1 kg blocks for thermal capacity

12 V immersion heater (typically 60 W)

thermometer, 0 – 100 oC

power supply, 0 – 12 V rated to supply 6 A

4 mm leads

two digital multimeters

stopwatch Equipment List

Determine the specific heat capacity of a

Place the immersion heater into the
substance, by linking the decrease of one
central hole at the top of the block.
energy store (or work done) to the
Place the thermometer into the smaller
increase in temperature and therefore
hole and put a couple of drops of oil into Aims of the Experiment the increase in thermal energy stored
the hole to make sure the thermometer is
surrounded by hot material.
Fully insulate the block by wrapping it
loosely with cotton wool.
Independent variable = Time, t
Record the temperature of the block.
Dependent variable = Temperature, θ
Connect the heater to the power supply
Control variables: Material of the block
and turn it off after ten minutes.
Current supplied (I)
After ten minutes the temperature will Variables
still rise even though the heater has been
turned off and then it will begin to cool.
THERMAL Potential difference supplied (V)

Record the highest temperature that it

reaches and calculate the temperature
Method
HEAT Make sure the voltmeter and ammeter
rise during the experiment. are initially set to zero, to avoid zero
CAPACITY Systematic Errors error

Never touch the heater while it is on
since doing so could cause skin burns or
ignite a fire.
Any burns must be promptly submerged
in ice-cold water for at least five minutes.
When putting the equipment away, give
it time for everything to cool, including
the heater, wire, and block.
Keep all electrical equipment away from
water.
If working with a beaker of hot water,
wear eye protection.
Some of the heater's heat energy will not
be delivered to the block; some of it will
instead heat the surroundings or the
Errors thermometer. As a result, the specific
heat capacity measurement is likely to
be larger than the actual value. Be
certain that the block is well insulated to
lessen this impact.
Random Error The experiment can also be repeated
Safety Considerations with a beaker of water of equal mass, the
water should heat up slower than the
aluminium block