EXPERIMENT NO.

106: SPECIFIC HEAT

Analysis

For this experiment, we discussed about the concept behind specific heat.
Specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the temperature
by one degree Celsius. We know that heat is the transfer of energy from one object
to another. Heat refers to energy transferred from one body or substance to another
in physical contact with each other because of temperature difference.

The transfer of heat can cause a substance to undergo a change in temperature

and or a change in phase. The amount of involved if there is change in temperature
is directly proportional to the product of the mass and amount of change in
temperature. It also depends on the nature of the material. Heat is expressed in
calories in the CGS system and British Thermal Units or BTU in the FPS system
but Joule is the basic unit for all forms of energy. Conversion: 1 calorie=4.186.
Calorie, a unit of energy or heat variously defined. The calorie was originally
defined as the amount of heat required at a pressure of 1 standard atmosphere to
raise the temperature of 1 gram of water 1° Celsius. The quantity of heat
represented by the calorie is known to differ at different temperatures (by as much
as 1 percent), it has consequently been necessary to define the temperature at
which the specific heat of water is to be taken as 1 calorie. Thus the “15° calorie”
(also called the gram-calorie, or small calorie) was defined as the amount of heat
that will raise the temperature of 1 gram of water from 14.5° to 15.5° C—equal to
4.1855 joules. Other less common definitions in this series are the 20° calorie
(4.18190 joules) from 19.5° to 20.5° C; and the mean calorie (4.19002 joules)
defined as 1/100 of the heat necessary to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water
from 0° to 100° C.
 Specific heat capacity of polymer is higher than that of metal and other non-
metallic materials. It depends mainly on its chemical structure but little on its
microstructure. When the temperature reaches to a value, the required heat depends
on the internal unit’s rotation and vibration of solid polymer. When H atom is
substituted by heavy F or Cl atom, it will decline, and re-crystallization may occur
between Tg and Tm. At this time heat release occurs within polymer so that the
temperature’s rising rate may not be regular.

The principle of calorimetry is to make a quantifiable measurement of the

amount heat energy transferred in a system and its relation to temperature. The
principle of calorimetry departs from the classical view point that heat is composed
of a fluid called “caloric” which flows from a relatively hotter body to the colder
body. The idea that heat energy is a measurement of change in temperature of the
body was evolved at a much later time after a series of experiments were
conducted using instruments called calorimeters.

It is through such experiments that we began to understand that heat energy

transferred (both absorbed/released) is directly proportional to the mass of the body
and the change in temperature in the body. The proportionality constant is called
the specific heat of the substance measured in calories. For example, one calorie is
defined as the amount of energy required to increase the temperature of one gram
of water by one degree centigrade. In almost all the edible items we purchase, the
amount of energy contained in the item is always mentioned. It is the amount of
energy generated in the body that is often stored in a chemical form called ATP.
The specific heat for water is 4.18 Jg-1K-1.
 The transfer of heat is normally from a high temperature object to a lower
temperature object. Heat transfer changes the internal energy of both systems
involved according to the First Law of Thermodynamics. See in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Heat Transfer

This experiment will demonstrate a change in temperature upon mixing the

substances in a calorimeter. Students will be able to determine the specific heat of
solid metal.

For the objectives of the experiment is to use the principles of calorimetry,

specially the Law of Heat Exchange, when combining objects with different
temperatures. Also, the experiment’ objective is to use the Law of Heat Exchange
in determining the specific heat of solid metal.

Calorimetry is a method of determining an unknown heat quantity using a

calorimeter. It utilizes the Law of Heat Exchange. When two or more substances
are mixed together in a calorimeter, heat flows from hotter to colder substance.
Then the algebraic sum of heat quantity released or lost by the hotter substance at
higher temperature and the heat quantity absorbed or gained by the substance at
lower temperature must be zero. In symbols

Equation 1.

When temperature of the entire mass of a substance change , the heat quantity
involve Q is,

Equation 2.

where:

Q = heat in calories, cal

m = mass in grams, g

= change in temperature in

t = final temperature in

= initial temperature in

c = specific heat, cal/(g. )

Specific heat (c) of a substance is the amount of needed to raise the temperature of
a unit mass of a substance by 1°. When there is a phase change encountered, the
heat that is removed or added during a phase change does not alter the temperature.
The mathematical formula to get the amount of energy needed to raise a
temperature is shown,

Equation 3.

Q = Heat Energy. The energy gained or lost m =mass

t = Final temperature

= Initial temperature

c = specific heat

The specific heat of two substances that have different temperatures can be
determined by using the method of mixture, a technique used to determine the heat
of fusion of a substance with known specific heat. In this method, when a cold
substance is mixed with a hot substance, the hot body loses heat while the cold
body gains heat and its specific heat is calculated with the use of the law of heat
exchange. The equation for the specific heat of two substances with different
temperatures is shown,

Equation 4.

Mass of liquid =
Mass of calorie meter =

Initial temperature of the substance =

Initial temperature of the liquid =

Initial temperature of the calorimeter =

Specific heat of substance =

Specific heat of liquid =

Specific heat of the material of the calorimeter =

Final temperature of the mixture = T

Table 1. Specific Heats of Substance

Substance
c = specific heat capacity,

Aluminum 0.2174

Berylium 0.4760
Brass 0.0917
Copper 0.0932
Ethanol 0.5800
ice 0.5017
Iron 0.1123
Lead 0.0310
Mercury 0.0329
Salt 0.2100
Silver 0.0560
Water 1.000

Procedures

1. Fill the beaker with water ¾ full and heat it using the electric stove

2. Weigh the metal of unknown specific heat and record it as

3. Immerse the metal (aluminum or copper) into the beaker with boiling water
for heating by holding the string and make sure that the metal will not the
beaker. Boil it for least 20 minutes.
4. Weigh the inner cup of the calorimeter and record it as mass of calorimeter

5. Fill the calorimeter cup with tap water (just enough to submerge the metal
completely when added to it). Weigh the calorimeter containing the water
and compute for mass of water by subtracting the mass of calorimeter.

Record the mass of water as

6. Prepare the set-up by putting the calorimeter cup into the outer shell. Put the
cover with the stirrer and thermometer
 Figure 2. Preparing the calorimeter

7. Consider the water to be in thermal equilibrium with the calorimeter. Take

the thermometer’s reading and record it as

8. Get the metal from boiling water and add it immediately into the prepared
calorimeter and cover it. Do not allow the thermometer to be in contact with
the metal. Stir gently and wait for the reading of the thermometer to become

stable. Record it as final temperature of the mixture, . Assume the

initial temperature of the metal, as it has come from the

boiling water.
 Figure 3. Boiling of water

9. Formulate the equation in calculating the experimental value of specific heat

of the metal using eqn 1.

10. Calculate experimental value for specific heat using the formulated equation
in step 9
11. See table 1. For the accepted value of specific heat of the metal considering
the material used
 12. Compare the experimental value with accepted value & compute the
percentage error.

Table 2: Determining the Specific Heat of a Metal Specimen

Mass of metal, Mm 19.8 g

Mass of calorimeter, Mc 58.1 g

Mass of water, Mw 235.7 g

Initial temperature of metal, tm 100 ᵒC

Initial temperature of calorimeter, tc 27 ᵒC

Initial temperature of water, tw 27 ᵒC

Final temperature of mixture, tmix 27.5 ᵒC

Experimental specific heat of metal, Cm 0.08395 cal/g.ᵒC

Actual specific heat of metal, Cm 0.0917 cal/g.ᵒC

Percentage error 8.45 %

CONCLUSION

Specific heat is the amount of heat per unit mass required to raise the
temperature by one degree Celsius. With the data obtained from the experiment,
the specific heat of metals was computed without difficulty, using the equation

.
 After performing the experiment, our group investigate the properties of
metals has a big factor in determine the specific heat of metals. A greater
knowledge on heat transfer was achieved. My understanding of how heat energy
was transferred was improved. Calorimetry and heat transfer is applied in our
everyday lives but we just don’t notice them much. Calorimetry is used to obtain
the nutritional values for our food. Another use of the calorimeter is in heat
engines, which absorbs heat at a high temperature to perform automated work,
giving off heat at a lower temperature. Heat transfer also has a great contribution
on the major geologic processes happening since the formation of the earth.

Heat can be transferred by conduction, convection, and radiation. Ever think

of how plate tectonics move? It is due to convection. The convection cell explains
the movement and formation of the plate tectonics. Convection, which is the
process of heat transfer where hot material rises upward due to its lower density,
while cooler materials above sinks because of its higher density. This is applied in
tectonic plate motion and transpires in the lithosphere and asthenosphere. As the
depth increases, the temperature and pressure also increase due to the heat from the
inner core. Since the mantle is ductile, it conveys the crust as it moves. Since the
mantle has a higher temperature than the upper mantle, it rises. Then the upmost
part, which is in contact with the crust, sinks due to having a lower temperature,
the cycle continues as the crust cools down and eventually sinks again forming the
subduction zone. Subduction zone is where the oceanic crust converges with the
continental crust, and as it descends volcanism, earthquake, orogeny or mountain
building, and metamorphism occurs.