Find out how much heat is given out of a displacement reaction, when using different metals.

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Rina Bhudia         Science Investigation        10 B3                 Mrs Davis

Science Investigation

Displacement Reaction

Aim:

To find out how much heat is given out of a displacement reaction, when using different metals.

Background Knowledge:

Displacement reaction is when one substance forces out another substance and takes it place.

An example of this is when an iron nail is put in a copper sulphate solution.  A displacement reaction only occurs when a metal reacts with an acid. This is an exothermic reaction. Exothermic means that the energy is going out of the reaction. Chemical reaction where the energy content of the products is less than that of the reactants; heat is given out from the system. In an exothermic reaction, heat energy is given off to the surroundings so the product molecules have lower heat content than the reactants. This is like taking a wet sponge and squeezing it into a funnel ... the sponge ends up with lower water content than before the "exothermic" reaction. The amount of water which is squeezed into the funnel and collected is a good concrete way to visualize the heat of reaction.

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Apparatus:

Measuring Cylinder

Thermometer

Stop clock

Balancing Scale

Copper sulphate solution

Beaker

Zinc

Lead

Aluminium

Magnesium

Iron

Method:

  • Collect all required equipment in a tray.
  • Put 50 cubic cm of copper sulphate solution into a beaker make sure it is 50 by using a measuring cylinder.
  • Measure temperature of solution at the begging by using a thermometer.
  • Measure 2 grams of metals with copper sulphate solution.
  • Shut the beaker with a lid made out of cardboard for the thermometer to enter.
  • Measure temperature of substance every 30 seconds.
  • Repeat for 8 mins.
  • ...

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