METHOD:
Specific heat capacity of a material
- measure mass of metal block in kg
- put thermometer and immersion heater into holes in the block
- connect immersion heater, joule meter and power supply together
- Measure temp of block and then switch on power supply
- wait until temp of block has gone up by about 10 degrees then switch off power supply. Reading in joule meter gives the amount of energy transferred to the immersion heater
- do not take immersion heater out of block. Keep looking at temp and note the highest temp shown by thermometer
CALCULATION:
Specific heat capacity of metal block
Specific heat capacity= thermal energy/mass x temp change energy
METHOD:
Thermal insulation and risk
Hazard - using very hot water
Risk - knocking the water over and scolding yourself
Safety - do not sit down while using the hot water
- Select different materials to test as insulators
- wrap one of the materials around the outside of a metal glass container. Do not wrap any material under the bottom of container as it could make it top over
- pour hot water into container
- put life into container with upright thermometer through the hole in it
- take starting temp of water and start stop watch
- wait 10 mins then take temp of water
Control variable
What you keep the same
Resolution
Smallest change that the instrument can detect
Categoric variable
Values that given a name or a label
Continuous variable
Numerical values obtained by either measuring or by counting
Dependent variable
A variable whose value depends on that of another
Example: height (dependent) changes with age (independent)
Independent variable
A variable whose value does not depend on that of another
Example: age and time
