REPORT ON

NEWTON’S LAW
OF COOLING
BY:
SAM
 Newton’s law of cooling
LAW: The rate of change of the temperature
of an object is proportional to the difference
between its own temperature and the
temperature of its surroundings.

Therefore,
dθ / dt = E A (θ – θr ) ; E- A constant that
depends upon the object , A – surface area, θ –
A certain temperature, θr – Room/ ambient
temperature or the temperature of the
surroundings.
 Finding the specific heat capacity of a
liquid by the method of cooling

Strings
Lid Thermometer

Stirer

Outer Calorimeter
vessel
Inner
vessel

Cold
water
Let’s take the ,

Mass of the calorimeter = M

Mass of water = mw
Mass of the liquid = ml
The specific heat capacity of the calorimeter =
C The specific heat capacity of water = Cw
The specific heat capacity of the liquid = Cl

Also let’s assume that the times taken by

water and the liquid to cool from θ1 to θ2 is tw
and tl.
Thus, the
median rate at which the calorimeter with water looses heat =
(MC + mw Cw) (θ1 - θ2 ) / tw
And the median rate at which the calorimeter with water
looses heat =
(MC + ml Cl) (θ1 - θ2 ) / tl

Under identical situations we can assume that the median

rates at which heat is lost by these two systems are equal.

Hence,
(MC + mw Cw) (θ1 - θ2 ) / tw = (MC + ml Cl) (θ1 - θ2 ) / tl
If we conduct our experiment, by this equation, we can
find the specific heat capacity of the liquid.
 The experiment
1.Set up the apparatus as shown. Fill the empty space
between the outer vessel and the inner vessel with cold
water.

2.Measure the mass of the calorimeter and pour water of at

most 70°C to about 1cm below the lid.

3.Then hang the calorimeter with the two strings, so that it’s
free in the air, without any contact with a physical surface.

4.Stir the calorimeter until the temperature of water comes

down to about 40°C. Record the temperature at regular
intervals.

5. Measure the mass of the calorimeter with water.

.Remove the cold water between the two vessels and refill it
with cold water.

.Remove water inside the calorimeter and repeat the

experiment with a similar volume of the liquid.

8. Record the temperatures at regular intervals.

.Draw the cooling curves for both the liquid and the water in the
same graph and within the same temperature range.
θ
Liquid Water Use these readings
θ1 and from the equation
we just got above, we
θ2 can find the specific
heat capacity of the
t liquid
t1 t2
 Important points
.The calorimeter should be hanged between the two vessels
because during the experiment the environmental conditions can
change. Hence the flow of convection currents around the
calorimter might change.

.When similar volumes of the liquid and water are used for the
experiment, the temperature variation across the surface of the
calorimeter at a certain temperature is identical. Sometimes,
when the volumes are different, although inside of the
calorimeter might have the same temperture, the temperature
distribution across the outer surface might be different.

.When the calorimeter is stirred, the temperature is equally

distributed to all parts of the calorimeter. Thus, the temperature
absorbed by convection currents is the same regardless of the
place exposed.
4.When the calorimeter is closed at the top by a lid,
the heat loss due to convection and vaporization is
minimized.

5.For both occasions, i.e. for the experiment of water

and the liquid, the same calorimeter should be
used. If we use two identical calorimeters,
sometimes the nature of the surface may change.
Thus, the readings of the practical and hence the
expected value for the specific heat of the gas may
change.

7. It’s also better if the calorimeter and the stirer are

made of the same material.