Cooling and Heating Curves

A series of free IGCSE Chemistry Activities and Experiments (Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry).

In this experiment, you are going to plot cooling and heating curves for stearic acid.

Method:

1. Obtain a test tube with melted stearic acid in it. Stearic acid is a waxy substance similar to candles.
2. Place the test tube in a beaker of hot water to melt the stearic acid.
3. Record the temperature as soon as you remove it from the hot water, and continue recording the temperature every minute until all is solidified.
4. You may keep the test tube at your desk until the temperature has come down the room temperature, which is approximately 23 degrees Celsius.
5. Plot a graph for the set of readings, with time on the x-axis and temperature on the y-axis.
   

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