Read through the “Conducting the Experiment” section, and then identify the independent (i.e. manipulated), dependent, and controlled variables in this experiment. (List at least 5 controlled variables.)

Find a small piece of metal (one that can be easily dropped into one of the styrofoam coffee cups), place it in a plastic bag, and set the metal and bag into the freezer. Leave the metal there for at least 12 hours.
Begin constructing your coffee cup calorimeter by placing one, styrofoam coffee cup inside the other. Place the piece of cardboard over the opening of the top cup and make sure that it completely covers the cup’s opening.
Remove the cardboard from the cups, and in the center of the cardboard, make a small hole. Make sure that the bulb/tip of the thermometer can pass through the hole, but the fit should be snug. If needed, make the hole gradually bigger, until the bulb/tip extends 3 to 4 inches below the hole in the cardboard.
Set the cardboard (with the thermometer) back on top of the cups. Ensure that the cardboard still covers the opening completely and creates as much of a seal as possible; this is your calorimeter.
Place your cups and cardboard (i.e. calorimeter) on the food/postage scale, and write down the mass. Fill your measuring cup with 6 ounces (or 177 mL) of lukewarm water, and pour the water into the calorimeter. Using the scale, find the total mass, and add both values to the data table.
Measure the temperature of the water in the calorimeter, and add this information to the data table.
Pull the metal from the freezer and prepare to drop the metal into the calorimeter. When ready pull back the cardboard and quickly drop in the metal, and then recover the calorimeter. (Try to make sure no heat escapes out the top!) Gently swirl the cup, but do not dislodge the cardboard!
After 1 minute, check the temperature on the thermometer. Swirl for another 10 seconds and check the temperature again. If the temperature changed, swirl for another 10 seconds and check the temperature. Continue swirling and checking the temperature every 10 seconds, until the temperature does not change between readings. Once the temperature stops changing, record the final temperature in the data table.
When finished, clean up your materials and begin working on your formal lab report.
Data