CSE PHY 1102

Course Code: PHY-1102

Course Title: Physics I Lab
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Date:

EXPT. NO. 1

DETERMINATION OF THE VALUE OF J, THE MECHANICAL EQUIVALENT

OF HEAT, BY ELECTRICAL METHOD

OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this lab is to conduct an experiment to determine the mechanical equivalent of heat
using electrical methods. To do so, we need to find out how much work it takes in joules to produce
a calorie of heat.

THEORY:

The mechanical equivalent of heat J is the number of joules of electrical energy required to generate
one calorie of heat.
If E volt being the potential difference across a conducting coil and i ampere being the current
flowing through the coil for t seconds, then electrical energy expended in the coil is Eit. Hence, if
this energy is converted into H calories of heat we shall have,
J = Eit Joules per calorie...................(1)
H
If the heat thus developed is measured by means of a calorimeter, then the temperature of the
calorimeter with its content will rise from θ1℃ to θ 2℃. Hence, the heat taken up by the calorimeter
and its contents is given by,
H = (Ms + w) × (θ 1 − θ2 )………(2)
Where, M = mass of the liquid in the calorimeter
s = specific heat of the liquid
w = water equivalent of the calorimeter and the stirrer.
From equation (1) and (2) we get,
Eit
J = (Ms+w)×(θ1-θ2) Joules per calorie
Eit 7
= (Ms+w)(θ1–θ2) × 10 ergs per calorie...................(3)

APPARATUS:

 calorimeter (resistance heater, cover, jacket, etc)

 water
 scale
 voltmeter
 ammeter
 thermometer

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 power supply
 Stopwatch
 Rheostat (optional)
 Connecting Wires

PROCEDURE:

1. Clean the calorimeter and the stirrer with cotton pad and weigh them together with a
balance. Pour some water in the calorimeter just sufficient to dip the heating coil completely.
Again weigh the calorimeter with the stirrer and water in it. The difference of these two
weights gives the mass of the water taken in the calorimeter.

Fig. 1 Circuit diagram

2. Put the heating coil in the calorimeter which should dip just completely in the water (see
discussion). Insert the thermometer T reading one fifth of the degree Celsius in the
calorimeter with the bulb near the middle region of water but never touching the coil. Place
the calorimeter inside another larger calorimeter packet with cotton wool.
3. Again check the connections making sure that the positive terminals of the ammeter and
voltmeter are connected properly. Close the circuit temporarily and adjust the control knob
of the power pack (or the rheostat in case of a battery) until a current of about 2 amperes (as
recorded by the ammeter) flows through the circuit. Then put off the switch and stir the
liquid to get a steady temperature. When the thermometer shows a steady temperature for
at least 5 minutes, record the temperature, θ.
4. Now start the stopwatch and the current simultaneously and go on stirring the liquid. Record
the current, voltage and temperature at an interval of every minute. When the

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temperature has risen about θ stop the current, simultaneously noting the time for which the
current flowed but allow the stop watch to run on. The temperature will further rise. Note the time
from the beginning of starting the stopwatch to the maximum rise of the temperature θ 2. Record
this temperature and go on stirring the liquid as before. Now allow the calorimeter to cool for the
same length of time as it has been rising in temperature, and again note the temperature. The actual
loss in temperature, by radiation during the heating process is half of this fall in temperature. Add this
loss to the observed maximum temperature θ2 to get the maximum temperature of the liquid.
(Suppose the heating took 8 minutes, say. Allow the water to cool for 8 minutes and note the fall in
temperature. Suppose it is 1. Add half the fall in temperature i.e. 0.5 to the maximum temperature
θ2 recorded by the thermometer. This is the radiation correction.)

DATA COLLECTION:
1. Recording the weights and other constants,

Mass of calorimeter, N1 = 29.7. .g

Mass of calorimeter + water, N2 = 114.7. g
Mass of the liquid, M = N2 − N1=…85….. g
Specific heat of the given liquid, s =4.186 calorie/gram
Water equivalent of the calorimeter, w =…… g
Initial temperature of the calorimeter + its contents, θ1 = 28.2...℃

2. Current-Voltage record:

No. of obs. Time (minutes) Current i (amps) Voltage E Temperature

(volts)
1 1.70 6.5 31.5
2 1.71 6.5 33.1
3 1.74 6.6 34.8
4 1.78 6.7 36.6
5 1.80 6.8 38.4
6 1.82 6.8 40.1
7 1.82 6.8 42.4

Time during which the current is passed, t = (time when current is stopped) × 60 =……… s
Mean current during the interval t, i =…1.77……amp
Mean voltage during the interval t, E = 6.671. .V
Rise of the temperature = (Maximum temperature-initial steady temperature) =……14……..

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(maximum temperature – lowest temperature after cooling)

Radiation correction = =…0.25……
2
℃

Corrected rise of temperature = rise of temperature + radiation correction =…14.25……..

Heat produced, H = (Ms + w) (Corrected rise of temperature)
=…..… calories
Work done electrically W = Eit =...7438.832….. Joules

work done 7438.832

J= Heat Produced = = …5.954
(85 x 1+ 29.7 x 0.09)x 14.25
Joules/calorie

Joules/calorie

RESULT: The mechanical equivalent of heat J= 5.954 J/Cal

DISCUSSIONS:
i. The ammeter and voltmeter should be checked for zero error.
ii. Mean current and voltage should be taken because during heating the resistance of the coil change
and current and voltage may change.
iii. When a battery is used for the supply of current, care must be taken not to draw a current more than
the maximum permitted.

CAUTIONS:

1. Take care of the reading of the apparatus.

2. Precaution should be taken so that the current in the circuit remains fairly steady.

CONCLUSIONS:

For our lab, we used electricity as our source of energy and converted it into heat using a resistance heater.
A resistance heater uses a coil of wire that is a resistor to heat things. Resistors resist the flow of current by
slowing down the electrons flowing through a conductor, which reduces the voltage or potential energy across
the conductor. In order to slow down the electrons, the element must be a material that does not conduct
perfectly. Since the voltage no longer will have the same potential because the resistor reduces it, the energy
must go somewhere (it is not destroyed), so it is dissipates from the resistor as heat. To acquire our
experimental value of the mechanical equivalent of heat, we measured the temperature of a known mass of
water. We then put our heater in the water for a given period, while taking measurements of the current at set
intervals to get an average of the current flowing through our heater. After measuring the voltage across the
heater, and the final temperature of the water, we were able to determine the work done in the given period.
From this, we derived our experimental value in Joules of work per calorie of heat. In effect, this is what Joule
did with his experiment; only he used mechanical energy instead of electrical energy as his source. Using this
experiment we can also measure specific heat of the liquid, since value of mechanical equivalent of heat J is
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known (4.2 J/Cal).

Some causes of our percent error could be lack of precision in the instruments used. Our rheostat was very
touchy, it was practically impossible for us to get an exact reading of two amps flowing through our heater.
This may have been because of the rheostat having a rough adjustment and not a precision adjustment screw; it
also could be that the ammeter was not in perfect calibration; then again, other conditions such as poor
connections of the cables or clips could have contributed to the imprecise readings.

QUESTION:

1. Define mechanical equivalent of heat and state its units?

Answer: The mechanical equivalent of heat is the amount of mechanical work needed to produce a unit of
heat energy. Its expressed in units of joules per calorie (J/cal).

2. What is work done and who does the work in this experiment?
Answer: In this experiment, electrical energy is supplied to a resistor, which offers resistance to the
flow of electric current. As the current passes through the resistor, it encounters this resistance, and
according to Ohm's Law, work is done to overcome this resistance, resulting in the conversion of
electrical energy into heat energy. Essentially, the electric current does the work as it flows through
the resistor, causing it to heat up and produce thermal energy. The amount of electrical energy
converted into heat energy can then be measured and used to determine the mechanical equivalent
of heat (Joule's constant).

3. What is radiation correction?

Answer: Radiation correction is an adjustment made in experiments to compensate for heat loss or
gain due to radiation, ensuring more accurate measurements

4. Instead of D.C, can you use A.C. in the circuit?

Answer: Yes, alternating current (AC) can be used in the circuit for the determination of the
mechanical equivalent of heat using the electrical method. However, adjustments may be needed in
the experimental setup and calculations to account for the differences between AC and DC in terms
of power delivery and heat generation.

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