Required Practical: Specific Heat Capacity

This lesson covers the AQA required practical for determining the specific heat capacity of a material. You must know the method, variables, equipment, safety precautions, and sources of error. This practical is examined in AQA GCSE Combined Science Trilogy (8464).

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Aim

To investigate and determine the specific heat capacity of a material (typically a metal block such as aluminium or copper, or water).

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Equipment

Item	Purpose
Metal block (with two holes — one for a heater, one for a thermometer)	The substance being tested
Electric immersion heater	To heat the block
Thermometer (or digital temperature sensor)	To measure temperature change
Joulemeter (or ammeter + voltmeter + stopclock)	To measure energy transferred
Insulation (lagging)	To reduce energy losses to surroundings
Balance	To measure the mass of the block
Connecting wires and power supply	To power the heater

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Method