A Study of Phase Changes

Purpose: To study the changes that occur when a pure substance, paradichlorobenzene, freezes
and melts.
Pre-Lab:
2. What is another name for p-dichlorobenzene?
Another name for p-dichlorobenzene is 14 dichlorobenzene.
3. What is the accepted freezing point for p-dichlorobenzene?
The accepted freezing point for p-dichlorobenzene is 53 degrees Celsius.
4. What is the literature melting point for p-dichlorobenzene?
The literature melting point for p- dichlorobenzene is 53 degrees Celsius.
5. Why, in the following procedure, are you directed first to melt the sample, then freeze it, and
finally melt it again?
In the procedure it is directed to first melt the sample, then freeze it, and finally melt it again
because in order to get a proper temperature measurements, the bottom of the thermometer
has to be surrounded by the p-dichlorobenzene and when starting the lab the p-
dichlorobenzene was in a solid state making the thermometer rest above the solid and not able
to take an accurate temperature. Therefore you must melt the solid first so the bottom of the
thermometer can be surrounded by the p-dichlorobenzene.
Procedure:

1. Warm the solid in a test tube in a hot water bath until it has all melted (about 70°C to
75°C). Put a thermometer into the liquid p-dichlorobenzene and allow it to cool in a 35°C
water bath. Stir gently until solidification makes this impractical. Record temperature
every 30 s until a temperature near 40°C is reached.
2. Switch jobs with your partner. Remove the test tube with sample and thermometer from
water bath. Warm the bath to 65°C. Place the thermometer and test tube in the water
bath. Record the temperature every 30 s. Note when melting begins and when the entire
solid has melted. When the temperature reaches 60°C, remove the thermometer and
immediately wipe clean. Remove the sample.

Observations:

When the p-dichlorobenzene was a solid it was transparent in a crystal looking form. When the
p-dichlorobenzene was a liquid it was clear and looked like water. When cooling the substance
the p-dichlorobenzene became a full solid at 330 seconds and when heating the p-
dichlorobenzene it became a full liquid at 330 seconds.

Cooling and Heating of P-Dichlorobenzene

Cooling Heating
Time (s) Temperature (°C) Temperature (°C)
 0 69 36
30 57 42
60 54 48
90 53 49
120 52 50
150 52 51
180 52 52
210 52 53
240 52 54
270 51 56
300 51 57
330 50 60
360 49
390 47
420 44
450 40

Discussion:

The results from that I obtained from this lab are quite similar to the results of others in my
class, though they are not exact. The data I obtained from this lab is not the exact same as the
data obtained by others because there are sources of error such as the temperature they used
to cool and heat the p-dichlorobenzene may have been warmer or cooler then the temperature
used to obtain my results. Also when measuring the temperature at each 30 second interval may
not have been exactly on the 30 second mark but a few seconds after or before. Lastly the
precision of each measurement can only be as accurate as the measuring tool used to obtain
the information.

Conclusion:

In this lab the experimental freezing point was quite noticeable because on the graph you can
see clearly the straight horizontal line across from the x axis, while when heating the p-
dichlorobenzene the melting point was not noticeable because there was no straight, horizontal
line but there were many numbers close together which I assume to be the melting point. From
this lab the freezing point was 52°C and the melting point was also around 52°C.