Specific Heat Capacity

Pages 20-21

What is the definition of the specific heat capacity of a material?

Specific heat capacity is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1kg of a substance by 1°C

Suggest why a material with a high specific heat capacity is better suited for use in a heating system than a material with a low specific heat capacity.

It takes longer to increase the temperature of the substance therefore it stays warmer for longer.r

Describe an experiment to find the specific heat capacity of a material.

Equipment:

• Block of a solid material with two holes in it

• Insulation for the material

• Heater

• Thermometer

• Ammeter

• Stopwatch

• Power supply

Instructions:

1. Measure the mass of the block

2. Wrap the block in an insulating layer

3. Insert the thermometer and heater into the two holes in the block

4. Measure the initial temperature of the block

5. Set the potential difference (V) of the power supply to 10V

6. Turn on the power supply and start a stopwatch

7. As the block heats up, use the thermometer to measure it’s temperature at regular intervals.

8. Once collected around 10 readings, turn off the power supply

How many Joules of energy is needed to warm 1kg of water by 1°C?

4200 J

What is the formula for Specific Heat Capacity?

∆E = mc∆∅