ACTIVITY 2.

4
THE MELTING AND FREEZING
POINTS OF NAPTHALENE, C10H8
AIM

 Todetermine the melting and

freezing point of naphthalene, C10H8
Apparatus

 Boiling tube, 250 cm3 beaker,

stirring thermometer, tripod stand,
retort stand and clamp, Bunsen
burner, stopwatch, conical flask, wire
gauze
Materials

 Naphthalene, C10H8, tap water

Method
A) Heating of Naphthalene, C10H8

 1)A boiling tube was filled with

naphthalene, to a depth of 3 cm and
a thermometer was put into it.

 2)The boiling tube was suspended in

a beaker half-filled with water using
a retort stand and a clamp. The level
of Naphthalene in the boiling tube
was ensured to be below level of
water in the beaker
 3)The water was heated and the
naphthalene was stirred slowly with
the thermometer . When the
temperature of naphthalene reached
60 °C, the stopwatch started.

 4)The temperature and state(s) of

the naphthalene were recorded at
half-minute interval until the
temperature of the naphthalene
Heating of Naphthalene,
C10H8

Thermometer

Boiling tube

Water
Naphthalene,
C10H8
Method
B) Cooling of Naphthalene, C10H8

 1)
The boiling tube in activity A was
removed from the water bath. The outer
surface of the boiling tube was dried and
immediately it was put into a conical flask.
The naphthalene , C10H8, was stirred
continuously.
 The temperature and state(s) of the
naphthalene were recorded at half-minute
intervals until the temperature dropped to
about 60 °C
The freezing of
naphthalene
 Results (example)
A) The melting of naphthalene

Time 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
(min)

Temperatu
re 61.0 65.0 67.0 71.0 80.0 80.0 80.0 83.o 89.0
(°C)

State Solid Solid Solid Solid Solid Solid Soli Liqui Liqui
and and d d d
Liqui liqui and
d d liqui
d
 B) Freezing of
Naphtalene

Time 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0
(min)

Temperatu
re 87.0 84.0 81.0 80.0 80.0 80.0 80.0 76.0 73.0
(°C)

State Liquid Liqui Liqui Liqui Liqui Liqui Liqui Soli Soli
d d d and d and d d and d d
solid solid and solid
solid
Graph
A) The melting of naphthalene
Graph
B) The freezing of naphthalene
Inference

 The flat section in each graph

indicates a change of state. The
temperature remains constant as the
heat energy is used to change the
state of napthalene
Discussion

 1)To ensure that naphthalene is

heated evenly / naphthalene is
flammable

 2)
a) to ensure an even cooling and
minimize the heat loss to the
surrounding

b) to avoid supercooling
 3) The melting and freezing point of naphthalene

 4)In the heating curve of naphthalene, the heat

energy absorbed by the particles is used to
overcome the forces between the particles so
that the solid can turn into liquid.

In the cooling curve of naphthalene, the heat

loss to surrounding is exactly balanced by the
heat energy liberated as the particles attract
one another to form a solid
Conclusion

 Themelting and freezing point of

naphthalene are the same which is
__°C