Preparatory Year Physics Lab Semester 1: 2017/2018

Determination of the specific heat of a

metal using the mixture method
experiment
Objective
To measure the specific heat of a solid material by using the mixture method.

Theory

Fig. 15: Specific heat experiment (a) Outside view of the calorimeter (b) inside view

Heat is a form of energy and can be transferred from a system (an object) to another when
there is a temperature difference between them. This means that the heat transfers from a hot object
to a cold object until reach the equilibrium. The hot object loses a quantity of heat energy (𝑸) while
the cold object gains the same quantity of heat energy to reach the equilibrium at which their
temperature become equals.

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The lost heat (𝑸) from an object of mass 𝒎 (or gained to),causing a temperature change
from 𝑻𝒊 to 𝑻𝒇 𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑦 (𝑻 = 𝑻𝒇 − 𝑻𝒊 ) and heat energy (𝑸) can be expressed as:

𝑸 = 𝑪 𝒎 𝑻

Where (𝑻𝒊 ) is the initial temperature, (𝑻𝒇 ) is the final temperature, (𝑪) is called the specific
heat of the material. It is called specific because each material is specified by a constant value of
(𝑪).

𝑸
𝑪=
𝒎 ∆𝑻

So the specific heat is defined as "The amount of heat energy required to change the
temperature of a unit mass object by one Celsius degree".

The specific heat C has the unit 𝑐𝑎𝑙/𝑔. 𝐶 𝑜 in CGS system or 𝐽/𝐾𝑔 . 𝐾 in IS system, where
1 𝑐𝑎𝑙 = 4.186 𝐽. The specific heat of water, for example, is given by 𝑪𝒘 = 1 𝑐𝑎𝑙/𝑔. 𝐶 𝑜 =
418.6 𝐽/𝐾𝑔 . 𝐾.

Metallic balls or shots of mass 𝒎𝒔 are heated up by steam to a temperature of 𝑻𝒔 . If they

are poured into a quantity of water of mass 𝒎𝒘 contained by an aluminum calorimeter of mass 𝒎𝒄 .
Both the water and calorimeter are in initial temperature of 𝑻𝒘 and having specific heats of 𝑪𝒘 and
𝑪c respectively.

The heat lost from the hot balls (shots) is:

𝑸 = 𝑪𝒔 𝒎𝒔 (𝑻𝒇 – 𝑻𝒔 )

The heat gained by the water and calorimeter is:

𝑸 = 𝑪𝒘 𝒎𝒘 ( 𝑻𝒇 – 𝑻𝒊𝒘 ) + 𝑪𝒄 𝒎𝒄 ( 𝑻𝒇 – 𝑻𝒘 )

Therefore, we can estimate the specific heat of the solid object by:

(𝐦𝐰 𝐂𝐰 + 𝐦𝐜 𝐂𝐜 )(𝐓𝐟 − 𝐓𝐰 )
𝐂𝐬 = 𝐦𝐬 (𝐓𝐬 − 𝐓𝐟 )

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Apparatus
A boiler connected to a vapor chamber for heating solid balls, a hot plate, a calorimeter, a
thermometer, and small solid balls, balance.

Experimental Procedure
1. Weigh the inner calorimeter cup (without the insulator) while it is empty, mc.
2. Fill the calorimeter cup with two third of cold water and find the mass of water, mw.
3. Measure the initial temperature of water Tiw, which is also the temperature of the
calorimeter.
4. Fill the boiler with water and put it on the heater. Be sure that the boiler is not empty
of water throughout the experiment.
5. Insert the handle tube to shut the exit side and then lay a suitable amount of solid
balls.
6. Cover the tube with a cork and insert a thermometer inside the handle tube just above
the solid balls.
7. Boil the water and observe the thermometer reading until it reaches the stationary
temperature, Ts.
8. Approaches the calorimeter's top near the boiler's exit, and transfer the hot solid balls
to the calorimeter by raising the handle tube.
9. Stir the water gently and use the thermometer to record the highest temperature
reached by the water and calorimeter, Tf.
10. Calculate the specific heat of the solid balls.

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Specific heat of water 𝐶𝑤 = 1 𝑐𝑎𝑙/𝑔. 𝐶𝑜

Specific heat of cupper calorimeter 𝐶𝑐 = 0.0923 𝑐𝑎𝑙/𝑔. 𝐶𝑜
Specific heat of Aluminum 𝐶𝑐 = 0.215 𝑐𝑎𝑙/𝑔. 𝐶𝑜
calorimeter

Results

1- Mass of the calorimeter 𝑚𝑐 = − − − − − (− − −) 𝑔

2-Mass of the water 𝑚𝑤 = − − − − − (− − −) 𝑔

3-Initial temperature of the water and calorimeter 𝑇𝑤 = − − (− − −) 𝑐𝑜

4-Initial temperature of solid balls 𝑇𝑠 = − − (− − −) 𝑐𝑜

5-Final Temperature of Mixture 𝑇𝑓 == − − (− − −) 𝑐 𝑜

6-Mass of solid balls 𝑚𝑠 = − − (− − −) 𝑔

(𝐦𝐰 𝐂𝐰 + 𝐦𝐜 𝐂𝐜 )(𝐓𝐟 − 𝐓𝐰 )
Cs = =− − − − − − − − − (− − −) cal/g Co
𝐦𝐬 (𝐓𝐬 − 𝐓𝐟 )

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Discussion & Conclusion

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