Energy Forms & Changes Virtual Lab

Introduction: You will use the PhET simulation to

predict, experiment, discover and interpret the meaning
of the material property known as Specific Heat
Capacity.

Warm-Up:

1. Describe what the following terms mean

Temperature - Temperature is the measure of hotness or coldness expressed in terms of any of

several scales
Heat - heat, energy that is transferred from one body to another as the result of a difference in
temperature

2. Using your definition for temperature above, explain how a thermometer works to provide a visual
representation of the temperature

A thermometer measures temperature through a glass tube sealed with mercury that expands or
contracts as the temperature rises or falls.

3. Thermometers in the past were filled with mercury but most are now filled with alcohol
instead due to safety reasons. Why do you think alcohol is used instead or water?

There is a technical reason for using mercury in clinical thermometers. Mercury has a greater
coefficient of thermal expansion than alcohol.This means a column of mercury will expand and rise
more than a column of alcohol for the same temperature change. As a result, you can get finer readings with
mercury.

4. The simulator allows you to add the same amount of heat energy to different materials e.g. water, oil,
iron, brick. If you are able to measure the temperature of these materials as you are heating them
would you predict that each will have the same temperature changes? Explain.

That the oil is going to heat up faster than the water but the water is going to lose the heat faster than the oil.
And the brick is going to get hotter faster then the Brick and but the iron is going to stay hotter longer. The brick
Experiment:

5. Position the Iron block on one of the ring stands and move a thermometer to the block to
measure the temperature of it. Then click the Energy Symbols tab and begin increasing
the heat under the iron. Describe what you observe.
E start to go I’m in the iron and heat up the iron an the same time it also is losing E will it getting
heated up

6. Predict what you would see if you are able to measure the temperature of the Iron block and Brick block
as you supply the same amount of heat to each block.

The brick is going to heat up faster then the iron but the iron is going to keep the energy in it more

7. Click the reset button, then drag the iron block on one stand and the brick block on the second stand.
Again, put a thermometer in both blocks to measure the temperature of each. Click the Energy Symbols
and Link Heaters tabs. Before adding any heat to the blocks, observe any differences in the blocks and
provide a reason for this

The brick statue to heat up faster but the iron keeps the heat in it more aster you stop. Supplying heat

Observation & Analysis:

8. Increase the temperature on the blocks and observe the thermometers and record observations
The thermometer start going up

9. Repeat the comparison done with the blocks above, this time comparing the two liquids. Record your
observations.

The water start to heat up faster but is does not going any higher then half way the oil tool s little more time but
It going all the way to the top

10. Repeat again this time comparing water and iron. Records your results.

The water get hot faster but starts to evapora and the oil gets hotter slower put store the heat for longer the the
water