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Aim: To classify the reaction between KCl and H2O as endothermic or exothermic,
and determine the relationship between change in temperature and change in
amount of KCl.
Hypothesis: When KCl is added to water, the potassium, and chloride ions are
formed, that is bonds are broken. This requires energy which is taken from the
water causing a drop in temperature.
As this is the breaking of bonds, this is an endothermic process where energy is
required and absorbed. The more KCl salt is dissolved in water, the more bonds are
needed to be broken down to be broken down by the water which remains in the
same amount, thus requiring more energy that is taken from the water and lowers
the temperature even further. The data collected will show a constant decrease in
temperature until the point where it could no longer dissolve any more salt, thus
instead of breaking the bonds, bonds will be formed to make KCl crystals which is
an exothermic reaction as it produces heat.
Variables:
Independent:
-Amount, mass of KCl
(This will affect the temperature changes, and how it will vary. A difference of 1
gram of KCl will be added to the water every 10 seconds, up to 5 grams of KCl. How
this variable affects other variable is taken on the assumption that no other variable
changes and is kept constant. The different mass of KCl will determine the energy
needed to break the bonds and therefore affecting the decrease in temperature).
Dependent -Change in Temperature
(This is affected by the initial temperature of the water before KCl is added. In a
limited time: If the temperature was higher, it will have a higher kinetic energy thus
requiring less energy to be taken from surroundings and thus the difference in
temperature between the initial and the result will be less drastic. However, if the
temperature was lower, the kinetic energy will also be lower and hence more
energy is needed to be taken from the surroundings by the water to provide energy
to break the bonds, thus resulting in a much more drastic change in temperature.)
Constant
-Time taken for mixing before measuring
(The time taken for mixing, affects the amount of temperature drop, thus it needs to
remain the same. The time that has been allocated for mixing (10 seconds) will
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determine the decrease in temperature due to ability to the amount of bonds it is

able to break)
-Water
(To provide accurate data, the water must be kept constant throughout the whole
experiment- constant in amount. If there is more water, the more energy the water
is able to absorb and have, thus more energy is available to dissolve more salts,
yet, if it there is too little water, the water does not have enough energy to dissolve
the salts)
Materials:
-One large container (cup preferably) that has a lid which a hole is available to
insert the thermometer
-One smaller container (smaller than the large cup) that should be able to fit inside
the large container.
-Cotton-to be wrapped around the smaller container to prevent heat or energy from
surrounding to escape.
-Rubber band- to hold the cotton in place
-Stopwatch- to measure an accurate interval of 10seconds to mix the salt and the
water
-Thermometer-used for recording the temperature of the solution after 10 seconds
of mixing the salt and the water together
-Electronic balance- to measure an accurate mass of KCl, (1g added after 10
seconds, and after recording the temperature)
-Filter paper- used for placing the salt (KCl) during weighing and to pour it into the
container.
-Measuring cylinder (10ml), as the measuring cylinder is only up to 10 ml, and is
narrow, there is less chance of error.
-Distilled Water- 20 ml of distilled water measured using the measuring cylinder
-KCl- 5 grams of KCl is needed for one trial, and since 3 trials are conducted, 20
grams of KCl is needed
-Spatula- When scooping the KCl salt from its original container so that the salt
doesn’t get contaminated
Procedure/Method
1. Wrap cotton all around the smaller container and secure it with a rubber band
2. Place the cotton wrapped container inside the larger container, make sure
that the cotton still remains in place.
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3. Leave the containers for now and using a 10ml measuring cylinder, fill it up to
10ml and pour it into the small container, fill it up again up to 10 ml and pour
it into the small container gently and be careful not to spill any or wet the
cotton. Now there should be 20 ml of water in the container.
4. Leaving the container, place a filter paper on top of the electronic balance
and “zero” it. Carefully by using a spatula, place 1 g of KCl on top of the filter
paper. Repeat this step for15 times (for all the 3 trials of 5 grams each)
5. Record the temperature of the water.
6. With the thermometer, lid, cotton and stopwatch close at hand. Pour one
gram of KCl carefully into the small container that contains 20 ml of water,
and quickly close the lid, insert the thermometer, cover the remaining space
in the lid left by the thermometer with cotton.
NOTE: DO NOT SPILL ANYTHING TO ENSURE ACCURATE RESULTS
7. When the KCl is poured a group member should start the stopwatch and wait
for 10 seconds while slowly and carefully mix the water and KCl by swirling
the container (larger cup) in a circle. Make sure that the solution does not wet
the cotton.
8. After 10 seconds, observe and record the temperature.
9. Repeat from step 6-9 again for another 4 times (1g, 2g, 3g, 4g, 5g.) That
would be the first trial
10.After the first trial, take out the small cup, remove the cotton, discard the
solution from the small cup and wash it with distilled water.
11.Repeat steps 1-10 for another 2 times. (Total- 3 trials)
12.Calculate the change in temperature by subtracting the initial temperature
(T1) before additional 1 g is added and after 10 seconds of mixing, from the
second temperature (T2) taken after an additional 1 g is added in a table like
the one below.
Trial 1 2 3
Initial
Temperatu
re (⁰C)
Temperatu
re of
solution
(⁰C)
∆temperat
ure (⁰C)
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Diagram:

Data:

Raw

Mass
Trial Time 1 2 3
(g)
0 0 24 23 23

1 10 23 22 21

2 20 21 20 19
Temperature of
3 30 16 18 18.5
solution (⁰C)
4 40 15.5 17.5 17
5 50 15.5 17.5 17
6 60 16 18 18
7 70 16.6 18 19
8 80 16.8 18.5 19.5

Processed:

Mass Avera
Trial Time 1 2 3
(g) ge
Temperature of 0 0 24 23 23 23.3
solution (⁰C)
1 10 23 22 21 22.0

2 20 21 20 19 20.0
3 30 16 18 18.5 17.5
4 40 15.5 17.5 17 16.7
5 50 15.5 17.5 17 16.7
6 60 16 18 18 17.3
7 70 16.6 18 19 17.9
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8 80 16.8 18.5 19.5 18.3

0-10 1 1 2 1.3
10-20 2 2 1.5 2.0
20-30 5 2 0.5 2.5
30-40 0.5 1.5 1.5 0.8
∆temperature (⁰C)
40-50 0 0 0 0.0
50-60 -0.5 -0.5 -1 -0.7
60-70 -0.6 0 -1 -0.5
70-80 -0.2 -0.5 -0.5 -0.4

Analysis and Discussion of results

From the results, it can be observed that the average change in temperature has
decreased until 30 seconds, (interval- 20-30 seconds). However, there is no specific
pattern that the change follows. The temperature continues decreasing until 30
seconds before it remains constant for 10 seconds, and then increases again. Based
on the graph on top of the page, where the 3 trials and the average for temperature
are shown, we can see that the general trend remains the same. During the periods
of 60 seconds to 80 seconds, the temperature change is negative, meaning that the
temperature no longer decreases but increases. This shows that energy is no longer
absorbed but released into the atmosphere.
As time increases, the mass is also increased by 1g per second, thus what we
observe for the time is the same for the mass. When the mass increases each time
by 1g, the temperature has constantly decreased until the peak where it starts
increasing again, however it increases in a much slower rate. The temperature
change decreased in an increasing rate at first before falling into a slower rate.
It is also found based on the 3 trials that if the initial temperature (when mass
equals to zero (23 degrees Celsius) is lower (colder), the change in temperature
recorded in the same amount of time (15seconds) will be less as compared to that
of a higher initial temperature (24 degrees Celsius). This is because when the
temperature is lower, the energy between the particles will be less.

Conclusion
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The different initial temperature leads to data that is not very reliable, as when
taking average of it, we don’t take account that it is due to the difference that the
energy available to dissolve the KCl will also decrease, however this changes in
initial temperature The pattern of the temperature can be explained through the
solubility of the substance. At first, there was only a little change in temperature
from when KCl is zero grams to when KCl is 1g, the reason behind this is because
the salt KCl is too little to bring out any real change, the water does not need to
absorb a lot of energy to dissolve the KCl, the difference between temperature
keeps increasing only until its peak of 80 seconds due to the fact that it is only then
that the water needs to absorb more energy to be able to break the covalent bonds
between Potassium and Chloride. Yet, up to one point, where its solubility has
reached its peak, the temperatures will no longer decrease but increase as it has
reached past its solubility level and KCl crystals will be formed, producing heat
which will increase the temperature recorded.

The data and results analyzed and collected proves my hypothesis to be correct. :
That is when KCl is added to water, the bonds between the covalent ions are broken
thus potassium, and chloride ions are formed, that is bonds are broken. This
requires energy which is taken from the water causing a drop in temperature. We
know this is the endothermic process because energy is required and absorbed. The
more KCl salt dissolved in water, the more bonds are needed to be broken down to
be broken down by the water which remains in the same amount, thus requiring
more energy that is taken from the water and lowers the temperature even further.
It will reach a point when the water no longer is able to absorb any more energy to
break down the bonds, thus it will become over concentrated, forming bonds
between the crystals which requires heat energy. The data collected indeed show a
constant decrease in temperature until the point where it could no longer dissolve
any more salt and starts increasing in a slow rate.
Evaluation:

The degree of accuracy was up to 0.1ml, 0.5⁰C and 10 seconds. Since this
experiment was conducted in a group, one person was able to observe one part
while the other observes another part, such as one watches and records the time
while the other records the temperature, and the other weighing the mass. But
human errors were there, and though we assume that there were no errors at all
and is very accurate, there had been the reaction time where the period between
the exact 10s and the time the temperature was recorded, and the mass might not
be exact, allowing for a plus minus of 0.12 grams. However, the errors were very
minute and therefore don’t really affect the experiment’s overall result. Other from
a few errors, the measurements were accurate as we had used the appropriate
instruments and apparatus. To measure the volume of water, (20ml) we had used
10ml measuring cylinders that due to their smaller size, leave a smaller space for
errors.
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But the initial temperature was an uncontrollable variable that might have led to not
a very precise data and understanding, the initial temperature affects the data.
Next time, we should take more trials with both the similar and different mass, to
average the results, ensuring even further accuracy. A electronic thermometer
could also be used as it has a further degree of accuracy.

The end conclusion is that it is indeed a endothermic reaction of dissolving the salt
KCl (breaking the bonds) by absorbing energy and thus its product has less energy
compared to its reactant, visible by its decrease in heat energy that is recorded by
a thermometer. We can make this data and experiment more accurate by using an
automatic temperature recorder, more variables, and record for every second. We
could also conduct an experiment that has different time intervals.