SHC

• Finding the Specific Heat Capacity of a Substance

  1. Use a mass balance to measure the mass of your substance

  2. Set up the experiment shown below. Make sure the joulemeter reads zero

  3. Measure the temperature of the substance you're investigating, then turn on the power

  4. Keep an eye on the thermometer. When the temperature has increased by e.g. ten degrees, stop the experiment and record the energy on the joulemeter, and the increase in temperature

  5. Calculate the specific heat capacity of your substance by rearranging the equation above and plugging in your measurements

  6. Repeat the whole experiment at least three times, then calculate the mean (see page 7) specific heat capacity of your substance
• Experiment


  • Can be used to find the specific heat capacity of a liquid, e.g. water, or a solid, e.g. a metal cylinder
  • Add a conducting gel between the heater and the metal cylinder to improve conduction and make your results more accurate
• You need to watch out for systematic errors due to energy escaping the amount of energy that escapes from the sides and the bottom of the substance you're investigating
• You could reduce these energy losses further by adding a lid to the container
• You could also use a voltmeter and ammeter instead of a joulemeter to calculate the energy supplied (see p.44)