My aim is to measure the specific heat capacity of 4 metals and find out if they all have the same specific heat capacity or different.
Prediction:
The specific heat capacity is the amount of heat energy needed to raise 1kg by 1 C and is measured in joules.
My prediction is that the metal with the least massive atoms will heat up more quickly because they require less heat energy to make the molecules move around and heat up. The weight of the atoms is an important factor, that’s because the atoms may heat up at different rates.
The bigger the atom the more slowly it will take to heat up and the more heat energy is needed to make the molecules get hotter and move around.
Preliminary Investigation
In this short investigation, I will time the temperature every 30 seconds until it will reach 20 C higher than the starting temp that I will have recorded. After that I will turn off the heater and time how long the temperature keeps on rising, also recording the highest temperature before the metal cools back down again.
The equipment I will need is an immersion heater, a thermometer (either 1 C or 1/2 C increments). Ideally 1/2 C increments will be the best and most accurate to use. The immersion heaters will be set at 12 volts, 66 watts/joules per a second. The 4 metals will heat up at different rates because they have different densities. The test result;
Brass!
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 20 1/2
Amps
Voltage
30s
20 1/2
– 4.95
– 13.58
1.30s
23
– 4.94
– 13.57
2.00s
26
– 4.95
– 13.61
2.30s
30
– 4.95
– 13.56
3.00s
34
– 4.95
– 13.57
3.30s
38
– 4.93
– 13.54
4.00s
42 power pack off
– 0.01
– 0.00
4.30s
47
– 0.00
– 0.00
5.00s
49
– 0.00
– 0.00
5.30s
Over 50 C is the highest temp.
Copper!
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 22 1/2
Amps
Volts
30s
22 1/2
– 4.92
– 13.59
1.30s
23 1/2
– 4.92
– 13.57
2.00s
25 1/2
– 4.89
– 13.57
2.30s
29
– 4.90
– 13.56
3.00s
32
– 4.88
– 13.57
3.30s
37
– 4.88
– 13.58
4.00s
39 1/2
– 4.89
– 13.58
4.30s
43 power pack off
– 4.89
– 13.56
5.00s
47
– 0.01
– 0.00
5.30s
Over 50 C is the highest temp.
Steel!
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 24
Amps
Volts
30s
24
– 3.61
– 10.25
1.30s
24 1/2
– 3.61
– 10.24
2.00s
25
– 3.64
– 10.27
2.30s
28
– 3.64
– 10.25
3.00s
30 1/2
– 3.65
– 10.23
3.30s
34
– 3.67
– 10.24
4.00s
36
– 3.67
– 10.25
4.30s
39
– 3.69
– 10.25
5.00s
42
– 3.64
– 10.24
5.30s
44 power pack off
– 0.03
– 0.00
6.00s
47
– 0.02
– 0.00
6.30s
48 highest temp
Aluminium!
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 22
Amps
Volts
30s
22
– 3.62
– 10.25
1.30s
22 1/2
– 3.61
– 10.24
2.00s
24
– 3.64
– 10.27
2.30s
24 1/2
– 3.66
– 10.25
3.00s
25 1/2
– 3.65
– 10.23
3.30s
26
– 3.67
– 10.24
4.00s
28
– 3.67
– 10.25
4.30s
29 1/2
– 3.66
– 10.25
5.00s
31
– 3.64
– 10.24
5.30s
32
– 3.66
– 10.25
6.00s
33 1/2
– 3.65
– 10.23
6.30s
34 1/2
– 3.67
– 10.25
7.00s
36
– 3.66
– 10.24
7.30s
37
– 3.65
– 10.23
8.00s
38 1/2
– 3.64
– 10.24
8.30s
40
– 3.66
– 10.25
9.00s
41
– 3.65
– 10.25
9.30s
42 power pack off and highest temp.
– 0.00
Variables
The metals;
Copper- mass of 64 per atom
Aluminium- mass of 27 per atom
Steel and brass are both alloys.
The thermometers;
1/2 C increments – more accurate readings
1 C increment – less accurate readings
Fair Test
To make it a fair test I will need to ensure that the metals all have the same masses. I need to make sure that as accurately as possible that I heat the 4 different metal blocks to 20 C above each of there starting temperatures (likely to be room temperature). I will have to make sure that I leave the voltage the same for all the metals.
Apparatus:
Procedure:
* First you will have to place the thermometer in the metal and record what the starting temperature is.
* Secondly you put the immersion heater in the other hole on top of the metal.
* You then join all the leads or parts together to the power pack, including;
1 Ammeter
1 volt meter
* Then you switch the power pack on from the plug.
* Last of all, check that the voltage is on twelve watts and turn the power and the stop clock on at the same time.
Results!
I am going to find out the specific heat capacity by using this formulae; C = Q
M ?T
That formula will work out the specific heat energy of the metal block.
The Results!
Brass!
5.30s
Over 50 C is the highest temp.
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 20 1/2
Amps
Voltage
4.00s
42 power pack off
– 0.01
– 0.00
Copper!
4.30s
43 power pack off
– 4.89
– 13.56
5.30s
Over 50 C is the highest temp.
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 22 1/2
Amps
Volts
Steel!
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 22
Amps
Volts
9.30s
42 power pack off and highest temp.
– 0.00
Time
Every 30s
Temp In C
Starting temp = 22 1/2
Amps
Volts
4.30s
43 power pack off
– 4.89
– 13.58
5.30s
Over 50 C is the highest temp.
Aluminium!
Metal
Volts
Amps
Time
Mass
Average
Temp change
Specific
Heat
Capacity.
Aluminium
10.28
3.73
570
1
20
= 1092.8154
Copper
13.58
4.89
198
1
21
= 657.42138
Steel
10.28
3.69
300
1
20
= 568.99813
Brass
13.54
4.93
198
1
22
= 600.76984
Specific Heat Capacity!
I have used the formula; C = Q
M ?t
Evaluation
I think that I have recorded successfully and accurately as I can on the practical experiments such as the preliminary results. I have taken down the time and the temperature every 30seconds as best as I could. Also I feel I have done well is carrying out doing a fair test in my experiments. I feel that I could have done my graph plots every 15seconds to make the whole experiment more accurate.
I could have improved more in what I was doing in this investigation by working at a more rapid pace to cool down the equipment that I previously used and not get distracted by talking.
Remember! This is just a sample.
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