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Lesson details

Key learning points

An investigation can measure the temperature change through continuous heating of a substance.
Heating curve observations are best presented in a table and graphically.
Reliable data can be collected by taking repeat measurements, identifying anomalies and calculating a mean.
Heating curves can be used to determine the melting point of a substance.

Keywords

Independent variable - the single variable that is changed in an investigation
Dependent variable - the single variable that is measured or observed in an investigation
Control variable - all variables, other than the independent and dependent variables, that are kept the same in an investigation

Common misconception

Pupils can often think that when the temperature is not increasing, i.e. at a change of state, that the experiment is 'not working'.

Question students whilst circulating the class about what they would expect to see and try to get them to imagine what is happening to the particles. Use the heating curve to explain why the temperature did not increase during state changes.

To help you plan your year 10 chemistry lesson on: Heating curves: practical, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Practice the experiment before you teach this lesson to ensure that the necessary time needed to perform the practical has been estimated. This practical could also be carried out as a cooling curve where pupils melt a sample and allow it to cool measuring its temperature of over a period of time.

Teacher tip

Equipment

bunsen burner, tripod, beaker for water bath, gauze, heat resistant mat, clamp and stand, thermometer, boiling tube, substances to heat e.g. stearic acid, salol, graph paper

Content guidance

Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.

Which of these are essential things you need to do when planning an experiment?

Correct answer: work out which safety precautions are needed

complete a trial run of the experiment

Correct answer: if needed, prepare a table to record results

put equipment together

Correct answer: map out a step-by-step method

Q2.

Put the following steps in order to describe a method for collecting data to plot a heating curve of the solid substance shown in the boiling tube. Begin with 'collect all the equipment'.

1 - collect all the equipment on the equipment list

2 - set up all the equipment as shown, with the Bunsen not yet heating the water

3 - record the initial temperature of the substance

4 - start the timer and start heating with the Bunsen at the same moment

5 - record the temperature every 30 seconds until the water is boiling

6 - note times and temperature at which the solid substance starts to melt

7 - leave the equipment to cool before dismantling it and tidying away

Q3.

What is a gauze used for? On this diagram, it is represented by the wavy line between the tripod and the beaker.

Correct answer: to spread out the heat over the base of the beaker

to make sure the Bunsen burner cannot touch the tripod

to make the platform of the tripod a square shape

to prevent the water bath from overheating

Correct answer: to make the beaker more stable and less likely to fall

Q4.

A table for results should include columns to record independent and dependent variables and and other necessary information. The dependent variable is usually recorded in the column.

Correct Answer: second, 2, 2nd

Q5.

Which safety precautions are needed for a heating curve experiment, in which a solid is melted in a water bath, with its temperature measured over time?

Correct answer: placing the equipment in the middle of the bench

Correct answer: standing up during the experiment

opening windows to remove fumes

Correct answer: putting all stools underneath the bench

Correct answer: wearing eye protection

Q6.

When transferring information from a results table to a graph, which variable should be plotted along the x-axis?

control variable

dependent variable

Correct answer: independent variable

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.

The table shows data from a heating curve experiment. What is the main reason why it is helpful to plot a graph of these results?

it shows the whole range of results

Correct answer: it shows patterns in the results

it shows the temperature change every 30 seconds

it shows the temperature change between any two times

Q2.

Match the key terms to their definitions.

Correct Answer:independent variable,variable that you change or select values for

variable that you change or select values for

Correct Answer:dependent variable,variable that you measure or observe to get your results

variable that you measure or observe to get your results

Correct Answer:control variable,variable that must remain the same throughout an investigation

variable that must remain the same throughout an investigation

Correct Answer:anomalous result,value that does not fit the pattern of the results

value that does not fit the pattern of the results

Correct Answer:mean value,average calculated by adding all values, dividing by number of results

average calculated by adding all values, dividing by number of results

Q3.

What can you do to improve the reliability of a set of results?

Correct answer: calculate a mean average for each measurement

Correct answer: cross out any anomalous results and don't use them

cross out the biggest value from each set of repeat measurements

Correct answer: repeat the experiment to check measurements

plot a graph of the results

Q4.

The table shows data from a heating curve experiment. What would be useful other information to record for each measurement?

Correct answer: whether or not the substance is melting

the temperature of the laboratory

the type of Bunsen flame

Correct answer: the state of matter of the substance

the names of the pupil(s) you are working with

Q5.

The image shows a results table from either a heating or a cooling curve experiment, and from either a pure substance or a mixture. Which of the following statements is true?

this is a cooling curve for a mixture

this is a cooling curve for a pure substance

Correct answer: this is a heating curve for a mixture

this is a heating curve for a pure substance

Q6.

Considering the data in the table at the start of the experiment, which graph would be the most likely to represent the results for the whole experiment?