This activity allows for the simple and accurate determination of the heat of fusion, ΔHfusion, of water at 0°C.
This lab guides students through taking data and constructing their own heating curve for water. It requires no special equipment, is low prep, is safe, and can even be done at home for homeschool or distance learning. Even though the lab activity itself is relatively simple and straightforward, the concepts still engage students in higher level thinking and gives them important practice with laboratory techniques and forming hypotheses.
Nora Walsh shares the outline of the interactive notebook pages she uses for her thermochemistry unit. All of the documents and foldables are available for download.
In an effort to better understand my high school students' knowledge of what is happening during phase changes, heating curve calculations, and the ever popular can crush demo, I run them through a series of activities. First, I ask my students "What Temperature Does Water Boil At?"
