Group No.

6_

Section: 2B-MT

Date Performed: September 18, 2012 Date Submitted: September 25, 2012

Members: Morales, Ciara Maye Nacino, John Ian New, Dean Xavier Ong, Jason Ong, Mark Kenneth Reyes, Leah Kristine (Leader)

Experiment No. 8 : Specific Heat Of Metals

I . Abstract With this experiment, the specific heat of a metal sample, in this case, Copper, with a known mass was determined by heating it to the 95C-99C range then immersing it into the calorimeter with a known mass of water at a low initial temperature. In the Law of Heat Exchange, two substances interchange heat so that the heat lost by the hotter substance is gained by the colder substance until the two reach thermal equilibrium. The amount of heat absorbed by the cold water would then be equal with the amount of heat lost by the heated metal. II. Questions and Problems: 1. Define the following: a. Heat refers to the energy that flows as a result in the difference of temperature b. Heat capacity refers to the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a given quantity of the substance by one degree Celsius 2. Why is it desirable to have the water a few degrees colder than the room temperature when the initial temperature is taken? Based on the Second Law of Thermodynamics, heat flows from hotter to colder objects. Ideally, water needs to be a few degrees colder than the room temperature in order that heat will flow to the system because it is colder than the surroundings, making the system more efficient in absorbing heat. 3. Why is the mass of the outer shell of the calorimeter and the insulating ring not included in the data for this experiment? The mass of the outer shell of the calorimeter and the insulating ring were not included in the data for this experiment since they are not part of the isolated system, making their masses irrelevant in the computation of specific heat.

4. What does this experiment show about the specific heat of water? From the data observed in this experiment, it was proven that water absorbs more amount of heat than the calorimeter since it has a higher specific heat. 5. How does the heat conductivity of the metal used in this experiment affect the accuracy of the results? The heat conductivity of the metal may increase or decrease the accuracy of the results obtained. The rate of heat conduction can be affected by the properties of the metal, such as its nature, surface area, thickness and specific heat. 6. Why should the hot metal be dry before it is introduced into the cold water? The hot metal should be dry before it is introduced into the cold water in order to maximize the direct contact between the surface of the metal and the molecules of water, thereby improving the heat exchange. 7. 837 calories of heat are required to heat 100 grams of copper from 10C to 100C. What is the specific heat of copper? Qcopper= (mcopper)(ccopper)( t) 837 cal = (100g)(ccopper)(100C-10C) 837 cal = (100g)(90C)(ccopper) 837 cal = 9000 g C (ccopper) 9000 g C 9000 g Chjvjhvhvj = ccopper