Specific Heat Capacity

• 1. Place the immersion heater into the central hole at the top of the block.
• 2. Place the thermometer into the smaller hole and put a couple of drops of oil into the hole to make sure the thermometer is surrounded by hot material.
• 3. Fully insulate the block by wrapping it loosely with cotton wool.
• 4. Record the temperature of the block
• 5. Connect the heater to the power supply and turn it off after ten minutes.
• 6. After ten minutes the temperature will still rise even though the heater has been turned off and then it will begin to cool. Record the highest temperature that it reaches and calculate the temperature rise during the experiment
• 7. Record results in a suitable table.
• What is the equation for energy transferred?

  E = V x I x t
• What is current measured in?

  Amperes (A)
• What is time measured in?

  Seconds (s)
• What is energy transferred measured in?

  Joules (J)
• What is potential difference measured in?

  Volts (V)
• Hazard:

  Hot immersion heater and sample material
• Consequence:

  Burnt Skin
• Control Measure: 


  Do not touch when switched on. Position away from the edge of the desk. Allow time to cool before packing away equipment. Run any burn under cold running water for at least 10 minutes.