Students in AP Chemistry were tasked with developing a heating or cooling pack that met certain volume and temperature requirements in their recent calorimetry lab.

After testing two potential salts for their thermodynamic properties, students then completed a series of tests to determine their chosen salt's heat of solution. These tests were adapted by the students to best obtain their results using temperature probes and computer software. After determining their salt's heat of solution, students then needed to use this information, and their background knowledge from class and lab, to determine the amount of salt they need to create their specific heating or cooling packs. Lastly, students created and tested their heating/cooling pack using this determined amount of salt and their own procedure to test against their product criteria.