SHC - Physics Flashcards
1
Q
How to determine the specific heat capacity of a material
A
- Place a beaker on a balance and press zero
- Add oil to the beaker and record the mass of the oil
- Place a thermometer and an immersion heater into the oil
- Read the starting temperature of the oil
- Wrap the beaker in insulating foam
- Connect a joulmeter and a power pack to the immersion heater
- Leave this setup for 30 mins
- Read the total number of joules of energy that passed into the immersion heater
- Read the final temperature of the oil
2
Q
why should we wrap the beaker in insulating foam
A
to reduce thermal energy transfer to surroundings
3
Q
what do joulemeters do
A
tells us how many joules of electrical energy pass into the immersion heater
4
Q
why do we leave the setup for 30 minutes
A
to allow the temperature to rise enough so we can accurately read on he thermometer
5
Q
specific heat capacity equation
A
specific heat = change in thermal energy / mass x temperature change
6
Q
problems that could occur during experiment
A
- thermal energy could pass out of the beaker into the air
- not all of the thermal energy from the immersion heater may pass into the oil
- incorrect reading of thermometer
- thermal energy may not spread through the oil
7
Q
how can we solve these problems
A
- use an insulator with a lower thermal conductivity
- ensure the immersion heater is fully submerged
- use an electronic temperature probe
- stir the oil
