Required Practical's - Physics

Question 1

What is specific heat capacity?

Answer 1

The specific heat capacity of a substance is the amount of energy required to raise the temperature of 1kg of the substance by 1 degree.

Question 2

How do we do the specific heat capacity practical?

Answer 2

• We get a scale and put a beaker on it and we fill that beaker with oil and measure the mass of the oil
• Then we place a thermometer and an immersion heater into the oil then read the start temp
• Wrap the beaker in insulating foam to reduce thermal energy transfer to the surroundings.
• Connect a powerpack and joulemeter to the heater and leave for 30 minutes.
• Read the number of joules of energy that passed into the immersion heater and final oil temp.
• Then use specific heat capacity equation to solve

Question 3

How do we do the thermal insulators practical?

Answer 3

• We place a small beaker in a large beaker and then we pour 80cm cubed of hot water into he small beaker
• Then we put carboard on top of the large beaker with a hole for the thermometer
• Thermometer now needs to go into the hot water and then we get the starting temp and get a stopwatch
• Then we record the temperature of the water every 3 minutes for 15 minutes.
• Then repeat the exact same experiment but with insulating material in the large beaker like bubble wrap, cotton wool and polystyrene ball. Also make sure the same mass of insulating material is used.
• Then we plot the data and analyse

Question 4

How do you do the current and potential difference practical?

Answer 4

• We have a parallel circuit with a ammeter a volt meter at the resistor and a variable resistor at the end
• We use the voltmeter to read the potential difference across the resistor
• Then we use the ammeter to read the current through the resistor
• Now we adjust the variable resistor and record the new readings on the voltmeter and ammeter
• Do this 7 times
• Then reverse the direction of the batteries and the voltmeter and the ammeter should be in negative values
• The take 7 readings
• Then draw the graph with the readings
• A graph of x=y if shown
• Do the same but swap the resistor for a filament bulb and the results will be a curved line like a sin graph
• If you do the same but add a extra resistor at the start and swap the resistor/ bulb for a diode and use a milliammeter then u will get a graph when at the positive x axis there will be a sudden increase.