Required Practical 1: Specific Heat Capacity

• What is specific heat capacity?

  It is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of a substance by 1° C.
• What is the process to determine the specific heat capacity of a material?

  • Place a beaker on a balance and zero it
  • Add the material and record its mass
  • Insert a thermometer and immersion heater
  • Measure the starting temperature
  • Insulate the beaker
  • Connect a joule meter and power pack
  • Allow the temperature to rise and record the final temperature
  • Calculate specific heat capacity using the formula
• Why is it important to insulate the beaker during the experiment?

  To minimize thermal energy loss to the surroundings.
• What equipment is used to measure the energy supplied to the immersion heater?

  A joule meter.
• How do you calculate the specific heat capacity from the experiment's results?

  By rearranging the equation: specific heat capacity = change in thermal energy / (mass × temperature change).
• If 0.95 kg of oil is heated from 20° C to 75° C with 87258 J of energy, what is the specific heat capacity?

  1,670 J/kg/°C.
• What are the main sources of inaccuracies in determining specific heat capacity?

  • Thermal energy loss to the air
  • Incomplete energy transfer from the immersion heater to the oil
  • Incorrect thermometer readings
  • Uneven thermal distribution in the oil
• How can thermal energy loss to the air be minimized during the experiment?

  By using an insulator with lower thermal conductivity.
• What can be done to ensure all thermal energy from the immersion heater passes into the oil?

  Ensure that the immersion heater is fully submerged in the oil.
• What is a method to improve thermometer accuracy in the experiment?

  Using an electronic temperature probe.
• How can you ensure even thermal distribution in the oil during the experiment?

  By stirring the oil.