HEAT OF FUSION

INTRODUCTION
The energy required to change a gram of substance from a solid to a liqiud
state without changing its temperature is what heat of fusion is (Nave, n.d). The
energy here is what breaks down the solid bonds, but leaves enough energy
connected to the intermolecular forces of the liquid state (Nave, n.d.). The
experiment conducted challenged the experimentors to find the energy called latent
heat of fusion Lf.
An experiment conducted by Anthony Marr showed that latent heat of fusion
had a role in global warming. Since the earth is accumulating heat from humans
and the sun, latent heat here is connected to the melting of the ice caps. The
temperature of the sea ice is 0oc, and the arctic ocean in the summer is 5oc. The ice
melts from below. When the ice melts, it absorbs latent heat of fusion from both the
water below and the air above (Marr, n.d.). The latent heat of fusion here also cools
down the surroundings of the substance melted, therefore it is also slowing down
the rate of melting of the ice caps.
Latent heat of fusion has other real life applications besides what is stated
above. It is important to take note of these phenomenas from nature, no matter
how simple they may be. It is somehow helping in the equilibrium of the earth, even
though it is not seen.

METHODOLOGY
Materials
Calorimeter
Thermometer
Ice (at melting point)
Triple-beam balance of weighing scale
Warm water

Procedure
1. Measure Tice , the temperature of the ice.
2. Measure Trm, the room temperature.
3. Determine Mcal, the mass of the empty, dry calorimeter.
4. Fill the calorimeter approximately full of warm water about 15C above
room temperature.
5. Measure Mcal+water, the mass of the calorimeter and water.
6. Measure Tinitial, the initial temperature of the warm water.
7. Add small chunks of ice to the warm water, wiping the excess water from
each piece of ice immediately before adding. Add the ice slowly, stirring
continuously with the thermometer until each chunk melts.
8. When the temperature of the mixture is as much below room temperature
as the warm water was initially above room temperature and all the ice is
melted, measure the final temperature of the water (T final).
9. Immediately after measuring Tfinal, weigh the calorimeter and water to
determine Mfinal.
.

RESULTS
Trm = 21.5 oc

Room temperature

Mcal = 0.015 kg

Mass of calorimeter

Mcal+water = 0.170 kg

Mass of calorimeter with water

Tinitial = 61oc
Tfinal = 1oc

Initial temperature of warm water

Final temperature

Mfinal = 0.300 kg

Final Mass

Mice=Mfinal Mcal+water = 0.130 kg

Mass of ice

Lf = 70 cal/g

The latent heat of fusion per gram of water

CONCLUSION
The latent heat of fusion of water can be determined by heat transfer of its
two different forms having different temperatures. It is said that the heat loss is
equal to the heat gain. In the setup, the variable that loses heat is the warm water;
on the other hand, the dry ice is the one who gains the heat. Heat transfer is shown
where both of the variables change in temperature. The calculated latent heat of
fusion is 70 cal/g; that means that is the heat required to melt 1 gram of ice.
Compared to the standard latent heat of fusion which is 80 cal/g, the percentage
error was 12.3 %. This result tells us that errors happened while doing the
experiment, and that could be the inaccurate amount of mass and temperature for
the ice and warm water.
RECOMMENDATION
The students usually get a large percentage error in doing this experiment,
and the reason behind this could be the inaccurate amount of variables used. The
said amount refers to the mass and temperature of water in its liquid and solid form,
having different temperature with each other. The objective of this experiment is to
get the latent heat of fusion of water through the thermal contact of ice and warm
water. Through percentage error, one will be able to determine how accurate the
theoretical value is from the accurate one. In order to have more accurate value for
heat of fusion, one must secure the quantitative amount of the variables (ice and
warm water). In this type of test, the student must secure the mass and
temperature for each variable going to be used.

REFERRENCES
Marr, A. (n.d.). The role of latent heat of fusion in global warming. Retrieved from
http://www.occupyforanimals.org/how-the-climate-will-change--the-role-oflatent-heat-offusion-in-global-warming.html
Nave, R. (n.d.) Heat of fusion. Retrieved from http://hyperphysics.phyastr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/phase2.htm