[Your Name] [Your class]

Which Alcohol makes the Best Fuel

Aim of experiment

The aim of the experiment is to find out which type of alcohol is a more effective fuel, by finding out
which alcohol is least needed to move the temperature by 1°C. I will do this by heating the 4 different
alcohols and measuring the increase in temperature of the water they heat.

I need to ensure that all the variables in the experiment remain constant, except for the type of
alcohol being tested, in order to obtain accurate and reliable results.

Hypothesis

To answer this question, I will need to find the mass of each alcohol burned in a minute and the
increase in temperature of the same amount of water heated. I can collect the data by heating 4
different alcohols. Once I have collected the data, I will be able to calculate the mass of each alcohol
that is needed to raise the temperature of the water by 1 degree Celsius.

Since the word equation for the reaction of alcohol and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water
is:

Alcohol + Oxygen - > Carbon dioxide + water + heat energy,

I think that butanol, with the most hydrogen will make the best fuel as it will result in more reactions
and produce more heat and carbon dioxide, causing a quicker and faster increase in temperature.
[Your Name] [Your class]

Variables

Type of variable Variable(s) chosen How each variable is handled

Independent The type of alcohol that is used The different alcohols are put
as the fuel. into separate spirit burners.
The four types of alcohol that The spirit burners are labelled
is used in the experiment is as the alcohol they contain.
ethanol, methanol, propanol
and butanol.
Dependent 1.The change in mass of the 1.We used a 3 decimal place
spirit burner and alcohol in balance to measure the mass
grams. of the spirit burner before
and after heating to find the
change in mass of the spirit
burner and alcohol. Methanol
had a mass change of 0.508.
Ethanol’s mass change was
0.34. 0.473 is Propanol’s
change in mass and Butanol’s
change in mass is 0.473.

2The increase in temperature 2. We used a thermometer to

of water heated by the alcohol measure the temperature of
the water before and after
each alcohol is heated. After
the water was heated by
butanol, its temperature
changes the most.
Controlled 1.The amount of time the 1.We used a clock/timer to
[Include any assumptions you water is heated by each measure the amount of time
made] alcohol the water is heated for a
minute.
2.The amount of water being 2. Measure 20ml of water
heated by each alcohol. into a boiling tube using a
50ml measuring cylinder.

3.Removing the soot from the

boiling tube after the
experiment, and making sure
that the height between the
flame and the stand was the
same throughout each
experiment.

Equipment list
[Your Name] [Your class]

4 spirit burners holding four different types of alcohols (methanol, ethanol,

propanol and butanol)

A scale/balance (high precision balance)

A thermometer

A boiling tube

A clamp

A pipette

A Beaker

A measuring cylinder

A safety mat

Safety goggles

Health and Safety Considerations

You need to wear safety goggles to decrease the chance of dangerous chemicals entering your
eye.

There were just a few risks, such as the flame of the alcohol. You could burn yourself or it could
get on your hair. To prevent this from happening, you need to tie your hair up if it gets in the way,
and be aware of where the flame is and keep a distance from it. The boiling tube can be very hot
when it is getting heated or once it’s done heating. If you forget that it is warm and you try to
take it off the clamp, you could burn yourself as well. So, you have to prevent this from
happening by using your common sense. If it had just been heated, you would know it’s burning
hot and you would be careful around it and certainly not touch it.
[Your Name] [Your class]

Method

- Take a spirit burner contain an alcohol

- Weigh it on a high precision balance (3 decimal scale)
- Write the weight of the burner on your table.
- Then take a beaker and fill it halfway with water (cold).
- Use a pipette and squeeze 20ml water into a measuring cylinder
- Put a boiling tube on a clamp, and pour the water from the measuring cylinder into
the boiling tube.
- Put a thermometer in the boiling tube.
- Write the temperature onto your table
- Place the safety mat under the boiling tube.
- Put the spirit burner contain the alcohol below the boiling tube.
- Use a burner to light the spirit burner.
- Let it burn for 1 minute.
- Once it has been one minute, take the spirit burner away and record the new
temperature onto your table.
- Weigh the spirit burner on the scale and write the weight on your table.
- Repeat with all four different alcohols.
- Once you have finished recording everything, calculate how much heat energy
each alcohol needed to raise the temperature by dividing the change in mass by
the change in temperature/g ºC-1.
[Your Name] [Your class]

mass of burner mass of burner mass of alcohol temperature temperature change in change in mass
before after heating/g used/g before after heating/º temperature/º ÷ change in
heating/g heating/º C C C temperature/g
ºC-1

210.120 209.612 0.408 22 44 22 0.0185

methanol

194.303 193.963 0.34 22 52 30 0.0113

ethanol

200.04 199.577 0.463 22 62 40 0.0116

propanol

227.761 227.288 0.473 22 66 44 0.0108

butanol

Results
[Your Name] [Your class]

Evaluation

Variable(s) How each variable is Evaluation Improvement

chosen handled

Type of alcohol The different alcohols are The way I handled the spirit There aren’t any
used as the fuel; put into separate spirit burners gave good quality improvements
Methanol, burners. The spirit data because there are four needed. The alcohol
ethanol, burners are labelled as different alcohols which did produced good
propanol, the alcohol they contain. not mix with anything else quality data and
butanol. before the experiment showed which
meaning it was pure. The alcohol was the
alcohol didn’t affect the better fuel. If I were
experiment in any way. to do this
experiment again, I
would do it multiple
times to find the
average, or get a
class average so that
the results are more
reliable.
I would also make
sure that the spirit
burner was right on
top of the boiling
tube every time.
The data could have
been unfair if the
spirit burner wasn’t
in the same place
for each alcohol
because the
temperature would
have been lower
than it would have if
it were to be on the
same position.
1.The change in 1.We used a 3 decimal 1.This gave me good quality 1. The balance was
mass of the place balance to measure data because the 3 decimal electrically charged.
spirit burner the mass of the spirit scale was very accurate. If I were to do this
and alcohol. burner before and after The mass of the alcohol experiment again, I
heating. was very accurate. would first check to
Meaning that the change in see if it was plugged
2The increase in mass of the spirit burner in correctly to make
temperature of and alcohol was on point. sure that mass
water heated by Making it easier to would be correct.
the alcohol calculate the change in When people are
mass. When people are measuring the mass
touching the table, the of their
[Your Name] [Your class]

scale’s mass changes. This alcohol/spirit

was the only disadvantage. burner, people
But there was only a slight nearby shouldn’t
change so it didn’t affect lean on the table or
the experiment in any way. touch it. This will
make the data even
more accurate.

2.Use a thermometer to 2. The thermometer gave 2. When measuring

measure the temperature okay quality data. I feel like the temperature,
of the water before and it wasn’t as accurate as it make sure to be
after the alcohol is could have been. Especially looking at it from
heated. if you compare it to the the same angles and
scale. If you look at the line distance every time,
from certain angles, it this makes the data
changes. Meaning that fairer and correct.
when looking at the
temperature, it may have
been lower or higher than
the actual temperature.
1.The amount of 1.Use a clock/timer to 1. The way my team Next time, I would
time the water measure the amount of handled how long each be more focused on
is heated by time the water is heated alcohol was heated gave the time so that I
each alcohol for a minute. This is good quality data. I set a don’t miss forget
important because if the timer for one minute on my when one minute
amount of time you took computer and stopped the has passed. This will
heating the water was flame once it had been a make the
different between all the minute. Except for one experiment fair.
alcohols, then the data time, where we both forgot
would be incorrect. For to check the time. The
example, if you were to water was heated for
heat butanol for 45 longer than it should have.
seconds instead of 1 That was the only unfair
minute, you would have a data collected.
lower temperature than
what it would have been
and that would be unfair.
Which is why you have to
use a timer.
2.The amount of 2. Measure 20ml of water 2. The measuring cylinder 2. The only thing
water being into a boiling tube using a and pipette used to control that could be
heated by each 50ml measuring cylinder. this gave good quality data improved is that
alcohol. We need to control this because it was very precise. when pouring the
because, if the The measuring cylinder had water, make sure
temperature would be markings so that I can tell not to spill any
inaccurate and incorrect. when it’s filled up to 20ml water so that the
The water may be cooler of water. This was accurate boiling tube still has
or hotter than it is meant because the pipette made the same amount of
[Your Name] [Your class]

to be at 20ml. The results it easier to pour the water water as before to

would have been and the measuring cylinder make the
inaccurate. Which is why made it easier to measure experiment fair.
we needed exactly 20ml the water. This led to the That would provide
of water. boiling tube having the good quality data.
same amount of water
every time which led to
good quality data.
 Conclusion – [Include answers to the following in your conclusion – you can write in paragraphs]

Butanol is the most effective fuel. This is because it requires the least amount of mass to raise
[Your Name]
the temperature [Your
by 1 degree Celsius. The data class] from the experiment shows that butanol
collected
used 0.473g and the temperature change was 44 degrees Celsius. Which means that the amount
of mass required to raise the temperature by 1 degree Celsius was 0.0108g. This was the lowest
out of all the other alcohols.

My hypothesis was proven correct by this experiment as Butanol, with the most hydrogen, had
more reactions and produced more heat. This caused a quicker and faster increase in
temperature. The variables were handled in a consistent and controlled manner to ensure
accurate and reliable results, but there is still room for improvement. For example, making sure
that all the spirit burners are placed in the right place, stop heating the boiling tube right when
one minute has passed, measuring the temperature more precisely. These could all lead to
improved results. The height of the boiling tube from the alcohol was not measure, this meant
that they didn’t burn accurately by not being in the same place. If I were to repeat this
experiment again, I would use a ruler to measure the distance between the boiling tube and the
alcohol. This would make my results more reliable. I would also get a class average because it
would help to reduce the impact of individual differences and random errors throughout the
experiment. I would also repeat the experiment multiple times so that I can average out the data.
Using a more precise temperature measurement instrument would also help improve the
reliability of the results