required practical 1: specific heat capacity

what is the first step in the specific heat capacity practical?

place a beaker on a balance, zero it, then add oil and record its mass

what do you do after adding the thermometer and immersion heater?

read the starting temperature of the oil

how do you reduce thermal energy loss to the surroundings?

wrap the beaker in insulating foam

how is the energy supplied to the oil measured?

connect a joulemeter and powerpack to the immersion heater; the joulemeter measures joules of energy supplied

how long should you heat the oil?

around 30 minutes, enough for a clear temperature rise

how is specific heat capacity calculated?

rearrange ΔE = m × c × Δθ to find c, then plug in the measured values

what are sources of inaccuracy?

energy lost to air, not all energy absorbed by oil, thermometer reading errors, uneven heating of oil

how can you reduce these inaccuracies?

use better insulation, ensure immersion heater is fully submerged, use electronic temperature probe, stir the oil