Lab Notes

  • The cubes are hard to handle with the tongs, remind the students to use the heat glove and a firm grip.
  • Also remind the students to avoid allowing the thermometer to contact the cube.
  • You’re probably going to need to remind them to refresh the calorimeters with new cold water between trials!
  • The tongs and metal calorimeters are obviously heat leaks; the tongs can’t be avoided, but if you don't want to spend time discussing the energy transfer from the cube to the calorimeter cup, you could use the makeshift styrofoam calorimeters!
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