Student Name: Rafael Castro

Cooling Curve of Lauric Acid Lab PURPOSE: MATERIALS: SAFETY: To investigate the solidification behavior of a substance. To determine the melting/freezing points of lauric acid. Safety glasses Erylenmeyer flask lauric acid hot plate

Period: 3
Record Sheet

test tube apparatus Water bath

Wear safety glasses at all times. Do not touch a hot beaker with your hands.

PROCEDURE: 1. When the lauric acid is in the liquid phase with a temperature higher than 50oC transfer the test tube of lauric acid to the Erlenmeyer flask. 2. Record the lauric acid temperature at 1-minute intervals until the temperature reaches about 35.0 oC. Gently stir with the thermometer before you take the reading until the lauric acid starts to solidify. Once the lauric acid starts to solidify, stop stirring. DATA TABLE: Time (min) 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Temperature (oC) 47.8 45.1 44.3 43.2 42.9 42.9 42.9 42.8 42.8 42.8 42.8 42.8 42.8 42.8 42.8 42.8 Time (min) 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Temperature (oC) 42.8 42.8 42.8 42.5 42.5 42.5 42.5 42.0 41.9 41.9 41.2 40.8 40.1 39.8 38.7 38.2 Time (min) 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 Temperature (oC) 37.8 36.8

GRAPH: Construct a graph using Microsoft Excel. The x-axis should be the time, in minutes, and the yaxis should be temperature, in oC. When constructing the graph choose the scatter graph with lines connecting the points. Be sure to label each axis and included a table. Insert Graph below.

Temperature (C)
60

50

40 Temperature (C)

30

20

10

0 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 Time (minutes)

ANALYSIS QUESTIONS: 1. According to your graph, what is the experimental melting/freezing point of lauric acid?

42.8 oC

2. The accepted value for the melting/freezing point of lauric acid is 43.2oC. Calculate the percent error for your data. Show the numerical set-up and record the answer to the 1/10th place. % error=[(measured-accepted)/accepted]*100=[(42.8-43.2)/43.2]*100=

-0.9% error

3. Write a chemical equation showing the change in the lauric acid, C12H24O2, during the cooling process. Be sure to include the symbol for each phase. (C12H24O2)aq-energy->( C12H24O2)s

4. Draw a particle diagram for the phase changes of lauric acid during the cooling process. Use the symbol for
one molecule of Lauric acid. You MUST include 9 molecules of lauric acid in the diagrams.

cooling

5. For this lab, the test tube contained 7.000g of Lauric acid. Calculate the amount of heat energy that is released to completely solidify the lauric acid at the freezing point. Show the numerical set-up and record the answer according to the rules of significant figures.

Q=m*Hf Q=7.000g*-39400 J/g Q=-275800 J

-276000 J of energy were released