Lab Report: The Effect of Temperature on Solubility
Part 1: Introduction
Title:
The Effect of Temperature on the Solubility of a Solid in Water
Purpose:
To investigate how temperature affects the solubility of a solid substance (e.g., salt or sugar) in
water.
Question:
What is the effect of temperature on the solubility of a solid in water?
Hypothesis:
If the temperature of the water increases, then the solubility of the solid will also increase because
higher temperatures provide more energy for the solute particles to dissolve.
Variables:
- Independent Variable (IV): Temperature of the water (°C)
- Dependent Variable (DV): Amount of solute dissolved (g/100 mL)
- Controlled Variables: Type of solute, amount of water, stirring time, atmospheric pressure,
container type
Part 2: Materials and Procedure
Materials:
- Beakers (5)
- Distilled water (500 mL total)
- Granulated sugar (or table salt)
- Thermometer
- Hot plate or stove
- Ice bath
- Stirring rods
- Measuring spoons or balance
- Stopwatch
- Graduated cylinder
Procedure:
1. Label 5 beakers with the temperatures: 0°C, 20°C, 40°C, 60°C, 80°C.
2. Measure 100 mL of distilled water into each beaker.
3. Adjust the temperature of each beaker's water using an ice bath or heating source until it reaches
the desired temperature.
4. Add sugar to the water one spoonful at a time while continuously stirring until no more dissolves
(saturation point).
5. Record the maximum amount of sugar that dissolves at each temperature.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 for accuracy and average the results.
7. Record all results in a table.
Experimental Group: Beakers with increasing temperatures
Control Group: Beaker at room temperature (20°C)
Part 3: Data Collection and Organization
Table: Solubility of Sugar at Different Temperatures
Temperature (°C) | Amount of Sugar Dissolved (g/100 mL)
0°C | 179
20°C | 204
40°C | 238
60°C | 287
80°C | 360
Part 4: Analysis and Conclusion
Analysis:
The data shows a clear trend: as temperature increases, the solubility of sugar in water also
increases. This indicates a direct relationship between temperature and solubility for solids. The
greatest increase in solubility was observed between 60°C and 80°C. This supports the hypothesis
that higher temperatures increase the kinetic energy of water molecules, enabling them to break
down the solute more effectively.
Conclusion:
The hypothesis was supported by the data. As temperature increased, so did the solubility of sugar
in water. This suggests that solubility is temperature-dependent for solid solutes in liquid solvents.
Sources of Error:
- Inconsistent stirring time
- Slight variations in temperature readings
- Measurement inaccuracies with spoonfuls instead of weighing
Suggestions for Improvement and Further Investigation:
- Use a balance for precise solute measurement
- Conduct more trials for greater accuracy
- Investigate solubility trends for different types of solutes (e.g., salt vs. sugar)
- Explore the solubility of gases in liquids, which may show an inverse relationship with temperature
