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Cameron Johnson
Jun Li
Physics 222
February 27, 2013

Latent Heats: Heats of Fusion and Vaporization of Water

Abstract

The purpose of this lab is to determine the latent heat of fusion and vaporization of water

experimentally by measuring changes in temperature when adding steam and ice to enclosed room

temperature water and then applying given formulas to our results.

Introduction

When hot steam or cold ice is added to water of room temperature, the ice or steam will

combine with the water and the temperature of both will change until they reach a point of equilibrium.

In the case of adding steam to room temperature water, the water will increase in temperature and the

steam will decrease in temperature. Eventually, the decrease in temperature in the steam will cause it

to condense. During this condensing process, as the steam turns into liquid water, the temperature

remains constant because energy is being used to change the phase of the steam from a gaseous steam

to a liquid water state. Eventually, the original water and the condensed steam will reach an equilibrium

point which is higher in temperature than the original water and less in temperature than the original

steam. Similarly, when ice is added to room temperature water, the water will decrease in temperature

and the ice will increase in temperature. In time, the increase in temperature of the ice will cause it to

melt. During the melting process, the ice turns into liquid water, and as with the vaporization, the

energy is being used to change the phase from solid ice to liquid water resulting in no change in
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temperature. Eventually, the original water and the melted ice will reach a point of equilibrium which in

this case is lower in temperature than the original water, and higher in temperature than the original

ice. If we measure the initial and equilibrium temperatures of the water and ice or steam and the initial

and final mass of water (after the ice and steam combine with it), we can use given formulas to

determine the heats of fusion and vaporization of water.

Theory

Definitions & Formulas:

Heat of Fusion: the heat energy for the phase change that occurs at the melting or freezing point of a
substance.

Heat of Vaporization: the heat energy for the phase change that occurs at the boiling or condensation
point of a substance.

Latent Heat (L): the energy involved in a phase change that is seemingly hidden or concealed in that it is
not evidenced by a temperature change.

Latent Heat of Fusion (Lf): of water is 80 kcal/kg (3.33 x 105 J/kg)

Latent Heat of Vaporization (Lv): of water is 540 kcal/kg (2.26 x 106 J/kg)

Specific Heat (c): heat capacity/unit mass: J/kg ∙ °C or cal/g ∙ °C

Heat absorbed or given up by substance quantity when undergoes phase change: ∆𝑄 = 𝑚𝐿𝑖

Heat of Fusion:
∆𝑄𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓 + ∆𝑄𝑖𝑖𝑖 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 = ∆𝑄𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 + ∆𝑄𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝑐𝑐𝑐 & 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠
𝑚𝑖 𝐿𝑓 + 𝑚𝑖 𝑐𝑤 �𝑇𝑓 − 0� = 𝑚𝑤 𝑐𝑤 �𝑇ℎ − 𝑇𝑓 � + 𝑚𝑐𝑐 𝑐𝑐𝑐 �𝑇ℎ − 𝑇𝑓 � = (𝑚𝑤 𝑐𝑤 + 𝑚𝑐𝑐 𝑐𝑐𝑐 )�𝑇ℎ − 𝑇𝑓 �

Heat of Vaporization:
∆𝑄𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣𝑣 + ∆𝑄ℎ𝑜𝑜 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 = ∆𝑄𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤𝑤 + ∆𝑄𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐 𝑐𝑐𝑐 & 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠
𝑚𝑠 𝐿𝑣 + 𝑚𝑠 𝑐𝑤 �100 − 𝑉𝑓 � = 𝑚𝑤 𝑐𝑤 �𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑐 � + 𝑚𝑐𝑐 𝑐𝑐𝑐 �𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑐 � = (𝑚𝑤 𝑐𝑤 + 𝑚𝑐𝑐 𝑐𝑐𝑐 )�𝑇𝑓 − 𝑇𝑐 �
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Example of Heats of Fusion and Vaporization of Water Process:

Latent Heats. 2007. Atmospheric Sciences, Lyndonville, Vermont. Web. 6 Mar 2013.
<http://apollo.lsc.vsc.edu/classes/met130/notes/chapter2/lat_heat2.html>.

Experiment

To start this lab, we first obtained a calorimeter, a steam generator, a digital thermometer,

rubber hoses, a stirrer, a water trap, ice, paper towels, a balance, and a metal can. For the first part of

the experiment, we set up the calorimeter and measured the initial weight of the metal can and stirrer.

We then added room temperature water to the metal can with stirrer until the can was about two thirds

full and measured the total mass. We took an initial temperature reading for the water in the can and

recorded it in our data tables. We then placed the can with stirrer into the calorimeter. We submerged

the thermometer sensor in the water in the can and sealed the calorimeter. We then began adding ice

to the can through a small opening in the calorimeter being careful to make sure that the ice was dry.

We watched the thermometer and continued to add ice until the temperature of the water had dropped
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about 15°C. We stirred the stirrer until the ice had completely melted which indicated that the melted

ice and water were in equilibrium. We took a final temperature reading and then measured the new

total mass of the original water, melted ice, can, and stirrer. We then emptied the water from the can

and recorded our results in our data tables.

For the second part of the lab, we again filled the metal can with stirrer about two thirds full

with room temperature water and measured the total mass. We took an initial temperature reading for

the water in the can and recorded it in our data tables. We put the can with stirrer into the calorimeter

and sealed it with the thermometer sensor submerged. We then attached the steam generator to the

calorimeter by submerging the steam output hose into the water in the can via the opening in the

calorimeter. We turned the steam generator on and monitored the temperature. When the

temperature reached a steady state, it was an indication that the water had reached equilibrium with

the steam. We then took the final temperature reading and recorded it in our data tables. We then

turned the steam generator off, and after waiting for the calorimeter to cool, we removed the metal can

with water and stirrer and measured its total mass with the added mass of the condensed steam. We

recorded our results in our data tables. We then repeated this process in a second trial to try to obtain

more accurate results. We then input our data into the given formulas for the experiment and

compared these results to the given theoretical values.

Data/Calculations

(Refer to attached tables)

Questions
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pp. 515-517 Questions #2, 3, 4, 5

2. The heat of vaporization of water is almost seven times the heat of fusion. What does this imply?

This implies that much more energy is required to convert water into steam then ice into water.

Gaseous steam is at a much higher energy level then liquid water.

3. Why is water used in the experimental procedures for the heat of fusion and heat of vaporization

initially heated above room temperature and cooled below room temperature?

If the water was at room temperature, it would have taken much longer to reach equilibrium because

the difference between the steam and the water and the ice and the water would have been much

smaller. This would have caused the process to proceed very slowly.

4. Why are the pieces of ice in the heat-of-fusion procedure dried and handled with a paper towel?

Explain the effect on the experimental result if this were not done?

They are dried because if they were wet, this would mean that part of the ice had already melted and

extra water would be added to the original water that had already completed the phase change from

solid to liquid which would produce inaccurate results. They are handled with paper to keep them dry

and to create somewhat of a barrier between the ice and our warm hands, which would cause the ice to

melt.

5. What is the purpose of the water trap in the steam line in the heat-of-vaporization procedure?

Explain the effect on the experimental result if it were not used?

The water trap catches steam that has already condensed into water so that it cannot proceed to the

calorimeter. If this did not catch the water, there would be extra water added to the original water that

had already completed the phase change from gas to liquid, which would produce inaccurate results.
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pp. 527-528 Questions # 1, 2, 5

1. Discuss the most important sources of error in the experimental procedures. If the temperature of

the ice added to the calorimeter in the heat-of-fusion experiment were less than 0°C, how would this

affect the results? Why should you use small pieces of ice rather than large pieces?

The most important sources of error that we observed were loss of steam and heat when travelling from

the steam generator to the calorimeter, the ice not being completely dry or cold enough, and possibly

not waiting long enough for the water to be at complete equilibrium. If the temperature of the ice were

less than 0°C, then the equilibrium temperature would have also been lower than it was resulting in a

lower experimental latent heat of fusion. We should use smaller pieces of ice because they fit in the

opening in the calorimeter better and because more surface area will be exposed to the warmer water

making the ice melt faster.

2. Explain why burns by steam at 100°C are more serious than those caused by an equal mass of

boiling water at the same temperature.

Though the temperature of the steam and the water are equal, the steam contains more energy. It will

take the steam more time to cool below 100°C than the water, thus the damage would be longer and

have a greater effect.

5. A piece of ice with a mass of 30 g at 0℃ is added to 100 mL of water at 20℃. Assuming that no heat

is lost to the surroundings, what is the situation when thermal equilibrium is reached? (Ignore the

calorimeter or container.)

mi Lf + mi cwTf = mw cw (Th − Tf ) The temperature does not change at thermal equilibrium.

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Discussion

In this experiment, we were able to find the latent heat of fusion and vaporization of water by

inputting our experimental initial and final equilibrium temperatures and masses into given formulas.

We found that when adding steam to the water, the water temperature increased and reached an

equilibrium level at a temperature higher than the initial water temperature, but lower than the initial

steam temperature. When adding ice to the water, the water temperature decreased and reached an

equilibrium level at a lower temperature than the initial water temperature and a higher temperature

than the initial ice temperature. When we input our results into the given formulas for the latent heats

of fusion and vaporization, we were able to calculate these values. When we compared our results to

the given theoretical values, we found that our percent of error was somewhat high. Our percent of

error for the latent heat of fusion was -11% and for latent heat of vaporization was -39%. There are

likely many factors that contributed to this error including loss of steam and heat when travelling from

the steam generator to the calorimeter, the ice not being completely dry or cold enough, and possibly

not waiting long enough for the water to be at complete equilibrium.