsonian. Smithsonian, 6 Jan. 2014. Web. 8 Dec. 2015.
"Deicing - The Environmental Literacy Council." The Environmental Literacy Council.
Environmental Literacy Council, n.d. Web. 08 Dec. 2015.