Heat Capacity of Different Materials
Purpose:
 To calculate the capacity of some materials to store heat
 To understand the relationship between heat capacity and temperature
Materials Required
 A thermometer
 Two Styrofoam cups
 Room-temperature water
 A source of hot water (a hot plate, hot tap water)
 A scale
 Two objects chosen from a collection of several
o Objects should easily fit in the Styrofoam cup and take about ¼ the
volume of the cup
o Objects should be chosen to have very different characteristics, but ideally all would be
mostly submerged in water (either not floating or barely floating)
o Items should be representative of what is inside a house
o Some examples:
 Metal: A large metal bolt, several washers bolted together, fishing weight, piece
of aluminum, brass, or copper.
 A piece of tile, porcelain
 A piece of concrete, a large stone, gravel
 Heat resistant glass (so it doesn’t shatter in hot/cold water), marbles
 Dense wood (that mostly sinks)
 Dense plastic (not hollow)
 A rock or stone, piece of concrete
Procedure
For each object:
- Fill a cup with room-temperature water in such a way as to record the mass of the
water (either tare the cup on the scale before filling or subtract the mass of the
empty cup from the mass of the cup with water)
- Record the water temperature (°C)
- Invert the top cup and place it on top of the cup with water, creating a closed
container.
- Poke a hole or otherwise mount the thermometer so that the whole system can be
weighed and place the system on the scale and measure the weight (grams)
- Immerse the object in hot water, letting is stand for at least 2 minutes
- Quickly transfer the object to the test apparatus, replacing the top cup quickly.
- Record the new mass
- Watch the temperature change and record the final temperature
Data:
Item 1
Item 2
Description of item
Mass of Water (g)
Initial Water Temperature (°C)
Initial mass of test apparatus (g)
Temperature of Hot Water (°C)
Final mass of test apparatus (g)
Final Temperature (°C)
Analysis:
Heat capacity is defined as amount of heat a material can absorb or give off when its
temperature changes by one degree.
When two objects are brought together, they ultimately reach the same temperature. When an
object is cooled off in water, the water absorbs that heat and the temperature of the water
rises. The greater the heat capacity of the object, the greater the water temperature will rise.
In this analysis we will use the known specific heat capacity of water (1 calorie/(gram °C)) to
calculate the specific heat capacity of other materials. We first calculate the heat that is
transferred to the water by measuring the temperature rise in the water. Knowing the
temperature change, the water’s mass, and the specific heat of water we can calculate how
much heat is absorbed by the water.
We know how much heat is lost by the object since it equals the amount of heat gained by the
water. We also know the temperature change of the object and so can calculate the objects
specific heat capacity.
Calculation of Heat Transferred
(a) Final – Initial Water Temperature (°C)
(b) Mass of water (from above, g)
(c) Specific heat capacity of water (cal/ g °C)
(d) Heat transferred (cal) = (a) * (b) * (c)
Mass of object
(e) Final - Initial mass of test apparatus (g)
(f) Temperature of Hot Water – Final Water
Temperature (°C)
(e) Specific heat capacity of the object
(cal/ g °C) = (d) / ((e) * (f))
Item 1
Item 2
1
1
Discussion:
Which material has the higher heat capacity?
If you wished to store heat from the sun during the day so it would be available at night when it
is cooler, which material would be better? Why?
Discuss with other lab groups about materials they tested. Of all the materials in the classroom,
which would be good choices for heat storage?
What are some items in a typical home that are made of this material? How could the use of this
material be increased?
You were restricted to testing objects that would not float. If you were able to test items that
floated (light wood, bits of Styrofoam, a balloon filled with air), would you expect them to have
a large or small heat capacity.
Rubric
Stellar
Well Done
OK
Missed the mark
Experiment
Records data as taken,
data table is neat, units
are observed, care is taken
Data is sloppily
recorded, readings are
done casually/quickly
Data is missing or
approximated
Data Analysis
Calculations are done
neatly and accurately and
with appropriate
significant figures
Discussion
Answers are in full
sentences, show
understanding of the
concept of specific heat,
show understanding of
relevance to a home.
Calculations are done
accurately and are
either not neat or have
incorrect number of
significant figures
Answers show
understanding of the
concept of specific
heat, some
understanding of
relevance to a home.
Data obtained, but due
care is not seen. Top
cup is slightly off, not
monitoring temperature
rise, etc.
Calculations require
correction or
instructions not
followed.
Very brief answers that
echo material
presented, marginally
neat, some relevance to
a home.
Answers are missing
or so short as to
provide no insight
into the
understanding by the
student.
Calculations are
incorrect because
procedure was not
followed.