Download Specific Heat of a Metal

Report for Experiment 41
Specific Heat of a Metal
Prelaboratory Questions
1. Since the specific heat of water is given in units of joules per gram degree Celsius why do we measure the
volume of water in the calorimeter instead of its mass?
2. A 22.50 g piece of an unknown metal is heated to 100oC then transferred quickly and without cooling into
100.0 mL of water at 20.0oC. The final temperature reached by the system is 26.0oC.
a. Calculate the quantity of heat absorbed by the water. Show all work.
b. Determine the quantity of heat lost by the piece of metal. Show all work.
c. Calculate the specific heat of the metal in J/goC. Show all work.
3. What would be the effect on the value of the specific heat capacity of water if all temperatures were
measured in kelvins (K) rather than degrees Celsius (Co)? Explain
Observation and Data
Trial 1
Volume of Water
Mass of Water
Initial Temperature of
Water
Final Temperature of
Water
Temperature Difference
for Water
Mass of Metal
Type of Metal
Initial Temperature of
Metal
Final Temperature of
Metal
Temperature Difference
for Metal
Trial 2
Trial 3
Analysis and Conclusions
Show all work
1. Calculate the quantity of heat gained by the water, using Equation 1. If you carried out additional trials,
report the results of all trials, as well as average (mean) value. You need to show your work for only one of the
trials.
q1
=
q2
=
q3
=
qave =
2. Assuming that the quantity of heat lost by the metal is equal to the quantity of heat gained by the water. Use
Equation 1 to determine the specific heat, s, of the metal. Be sure you use DT for the metal in your calculation.
As before, report the results for each, as well as a mean value. Show the calculations for the first trial only.
s1
=
s2
=
s3
=
save =
3. Consider the assumption you were sked to make in the previous calculation (#2).
a. Explain why the assumption is not valid.
b. Does using the assumption from #2 give a value for the specific heat of the metal that is too high or too low?
Explain.
4. Look up the value of the specific heat of your metal. Calculate the percent error, using the following
equation (note the “absolute value” signs).