Comparing an Unknown

Metal to Copper Through the

Analysis of Intensive
Properties
Chris Conte Cousino High School
Andrew Niedbala Sterling Heights High School

Introduction
Two sets of metal rods, one set copper, one set
of an unknown metal, were provided.
Can the unknown metal rods be determined to
be or not be copper if their specific heat and
linear thermal expansion values are found?

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Purpose
To use the two intensive properties of specific
heat and linear thermal expansion be used to
determined the identity of an unknown rod
given a copper rod?

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Terminology
Equilibrium - when the enthalpy, or heat, of a
system and its surroundings are equal
Calorimetry the study of heat flow between a
system and its surroundings
First Law of Thermodynamics the total
amount of energy in a system will always
remain constant

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Copper Basics
Atomic Symbol is Cu
Atomic weight of 63.546
High melting and boiling points; good for
plumbing

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Background
Despite being discovered in 8700 BC, it was
not used effectively until 3500 BC when it was
discovered how to smelt it from ore

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Electron Configuration

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Copper Properties
Specific Heat is .386 J/gC
Linear Thermal expansion is 1.7 x 10-5 C-1
Conducts electricity worse than silver

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Real World Applications

Construction
Electronics
Plumbing

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Specific Heat

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Linear Thermal Expansion

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Problem Statement
How can the researches determine the intensive
properties of specific heat and linear thermal
expansion and use them to determine whether
or not a metal sample is copper?

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Hypothesis
The unknown metal will be determined to be
copper with an average percent error for specific
heat of less than or equal to 2% and an average
percent error for linear thermal expansion less
than or equal to 3%.

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Specific Heat Materials

Temperature Probe
Calorimeter

Lab Quest

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Specific Heat Procedure

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Heat up water
Set up Logger Pro System
Mass metal rods
Place metal rods in boiling water
Record initial temperatures and place rods in
calorimeters
6. Wait three minutes for rod and the water to
reach equilibrium
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Linear Thermal Expansion Materials

Jig
(.01 mm precision)

Hot Plate

Caliper
(.01 mm precision)

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Specific Heat Data

Average
Average Specific Percent Error
Heat (J/gC)
(%)

Copper
Unknown
Metal

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0.364

5.73

0.378

2.20

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Linear Thermal Expansion Data

Copper
Unknow
n Metal

Average Linear
Thermal
Expansion (C-1)

Average
Percent Error
(%)

9.42E-06

-43

7.83E-06

-76

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Two Sample T-Test

Used to determine if data is statistically
significant
Uses known sample means, sample sizes, and
standard deviations

( x1 x2 )
2

( s1 )
( s2 )

n1
n2
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Two Sample T-Test

Assumptions
Two normally distributed independent populations
Parameters are unknown

Hypotheses

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Specific Heat Analysis

T-value = -.4801
P-value = .6370

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Linear Thermal Analysis

T-value = 14.176
P-value = 3.0254 x 10-13

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Conclusion
Rejected the null hypothesis for linear thermal
expansion, failed to reject the null hypothesis
for specific heat
Concluded that unknown metal was not copper

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Conclusion
Rejected original hypothesis as the data did not
yield percent errors in the specified range for
linear thermal expansion
Despite this, the researchers were able to
correctly conclude that the unknown metal was
actually not copper

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Design Flaws
Assumed that the rods and the heated water
were the same temperature
Used homemade calorimeters that were not
perfectly isolated systems
Used too much water to fill calorimeters

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Errors
Dropped rods many times
Unknown metal rods were very thick

Broke beaker
Used too much water

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Further Research
Other intensive properties
Density
Melting point

Test if the metals are magnetic

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Acknowledgements
Teachers
Mrs. Hilliard
Mr. Supal

Parents

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Works Cited
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Works Cited
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Any Questions?

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