a student sets up four cups with 40 mL of water each and adds different amounts of ice to each cup. The student measures the temperature of the water before and after the ice melts in each cup.

Answer 1

This experiment is a great way to explore the concepts of heat transfer, phase change, and specific heat capacity. Here’s a structure for the experiment, including a hypothesis, materials, procedure, and expected observations.

Hypothesis:

Adding different amounts of ice will lower the temperature of the water in each cup differently, depending on the amount of ice added. More ice will result in a lower final temperature.

Materials:

• 4 cups (preferably identical)
• 160 mL of water (40 mL in each cup)
• Ice (varying amounts for each cup)
• Thermometer (to measure temperature)
• Stopwatch or timer
• Measuring scale (optional, for measuring ice)
• Ruler (optional, for ice dimensions)

Procedure:

1. Set Up Cups: Label each cup (A, B, C, D) and pour 40 mL of room temperature water into each cup.
2. Measure Initial Temperature: Use a thermometer to measure and record the initial temperature of the water in each cup.
3. Add Ice:
   • Add a specific amount of ice to each cup.
     • Cup A: 10 grams of ice
     • Cup B: 20 grams of ice
     • Cup C: 30 grams of ice
     • Cup D: 40 grams of ice
4. Observe and Record: Allow the ice to melt completely in each cup.
   • Measure the temperature of the water after the ice has melted and record these temperatures.
5. Control Variables: Ensure that all other variables (initial water temperature, volume of water, ambient temperature) remain constant throughout the experiment.

Expected Observations:

• Temperature Change: After the ice has melted, the final temperatures in the cups are expected to be different.
• Cup A (10 grams of ice) may have the highest final temperature, while Cup D (40 grams of ice) will likely have the lowest final temperature.
• The more ice that is added, the more energy is absorbed from the water to melt the ice, resulting in a larger temperature drop of the remaining water.

Data Analysis:

• Calculate the temperature change for each cup and compare how the different amounts of ice affected the final temperature of the water.
• Graph the results, plotting the amount of ice against the final temperature of the water.

This experiment can provide valuable insights into the properties of water and ice, as well as the principles of thermodynamics. It’s also a fun way to learn about the interaction of different states of matter.