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Hollis Stine
Mrs. Danielsson
Grade 8 Science, Period 7
October 22, 2014
States of Matter Final Lab Conclusion
The purpose of this states of matter lab is to determine the heat of fusion and the heat of
vaporization as the matter changes, and how the matter reacts when energy is added. In this lab
the heat of fusion and heat of vaporization is mentioned. The heat of fusion is the amount of
energy that is required to be absorbed or released in a substance to change a state of matter from
solid to liquid or liquid to a solid, and the temperature remains relatively constant during this
time. The heat of vaporization is the amount of energy required to be absorbed or released in a
substance to change the state of matter from a liquid to gas or gas to liquid again, the temperature
reading are relatively constant during this time. The Law of Conservation of Energy is talked
about too. The Law of Conservation of Energy is the law which states energy cannot be created
or destroyed, but may be changed from one form to another. Also, the different states of matter
are mentioned. First, there is a solid were the particles are very close together and in fixed
positions. Second, there is a liquid were the particles are free to move around each other but are
still close together. Lastly, there is a gas were the particles move around fast to fill in all the
space they are in. Also, adding or taking away energy or heat changes the state of matter. Adding
energy to a solid makes the particles move more and loosens them, which forms it into a liquid,
which is called boiling. Adding energy to a liquid makes the particles move so fast it starts to
boil, which changes it into a gas and is called vaporization. Taking away energy from a gas
makes the particles move closer and slows them down, which changes the matter into a liquid

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and is called condensation. When energy is taken from liquid, the particles move even slower
and closer and form themselves into fixed positions, which changes the liquid into a solid and is
called freezing. If thermal energy is added to ice and water mixed, then the heat of fusion and
heat of vaporization will be determined because of the Law of Conservation of Energy.
The results confirm the hypothesis if thermal energy is added to ice and water mixed, the
heat of fusion and the heat of vaporization will be determined because of the Law of
Conservation of Energy. The experiment showed that the heat of fusion and the heat of
vaporization was determined while energy was added to water with ice cubes in a beaker. The
heat of fusion was determined at the beginning, which was -1 degrees Celsius. Before heat was
applied, the thermometer dropped down to the heat of fusion temperature with only the ice and
water. It was also determined when the energy started to increase, because the temperature was
constant for three minutes. The heat of vaporization was determined after all of the ice
transformed into a liquid, from boiling, which was 95 degrees Celsius. After boiling for fourteen
minutes, the temperature remained constant for six minutes thirty seconds, which revealed the
heat of vaporization temperature.
An error that occurred was that during the boiling process, our group moved the
thermometer closer to the bottom if the beaker. That could have changed the heat of vaporization
final temperature. This lab can be applied in everyday situations in coin making. Solid zinc and
copper have to go through the heat of fusion process until is it liquid enough to mold. Then it is
molded into a coin shape. After the process, the matter then turns into a solid coin after chilling.
For next time, there could be different amounts of water and ice. Possibly have an experiment
with all ice or water. In conclusion, this experiment determined the heat for fusion and the heat
of vaporization temperature.