Measuring specific heat capacity:

1. Weigh a block of aluminum to find its mass m and then place it in the
lagging.
2. Add a small amount of cooking oil to ensure good thermal contact when
the heater and thermometer and inserted
3. Take the initial temperature of the block. Switch on the power supply and
start the stopwatch record the current and potential difference
4. After three minutes switch of the power supply and record the highest
steady temperature reached.
5. You can than find the specific heat capacity using the equation
Explain the concept of internal energy as the random distribution of potential and kinetic
energy amongst molecules
In gas the molecules have Kinetic energy due to their random motion. In addition
molecules that are made from two or more atoms have kinetic energy due to
rotation and vibration.

In an ideal gas the internal energy is entirely the random kinetic energy of its
molecules

Ideal gas assumptions:

1. The intermolecular forces are negligible except in collision
2. That the collisions between molecules and with the wall are elastic
3. Just before a collision molecules have kinetic energy the closer the
molecules get the larger the repulsive force so K.E is transferred to potential
energy as a result of work being done to overcome resistive force so the
molecule is temporarily stationary
4. Time spent in collision is 0 compared to time spent out of collision