Specific Heat Capacity

This practical lesson covers:

  1. How to determine the specific heat capacity of a material

Investigating the specific heat capacity of different materials


Aim:

To determine the specific heat capacity of a solid block by measuring the amount of energy required to change its temperature. 

Background information:

Different materials require a different amount of energy to change their temperature. The amount of energy required to raise 1kg of a material by 1°C is known as the specific heat capacity. In this practical we will experimentally identify the specific heat capacity of different materials by heating them and recording their change in temperature.

Variables:

  1. Independent variable - Type of material  
  2. Dependent variable - Temperature rise
  3. Control variables - Mass of material, surface area of material

What equation should be used to calculate the energy supplied to the system?

Q=mcΔT
F=ma
E=mc2
P=VI

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What equation can be used to identify the energy supplied to the block by the heater?

P = V I
E = V I t
E = m c2
W = F d

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Define specific heat capacity.

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An immersion heater is placed into the metal block. When switched on the ammeter reads 1.2 A and the voltmeter reads 9.0 V. The heater is switched on for 20 minutes. Calculate the energy supplied to the block by the heater.

12960

J

J

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