Short Answer
The experiment measured the temperature changes in water when different metals (aluminum, steel, and lead) were added. Aluminum caused a decrease of 2.6°C, steel caused a drop of 1.5°C, and lead resulted in a 0.8°C decrease, indicating varying heat absorption abilities of the metals, with aluminum being the most effective.
Step 1: Measure Temperature Change for Aluminum Wire
To determine the impact of aluminum on the water temperature in the calorimeter, observe the temperature change after adding the aluminum wire. The recorded change is a decrease of 2.6°C, indicating that the aluminum wire absorbed heat from the water, thus cooling it.
Step 2: Measure Temperature Change for Steel Wire
Next, assess the effect of adding steel wire to the system. The observed change in temperature of the water after the addition of steel wire is a drop of 1.5°C. This reveals that the steel wire also took heat from the water, albeit to a lesser extent than the aluminum wire.
Step 3: Measure Temperature Change for Lead Pellets
Finally, evaluate the temperature change when lead pellets are introduced into the calorimeter. The temperature decreases by 0.8°C, showing that lead pellets have the least cooling effect on the water compared to aluminum and steel. This indicates that lead absorbs less heat than the other metals.