18b Specific Heat-RGC.doc - 1 -
Specific Heat
Introduction
The purpose of this lab is to determine the specific heats of several different metals.
Equipment
Computer & Logger Pro SW Electric Hot Plate Digital Scale
Temperature Sensor Beaker String
Calorimeter Set of metals
Theory
If you mix hot and cold water together, the temperature of the final mixture will be
between the two temperatures of the component liquids. The exact value of the final
temperature depends on how much hot water is added to how much cold water and the
specific temperatures of each of the liquids. If you throw a hot branding iron into a pail of
cool water, you know that the temperature of the iron will go down. You also know that
the temperature of the water will rise--but will its rise in temperature be more, less, or the
same as the temperature drop of the iron? That is, will the temperature of the water rise as
much as the temperature of the iron goes down? Or will the changes of temperature
instead depend on the relative masses and the thermal properties of the iron and the water?
In this experiment, you are going to investigate the quantity of heat per gram per
degree(Celsius), known as the specific heat.. Water has a specific heat of 1.00 cal/g°C--
relatively large compared to most substances.
