| Aim | The aim of this experiment is to determine the specific heat capacity of a given solid by the method of mixtures. |
| Apparatus Required | A sample of the given solid. A calorimeter. A thermometer. A heater. A stirrer. A stopwatch. Water. |
| Theory | The specific heat capacity of a substance is defined as the amount of heat energy required to raise the temperature of one unit mass of the substance by one degree Celsius. The method of mixtures is a technique used to determine the specific heat capacity of a solid. In this method, a known mass of the solid is heated to a high temperature and then quickly placed into a known mass of water at a lower temperature. The heat lost by the solid is equal to the heat gained by the water. By measuring the temperature changes of both the solid and water, the specific heat capacity of the solid can be calculated. |
| Procedure | Measure the mass of the solid sample. Heat the solid sample in a heater until it reaches a high temperature. Fill the calorimeter with a known mass of water and take its initial temperature using the thermometer. Quickly transfer the hot solid sample into the calorimeter containing water. Stir the mixture and take the final temperature of the water using the thermometer. Record the mass of the water and the temperature changes of both the solid and water. Repeat the experiment two more times with the same sample of the solid. Take the average of the three specific heat capacity values obtained from the experiment. |
| Observation and Result | Observation: During the experiment, the temperature of the water increased while the temperature of the solid decreased. The temperature changes of both the solid and water were recorded, and the mass of the water and the solid were measured. Result: Using the method of mixtures, the specific heat capacity of the given solid can be determined. By calculating the heat lost by the solid and the heat gained by the water, the specific heat capacity of the solid can be found. The average of three specific heat capacity values obtained from the experiment is taken as the final result. |
