25/02/2013
Specific Heat Capacity Experiment
Aim: to investigate what happens when heat
energy is supplied to a body
Apparatus: metal block, electric heater, power
supply, ammeter, voltmeter, thermometer,
stopwatch
Method: the heater, ammeter and voltmeter
were connected to the power supply as shown,
and the thermometer inserted.
Specific Heat Capacity Experiment
Method continued: the temperature of the block
was measured before heating.
The heater was switched on for exactly 5
minutes, and readings of current and voltage
were recorded.
After the 5 minutes, the new temperature of
the block was recorded.
Specific Heat Capacity Experiment
thermometer
A
heater
power supply
V
metal block
Specific Heat Capacity Experiment
Results:
Temp after:
34˚C
Temp before:
29˚C
Change in temp: (ΔT) 5˚C
Ammeter reading:
2.4A
Voltmeter reading: 12.0V
Time: 5 min =
300s
Specific Heat Capacity Experiment
Energy in: E = VIt
E = 12 x 2.4 x (5x60)
E = 8640J
It took 8640J of energy to increase the temp
of 1kg of Aluminium by 5˚C
Thus it would take 1728J to increase the temp
of 1kg of aluminium by 1˚C
The amount of energy required to increase the
temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1˚C is its
specific heat capacity.
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