Group 5 2E-Ph Leader: Thomas David P.

Miguel Members: Jacinto Mari Manual Chiquet Samantha Mariel Manzano Anselm Joseph Marcelo Jerel Marquez Lea Ramona Mercado EXPERIMENT 6 Specific Heat of Metals

Date Performed: 02/27/2012 Date Submitted: 03/05/2012

Abstract: Specific heat capacity is the measurable physical quantity that characterizes the amount of heat required to change the substances temperature by a given amount. Two different metals were used as samples. These two metals were steel and aluminum. The objective was to determine the specific heat capacity of a metal sample using a calorimeter. The specific heat capacity of the metal samples was calculated based on the heat of the calorimeter and water. Questions: 1. Why is it desirable to have the water a few degrees colder than room temperature when the initial temperature is taken? For best results, it is desirable to have the water approximately as many degrees below room temperature when starting the experiment as the system will be above room temperature at the end. 2. Why is the mass of the outer shell of the calorimeter and the insulating ring not included in the data for this experiment? The outer shell and the insulating ring do not participate in heat transfer. These are actually designed so that the heat is transferred from one substance to another inside the container, with no heat loss to the surroundings. The insulated ring and the air space are central to preventing heat loss to the surroundings. 3. How does the heat conductivity of the metal used in this experiment affect the accuracy of the results? Heat conductivity is the property of a materials ability to conduct heat. The metal sample must have high heat conductivity to have higher rate of heat transfer across materials of low conductivity.

4. Why should the hot metal be dry before it is introduced in the cold water?

The water on the metal contains heat too. We only want to measure the heat capacity of the metal sample, so the metal must be dry to avoid wrong calculation of the metals heat capacity. 5. 837 calories of heat are required to heat 100.00 grams of copper to 10C to 100C. What is the specific heat of copper? Q= mcT
C=

C=

C= 0.093cal/gC