Melting and freezing stearic acid

Digital thermometer in front of a conical flask.

Source: © Shutterstock

In this class practical students take the temperature of stearic acid at regular intervals as they heat and cool it. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

This practical takes quite a long time to carry out. Students can begin by simply recording their data but, once they get the hang of what they are doing, most should be able to plot the graph at the same time as taking readings. If data-loggers are being used then students will need another activity to be doing alongside the experiment.

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